Buru
Encyclopedia
Buru is the third largest island
within Maluku Islands
of Malay Archipelago
. It lies between the Banda Sea
to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon
and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia
and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies. Their administrative centers, Namlea and Nampole, respectively, have ports and the largest towns of the island. There is a military airport at Namlea which supports civilian cargo transportation.
About a third of the population is indigenous, mostly Buru
, but also Lisela
, Ambelau
and Kayeli people
. The rest of population are immigrants from Java
and nearby Maluku Islands. The religious affiliation is evenly split between Christianity
and Sunni Islam
, with some remnants of traditional beliefs. While local languages and dialects are spoken within individual communities, the national Indonesian language
is used among the communities and by the administration. Most of the island is covered with forests rich in tropical flora and fauna. From the present 179 bird and 25 mammal species, about 14 are found either on Buru only or also on a few nearby islands, the most notable being the wild pig Buru babirusa
. There is little industry on the island, and most population is engaged in growing rice
, maize
, sweet potato
, beans
, coconuts, cocoa, coffee
, clove
and nutmeg
. Other significant activities are animal farming and fishing.
The island was first mentioned around 1365. Between 1658 and 1942, it was colonized by the Dutch East India Company
and then by the Crown of the Netherlands
. The Dutch administration relocated many local villages to the newly built island capital at Kayeli Bay for working at clove
plantations. It also promoted the hierarchy among the indigenous people with selected loyal raja
s placed above the heads of the local clans. The island was occupied by the Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945 and in 1950 became part of independent Indonesia. During former President Suharto's New Order administration in the 1960s–1970s, Buru was the site of a prison used to hold thousands of political prisoners. While held at Buru, writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer
wrote most his novels, including Buru Quartet
.
– Seram Sea on the north and Banda Sea
to the south and west. To the east, it is separated by Manipa Strait from Seram Island . With an area of 9505 km² (3,669.9 sq mi), Buru is the third largest among the Maluku Islands after Halmahera
and Seram.
Buru is shaped as an oval elongated from west to east. The maximum length is about 130 km (80.8 mi) from east to west and 90 km (55.9 mi) from north to south. The coastline is smooth, with the only indentation being Kayeli Bay located on the eastern coast. The bay also has a smooth oval shape. It extends into the island to 8–12 km and has a maximum width of 17 km, the width decreases to 9 km at the mouth; the coastal length of the bay is about 50 km. At the northern part of the mouth stands Namlea – the largest town of the island.
Maximum elevation of the island (2429 m (7,969.2 ft)) is the peak of mountain Kapalamadan (also called Kepala Madan, Kepalat Mada or Ghegan). Off the coast of Buru there are several smaller islands; of those permanently inhabited are Ambelau
(the largest, about 10 km in diameter, located about 20 km south-east of Buru) and Tengah . The largest of the uninhabited are Fogi , Oki and Tomahu .
The relief is mostly mountainous, especially in central and western parts. So from the 9,505 km² of the island area, 1,789 km² lie 900 m above mean sea level, 872 km² above 1,200 m and 382 km² above 1,500 m. Flat areas are located in narrow stripes near the coast and along the banks of river Apo – there they form a valley of the same name. Much of the island is covered with tropical rain forests.
With the length of about 80 km (49.7 mi), Apo is the largest river of Buru. It flows nearly straight to the north-east and empties into the Kayeli Bay, however its bed is very winding on the hundreds meters scale, with loops all along the length. Two other permanent rivers are Geren and Nibe, the rest are periodic rivers with discontinuous flow. The river discharge varies significantly through the year reaching the maximum in rainy season. Note that Indonesian sources often include wae (meaning river) before the river names; thus Apo is often referred to as Waeapo or Wae Apo, it is also called Apu in some local dialects. In the center of the island at an altitude of 767 metres (2,516.4 ft) lies a freshwater lake Rana . This is the only significant lake on Buru; it has a nearly rectangular shape with the length of about 4.3 km, width of about 2.7 km and an area of 11.5 km² (4.4 sq mi)
The crust consists of several types of deposits. It is dominated by Cenozoic
sedimentary rocks, probably originating from the Australian continent; Also present are younger volcanic rocks and more recent alluvial deposits. Sedimentary deposits in the form of silt, peat, sand and mud are mostly found in the river valleys. Metamorphic rock
s of slate
, schist
and arkose
dominate the northern part of the island. Very few mineral deposits of Buru have industrial value, and only limestone
is mined commercially. However, significant reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the shelf in 2009. There are numerous coral reefs around the island. The soil mostly consists of yellow-red Podsol
, Organosol
, Grumosol and various mixtures.
As Buru is located at the boundary between the biogeographic
zones of Australia and Asia, its flora and fauna are unique and are the subject of national and international scientific research. Of 25 species of mammals found on the island, at least 4 are endemic to Buru and closest to it islands. The local subspecies of the wild pig named Buru babirusa
(Babyrousa babyrussa) is distinguished from the other babyrousa
species by having relatively long and thick body-hair. It also has very low fat content in their meat (only 1.27% compared to 5–15% for domestic pigs) and is regarded as a delicacy among the local population, which favors it to other wild pigs or deer in terms of texture and flavor. Also endemic to Buru are three types of bat
s: Moluccan flying fox (Pteropus chrysoproctus), Ceram fruit bat
Pteropus ocularis and lesser tube-nosed bat
(Nyctimene minutus).
Of the 178 recorded species of birds, 10 are endemic to Buru and nearby islands: Buru Racket-tail (Prioniturus mada), Black-lored Parrot
(Tanygnathus gramineus), Blue-fronted Lorikeet
(Charmosyna toxopei), Buru Honeyeater
(Lichmera deningeri), Buru Cuckooshrike (Coracina fortis), Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
(Rhinomyias addita), Rufous-throated White-eye
(Madanga ruficollis), Buru White-eye (Zosterops buruensis), Tawny-backed Fantail
(Rhipidura superflua) and Black-tipped Monarch
(Monarcha loricatus). Among those, the rufous-throated white-eye is regarded as endangered and the Black-lored Parrot and vulnerable (threatened) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; both species were observed only in very limited areas of Buru island. There are another 19 birds that are near-endemic to Buru: Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
(Accipiter erythrauchen), Dusky Megapode (Megapodius forstenii), Moluccan Megapode
(Megapodius wallacei), White-eyed Imperial Pigeon (Ducula perspicillata), Long-tailed Mountain Pigeon (Gymnophaps mada), Red Lory
(Eos bornea), Moluccan Hawk-owl
(Ninox squamipila), Moluccan Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula), Wakolo Myzomela
(Myzomela wakoloensis), Black-faced Friarbird
(Philemon moluccensis), Drab Whistler
(Pachycephala griseonota), White-naped Monarch
(Monarcha pileatus), Dark-grey Flycatcher
(Myiagra galeata), Black-eared Oriole
(Oriolus bouroensis), Pale Cicadabird
(Coracina ceramensis), Buru Thrush
(Zoothera dumasi), Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
(Ficedula buruensis), Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
(Bradypterus castaneus) and Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
(Dicaeum erythrothorax). Among butterflies, 25% of Pieridae
and 7% of Papilionidae
are endemic to the island.
The vegetation is characteristic of tropical lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forests, with the dominant family of Dipterocarpaceae
, genuses of Hopea
, Shorea
and Vatica
, and the individual species of Anisoptera thurifera
, Hopea gregaria
, H. iriana, H. novoguineensis, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena
, Shorea selanica
and Vatica rassak
. Some of these trees may grow to more than 30 metres (98.4 ft) and are usually bound by thick lianas and other epiphyte
s. Open forest, woodland, and savanna areas also exist on Buru. The fire-resistant paper bark tree (Melaleuca
cajuputi) is common in dry areas. The northwestern part of the island has steep limestone
cliffs covered by mixed forests that include Shorea
trees, and stunted Dacrydium novo-guineense
is present at the mountain tops.
Primary forests constitute 60% of the island, and are mostly found in the areas of Air Buaya and Waeapo. There is only 0.51% of secondary forests, in the district Batabual, and 0.9% of mangroves, at Waeapo, Air Buaya, Batabual and Namlea. A significant part of the island (23.10%) is taken by shrubs, and only 5.83% is open land, which is spread over most districts of Buru.
Buru Regency has an area of 5,578 km² and the administrative center at Namlea. It is divided into 5 districts: Namlea (center in Namlea), Waplau (center – Waplau), Waeapo (center – Waenetat), Air Buaya (center – Air Buaya) and Batubual (center – Ilath). The governor (Regent or , as of October 2009) is Husni Hentihu and Vice Regent is Ramli Umasugi.
South Buru Regency (administrative center Namrole) has an area of 5,060 km² and includes the Ambelau and other small islands south of Buru. Its governing structure has not been completed as of February 2010, and the current acting Regent is A. R. Uluputti. The regency is divided into 5 districts: Namrole (center – Namrole), Kepalamadan (center – Biloro), Leksula (center – Leksula), Wae Sama (center – Wamsisi),
and Ambalau (center – Wailua); the last district is entirely located on the island Ambalau.
(33,000 people), Lisela
(13,000), Ambelau
(6,000) and Kayeli people
(800); migrants from Java, and migrants from other Maluku Islands. The migration to Buru was stimulated by the Dutch colonial administration in the 1900s, and by Indonesian authorities in the 1950s–1990s. The local communities speak Buru, Lisela
and Ambelau language
s in everyday life, however, the national Indonesian language
is used as a means of international communication. It is also used for writing, as none of the local languages (except for Buru) have a writing system. Also common is Ambon dialect of Malay language
(Melayu Ambon). The latter is widely used in the Maluku Islands
as a second language and is a simplified form of Indonesian language with additions of the local lexicon. Some local dialects, such as the Hukumina and Kayeli language
s, have become extinct in the second half of the 20th century.
Religious composition of the population is heterogeneous: the number of islanders practicing Sunni Islam
and Christianity
is almost the same at about 40–45% each, and the rest – mainly residents of remote mountain areas – still follow traditional local cults or do not have a clear religious affiliation. Most Christians are indigenous islanders and migrants from Maluku Islands, while most Muslims originate from Java. The economical crisis of the 1990s resulted in frequent conflicts among Buru people over religious grounds.
Buru (formally spelt Boeroe) is the third largest island
within Maluku Islands
of Malay Archipelago
. It lies between the Banda Sea
to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon
and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia
and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies. Their administrative centers, Namlea and Nampole, respectively, have ports and the largest towns of the island. There is a military airport at Namlea which supports civilian cargo transportation.
About a third of the population is indigenous, mostly Buru
, but also Lisela
, Ambelau
and Kayeli people
. The rest of population are immigrants from Java
and nearby Maluku Islands. The religious affiliation is evenly split between Christianity
and Sunni Islam
, with some remnants of traditional beliefs. While local languages and dialects are spoken within individual communities, the national Indonesian language
is used among the communities and by the administration. Most of the island is covered with forests rich in tropical flora and fauna. From the present 179 bird and 25 mammal species, about 14 are found either on Buru only or also on a few nearby islands, the most notable being the wild pig Buru babirusa
. There is little industry on the island, and most population is engaged in growing rice
, maize
, sweet potato
, beans
, coconuts, cocoa, coffee
, clove
and nutmeg
. Other significant activities are animal farming and fishing.
The island was first mentioned around 1365. Between 1658 and 1942, it was colonized by the Dutch East India Company
and then by the Crown of the Netherlands
. The Dutch administration relocated many local villages to the newly built island capital at Kayeli Bay for working at clove
plantations. It also promoted the hierarchy among the indigenous people with selected loyal raja
s placed above the heads of the local clans. The island was occupied by the Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945 and in 1950 became part of independent Indonesia. During former President Suharto's New Order administration in the 1960s–1970s, Buru was the site of a prison used to hold thousands of political prisoners. While held at Buru, writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer
wrote most his novels, including Buru Quartet
.
– Seram Sea on the north and Banda Sea
to the south and west. To the east, it is separated by Manipa Strait from Seram Island . With an area of 9505 km² (3,669.9 sq mi), Buru is the third largest among the Maluku Islands after Halmahera
and Seram.
Buru is shaped as an oval elongated from west to east. The maximum length is about 130 km (80.8 mi) from east to west and 90 km (55.9 mi) from north to south. The coastline is smooth, with the only indentation being Kayeli Bay located on the eastern coast. The bay also has a smooth oval shape. It extends into the island to 8–12 km and has a maximum width of 17 km, the width decreases to 9 km at the mouth; the coastal length of the bay is about 50 km. At the northern part of the mouth stands Namlea – the largest town of the island.
Maximum elevation of the island (2429 m (7,969.2 ft)) is the peak of mountain Kapalamadan (also called Kepala Madan, Kepalat Mada or Ghegan). Off the coast of Buru there are several smaller islands; of those permanently inhabited are Ambelau
(the largest, about 10 km in diameter, located about 20 km south-east of Buru) and Tengah . The largest of the uninhabited are Fogi , Oki and Tomahu .Hydro Potential at Buru Island
The relief is mostly mountainous, especially in central and western parts. So from the 9,505 km² of the island area, 1,789 km² lie 900 m above mean sea level, 872 km² above 1,200 m and 382 km² above 1,500 m.Black-lored Parrot, Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences and Japan Science and Technology AgencyRufous-throated White-eye, Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences and Japan Science and Technology Agency Flat areas are located in narrow stripes near the coast and along the banks of river Apo – there they form a valley of the same name. Much of the island is covered with tropical rain forests.
With the length of about 80 km (49.7 mi), Apo is the largest river of Buru. It flows nearly straight to the north-east and empties into the Kayeli Bay, however its bed is very winding on the hundreds meters scale, with loops all along the length. Two other permanent rivers are Geren and Nibe, the rest are periodic rivers with discontinuous flow. The river discharge varies significantly through the year reaching the maximum in rainy season. Note that Indonesian sources often include wae (meaning river) before the river names; thus Apo is often referred to as Waeapo or Wae Apo, it is also called Apu in some local dialects. In the center of the island at an altitude of 767 metres (2,516.4 ft) lies a freshwater lake Rana . This is the only significant lake on Buru; it has a nearly rectangular shape with the length of about 4.3 km, width of about 2.7 km and an area of 11.5 km² (4.4 sq mi)
The crust consists of several types of deposits. It is dominated by Cenozoic
sedimentary rocks, probably originating from the Australian continent; Also present are younger volcanic rocks and more recent alluvial deposits. Sedimentary deposits in the form of silt, peat, sand and mud are mostly found in the river valleys. Metamorphic rock
s of slate
, schist
and arkose
dominate the northern part of the island. Very few mineral deposits of Buru have industrial value, and only limestone
is mined commercially. However, significant reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the shelf in 2009. There are numerous coral reefs around the island. The soil mostly consists of yellow-red Podsol
, Organosol
, Grumosol and various mixtures.
As Buru is located at the boundary between the biogeographic
zones of Australia and Asia, its flora and fauna are unique and are the subject of national and international scientific research. Of 25 species of mammals found on the island, at least 4 are endemic to Buru and closest to it islands. The local subspecies of the wild pig named Buru babirusa
(Babyrousa babyrussa) is distinguished from the other babyrousa
species by having relatively long and thick body-hair. It also has very low fat content in their meat (only 1.27% compared to 5–15% for domestic pigs) and is regarded as a delicacy among the local population, which favors it to other wild pigs or deer in terms of texture and flavor. Also endemic to Buru are three types of bat
s: Moluccan flying fox (Pteropus chrysoproctus), Ceram fruit bat
Pteropus ocularis and lesser tube-nosed bat
(Nyctimene minutus).
Of the 178 recorded species of birds, 10 are endemic to Buru and nearby islands: Buru Racket-tail (Prioniturus mada), Black-lored Parrot
(Tanygnathus gramineus), Blue-fronted Lorikeet
(Charmosyna toxopei), Buru Honeyeater
(Lichmera deningeri), Buru Cuckooshrike (Coracina fortis), Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
(Rhinomyias addita), Rufous-throated White-eye
(Madanga ruficollis), Buru White-eye (Zosterops buruensis), Tawny-backed Fantail
(Rhipidura superflua) and Black-tipped Monarch
(Monarcha loricatus). Among those, the rufous-throated white-eye is regarded as endangered and the Black-lored Parrot and vulnerable (threatened) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; both species were observed only in very limited areas of Buru island. There are another 19 birds that are near-endemic to Buru: Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
(Accipiter erythrauchen), Dusky Megapode (Megapodius forstenii), Moluccan Megapode
(Megapodius wallacei), White-eyed Imperial Pigeon (Ducula perspicillata), Long-tailed Mountain Pigeon (Gymnophaps mada), Red Lory
(Eos bornea), Moluccan Hawk-owl
(Ninox squamipila), Moluccan Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula), Wakolo Myzomela
(Myzomela wakoloensis), Black-faced Friarbird
(Philemon moluccensis), Drab Whistler
(Pachycephala griseonota), White-naped Monarch
(Monarcha pileatus), Dark-grey Flycatcher
(Myiagra galeata), Black-eared Oriole
(Oriolus bouroensis), Pale Cicadabird
(Coracina ceramensis), Buru Thrush
(Zoothera dumasi), Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
(Ficedula buruensis), Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
(Bradypterus castaneus) and Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
(Dicaeum erythrothorax). Among butterflies, 25% of Pieridae
and 7% of Papilionidae
are endemic to the island.
The vegetation is characteristic of tropical lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forests, with the dominant family of Dipterocarpaceae
, genuses of Hopea
, Shorea
and Vatica
, and the individual species of Anisoptera thurifera
, Hopea gregaria
, H. iriana, H. novoguineensis, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena
, Shorea selanica
and Vatica rassak
. Some of these trees may grow to more than 30 metres (98.4 ft) and are usually bound by thick lianas and other epiphyte
s. Open forest, woodland, and savanna areas also exist on Buru. The fire-resistant paper bark tree (Melaleuca
cajuputi) is common in dry areas. The northwestern part of the island has steep limestone
cliffs covered by mixed forests that include Shorea
trees, and stunted Dacrydium novo-guineense
is present at the mountain tops.
Primary forests constitute 60% of the island, and are mostly found in the areas of Air Buaya and Waeapo. There is only 0.51% of secondary forests, in the district Batabual, and 0.9% of mangroves, at Waeapo, Air Buaya, Batabual and Namlea. A significant part of the island (23.10%) is taken by shrubs, and only 5.83% is open land, which is spread over most districts of Buru.
Buru Regency has an area of 5,578 km² and the administrative center at Namlea. It is divided into 5 districts: Namlea (center in Namlea), Waplau (center – Waplau), Waeapo (center – Waenetat), Air Buaya (center – Air Buaya) and Batubual (center – Ilath). The governor (Regent or , as of October 2009) is Husni Hentihu and Vice Regent is Ramli Umasugi.
South Buru Regency (administrative center Namrole) has an area of 5,060 km² and includes the Ambelau and other small islands south of Buru. Its governing structure has not been completed as of February 2010, and the current acting Regent is A. R. Uluputti. The regency is divided into 5 districts: Namrole (center – Namrole), Kepalamadan (center – Biloro), Leksula (center – Leksula), Wae Sama (center – Wamsisi),
and Ambalau (center – Wailua); the last district is entirely located on the island Ambalau.
(33,000 people), Lisela
(13,000), Ambelau
(6,000) and Kayeli people
(800); migrants from Java, and migrants from other Maluku Islands. The migration to Buru was stimulated by the Dutch colonial administration in the 1900s, and by Indonesian authorities in the 1950s–1990s. The local communities speak Buru, Lisela
and Ambelau language
s in everyday life, however, the national Indonesian language
is used as a means of international communication. It is also used for writing, as none of the local languages (except for Buru) have a writing system. Also common is Ambon dialect of Malay language
(Melayu Ambon). The latter is widely used in the Maluku Islands
as a second language and is a simplified form of Indonesian language with additions of the local lexicon. Some local dialects, such as the Hukumina and Kayeli language
s, have become extinct in the second half of the 20th century.
Religious composition of the population is heterogeneous: the number of islanders practicing Sunni Islam
and Christianity
is almost the same at about 40–45% each, and the rest – mainly residents of remote mountain areas – still follow traditional local cults or do not have a clear religious affiliation. Most Christians are indigenous islanders and migrants from Maluku Islands, while most Muslims originate from Java. The economical crisis of the 1990s resulted in frequent conflicts among Buru people over religious grounds.
Buru (formally spelt Boeroe) is the third largest island
within Maluku Islands
of Malay Archipelago
. It lies between the Banda Sea
to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon
and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia
and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies. Their administrative centers, Namlea and Nampole, respectively, have ports and the largest towns of the island. There is a military airport at Namlea which supports civilian cargo transportation.
About a third of the population is indigenous, mostly Buru
, but also Lisela
, Ambelau
and Kayeli people
. The rest of population are immigrants from Java
and nearby Maluku Islands. The religious affiliation is evenly split between Christianity
and Sunni Islam
, with some remnants of traditional beliefs. While local languages and dialects are spoken within individual communities, the national Indonesian language
is used among the communities and by the administration. Most of the island is covered with forests rich in tropical flora and fauna. From the present 179 bird and 25 mammal species, about 14 are found either on Buru only or also on a few nearby islands, the most notable being the wild pig Buru babirusa
. There is little industry on the island, and most population is engaged in growing rice
, maize
, sweet potato
, beans
, coconuts, cocoa, coffee
, clove
and nutmeg
. Other significant activities are animal farming and fishing.
The island was first mentioned around 1365. Between 1658 and 1942, it was colonized by the Dutch East India Company
and then by the Crown of the Netherlands
. The Dutch administration relocated many local villages to the newly built island capital at Kayeli Bay for working at clove
plantations. It also promoted the hierarchy among the indigenous people with selected loyal raja
s placed above the heads of the local clans. The island was occupied by the Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945 and in 1950 became part of independent Indonesia. During former President Suharto's New Order administration in the 1960s–1970s, Buru was the site of a prison used to hold thousands of political prisoners. While held at Buru, writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer
wrote most his novels, including Buru Quartet
.
– Seram Sea on the north and Banda Sea
to the south and west. To the east, it is separated by Manipa Strait from Seram Island . With an area of 9505 km² (3,669.9 sq mi), Buru is the third largest among the Maluku Islands after Halmahera
and Seram.
Buru is shaped as an oval elongated from west to east. The maximum length is about 130 km (80.8 mi) from east to west and 90 km (55.9 mi) from north to south. The coastline is smooth, with the only indentation being Kayeli Bay located on the eastern coast. The bay also has a smooth oval shape. It extends into the island to 8–12 km and has a maximum width of 17 km, the width decreases to 9 km at the mouth; the coastal length of the bay is about 50 km. At the northern part of the mouth stands Namlea – the largest town of the island.
Maximum elevation of the island (2429 m (7,969.2 ft)) is the peak of mountain Kapalamadan (also called Kepala Madan, Kepalat Mada or Ghegan). Off the coast of Buru there are several smaller islands; of those permanently inhabited are Ambelau
(the largest, about 10 km in diameter, located about 20 km south-east of Buru) and Tengah . The largest of the uninhabited are Fogi , Oki and Tomahu .Hydro Potential at Buru Island
The relief is mostly mountainous, especially in central and western parts. So from the 9,505 km² of the island area, 1,789 km² lie 900 m above mean sea level, 872 km² above 1,200 m and 382 km² above 1,500 m.Black-lored Parrot, Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences and Japan Science and Technology AgencyRufous-throated White-eye, Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences and Japan Science and Technology Agency Flat areas are located in narrow stripes near the coast and along the banks of river Apo – there they form a valley of the same name. Much of the island is covered with tropical rain forests.
With the length of about 80 km (49.7 mi), Apo is the largest river of Buru. It flows nearly straight to the north-east and empties into the Kayeli Bay, however its bed is very winding on the hundreds meters scale, with loops all along the length. Two other permanent rivers are Geren and Nibe, the rest are periodic rivers with discontinuous flow. The river discharge varies significantly through the year reaching the maximum in rainy season. Note that Indonesian sources often include wae (meaning river) before the river names; thus Apo is often referred to as Waeapo or Wae Apo, it is also called Apu in some local dialects. In the center of the island at an altitude of 767 metres (2,516.4 ft) lies a freshwater lake Rana . This is the only significant lake on Buru; it has a nearly rectangular shape with the length of about 4.3 km, width of about 2.7 km and an area of 11.5 km² (4.4 sq mi)
The crust consists of several types of deposits. It is dominated by Cenozoic
sedimentary rocks, probably originating from the Australian continent; Also present are younger volcanic rocks and more recent alluvial deposits. Sedimentary deposits in the form of silt, peat, sand and mud are mostly found in the river valleys. Metamorphic rock
s of slate
, schist
and arkose
dominate the northern part of the island. Very few mineral deposits of Buru have industrial value, and only limestone
is mined commercially. However, significant reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the shelf in 2009. There are numerous coral reefs around the island. The soil mostly consists of yellow-red Podsol
, Organosol
, Grumosol and various mixtures.
As Buru is located at the boundary between the biogeographic
zones of Australia and Asia, its flora and fauna are unique and are the subject of national and international scientific research. Of 25 species of mammals found on the island, at least 4 are endemic to Buru and closest to it islands. The local subspecies of the wild pig named Buru babirusa
(Babyrousa babyrussa) is distinguished from the other babyrousa
species by having relatively long and thick body-hair. It also has very low fat content in their meat (only 1.27% compared to 5–15% for domestic pigs) and is regarded as a delicacy among the local population, which favors it to other wild pigs or deer in terms of texture and flavor. Also endemic to Buru are three types of bat
s: Moluccan flying fox (Pteropus chrysoproctus), Ceram fruit bat
Pteropus ocularis and lesser tube-nosed bat
(Nyctimene minutus).
Of the 178 recorded species of birds, 10 are endemic to Buru and nearby islands: Buru Racket-tail (Prioniturus mada), Black-lored Parrot
(Tanygnathus gramineus), Blue-fronted Lorikeet
(Charmosyna toxopei), Buru Honeyeater
(Lichmera deningeri), Buru Cuckooshrike (Coracina fortis), Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
(Rhinomyias addita), Rufous-throated White-eye
(Madanga ruficollis), Buru White-eye (Zosterops buruensis), Tawny-backed Fantail
(Rhipidura superflua) and Black-tipped Monarch
(Monarcha loricatus). Among those, the rufous-throated white-eye is regarded as endangered and the Black-lored Parrot and vulnerable (threatened) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; both species were observed only in very limited areas of Buru island. There are another 19 birds that are near-endemic to Buru: Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
(Accipiter erythrauchen), Dusky Megapode (Megapodius forstenii), Moluccan Megapode
(Megapodius wallacei), White-eyed Imperial Pigeon (Ducula perspicillata), Long-tailed Mountain Pigeon (Gymnophaps mada), Red Lory
(Eos bornea), Moluccan Hawk-owl
(Ninox squamipila), Moluccan Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula), Wakolo Myzomela
(Myzomela wakoloensis), Black-faced Friarbird
(Philemon moluccensis), Drab Whistler
(Pachycephala griseonota), White-naped Monarch
(Monarcha pileatus), Dark-grey Flycatcher
(Myiagra galeata), Black-eared Oriole
(Oriolus bouroensis), Pale Cicadabird
(Coracina ceramensis), Buru Thrush
(Zoothera dumasi), Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
(Ficedula buruensis), Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
(Bradypterus castaneus) and Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
(Dicaeum erythrothorax). Among butterflies, 25% of Pieridae
and 7% of Papilionidae
are endemic to the island.
The vegetation is characteristic of tropical lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forests, with the dominant family of Dipterocarpaceae
, genuses of Hopea
, Shorea
and Vatica
, and the individual species of Anisoptera thurifera
, Hopea gregaria
, H. iriana, H. novoguineensis, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena
, Shorea selanica
and Vatica rassak
. Some of these trees may grow to more than 30 metres (98.4 ft) and are usually bound by thick lianas and other epiphyte
s. Open forest, woodland, and savanna areas also exist on Buru. The fire-resistant paper bark tree (Melaleuca
cajuputi) is common in dry areas. The northwestern part of the island has steep limestone
cliffs covered by mixed forests that include Shorea
trees, and stunted Dacrydium novo-guineense
is present at the mountain tops.
Primary forests constitute 60% of the island, and are mostly found in the areas of Air Buaya and Waeapo. There is only 0.51% of secondary forests, in the district Batabual, and 0.9% of mangroves, at Waeapo, Air Buaya, Batabual and Namlea. A significant part of the island (23.10%) is taken by shrubs, and only 5.83% is open land, which is spread over most districts of Buru.
Buru Regency has an area of 5,578 km² and the administrative center at Namlea. It is divided into 5 districts: Namlea (center in Namlea), Waplau (center – Waplau), Waeapo (center – Waenetat), Air Buaya (center – Air Buaya) and Batubual (center – Ilath). The governor (Regent or , as of October 2009) is Husni Hentihu and Vice Regent is Ramli Umasugi.
South Buru Regency (administrative center Namrole) has an area of 5,060 km² and includes the Ambelau and other small islands south of Buru. Its governing structure has not been completed as of February 2010, and the current acting Regent is A. R. Uluputti. The regency is divided into 5 districts: Namrole (center – Namrole), Kepalamadan (center – Biloro), Leksula (center – Leksula), Wae Sama (center – Wamsisi),
and Ambalau (center – Wailua); the last district is entirely located on the island Ambalau.
(33,000 people), Lisela
(13,000), Ambelau
(6,000) and Kayeli people
(800); migrants from Java, and migrants from other Maluku Islands. The migration to Buru was stimulated by the Dutch colonial administration in the 1900s, and by Indonesian authorities in the 1950s–1990s. The local communities speak Buru, Lisela
and Ambelau language
s in everyday life, however, the national Indonesian language
is used as a means of international communication. It is also used for writing, as none of the local languages (except for Buru) have a writing system. Also common is Ambon dialect of Malay language
(Melayu Ambon). The latter is widely used in the Maluku Islands
as a second language and is a simplified form of Indonesian language with additions of the local lexicon. Some local dialects, such as the Hukumina and Kayeli language
s, have become extinct in the second half of the 20th century.
Religious composition of the population is heterogeneous: the number of islanders practicing Sunni Islam
and Christianity
is almost the same at about 40–45% each, and the rest – mainly residents of remote mountain areas – still follow traditional local cults or do not have a clear religious affiliation. Most Christians are indigenous islanders and migrants from Maluku Islands, while most Muslims originate from Java. The economical crisis of the 1990s resulted in frequent conflicts among Buru people over religious grounds. So within a few days in December 1999, 43 people were killed and at least 150 houses burned in the Wainibe village.
– an Old Javanese eulogy
to Hayam Wuruk
, the ruler of the Majapahit Kingdom, dating back to 1365. The island appears in the third line of 15th song in the list of lands subordinate to Majapahit under the name Hutan Kadali.
In the 16th–17th centuries the Buru territory was claimed by the rulers of Ternate
island and by the Portuguese; both claims were however symbolic, as neither party controlled the island but only visited it on trade matters. More active were Makassar
people from Sulawesi
island, who had built fortifications on Buru and forced the natives to grow valuable spices, such as clove
.
for control over production and trade in spices in the east of the Malay archipelago resulted in a military conflict. In 1648, a Dutch expedition to Buru expelled Makassar from the island and destroyed their buildings and boats; instead of re-using the existing clove plantations, the Dutch burned more than three thousand trees, as they were not in position to settle on the island and were afraid that Makassar will return after their departure. They however returned after several years and raised a fortress armed with four cannons and 24 soldiers in 1658, at the southern coast of Kayeli Bay, in the eastern part of Buru. A permanent settlement was established at the fortress, which became the administrative center of the island. About 2,000 of native inhabitants of the island were forcibly relocated to this area from other parts of the island, including much of the tribal nobility, and about thirteen large villages had been built around the fort: Lumaite, Hukumina, Palamata, Tomahu, Masarete, Waisama, Marulat, Leliali, Tagalisa, Ilat, Kayeli, Bara and Lisela. The relocation was designed to facilitate control over the local population and provide workforce for clove
fields which were being planted by the Dutch in this part of the island. Kayeli ethnicity with its own language
was formed as a mixture of the newly arriving settlers and the native population of the fort area.
The presence among the ancestors of the tribal aristocracy and interaction with the Dutch colonial administration resulted in a special position of Kayeli over the next centuries, who claimed the role of indigenous elite of the island. In particularly, they requested donations from each clan of Buru, which could be rice, millet, coconuts, sago, sweet potatoes and tobacco, as well as supplying men to work exclusively for the Kayeli rajas.
The Dutch East India Company was abolished in the early 18th century and all its possessions in the Malay archipelago came under the direct control of Crown of the Netherlands
. In 1824, as part of the reform of the colonial administration, Buru was divided into 14 regencies (this number gradually reduced to seven over the next 100 years). They were headed by the local rulers, raja
s, who were subordinate to the Dutch advisors. All rajas were selected from the Kayeli tribal nobles, who had by this time proved their loyalty to the Dutch.
The demise of Kayeli dominance began in 1880s, when the leaders of Leliali, Wae Sama
and Fogi clans moved significant parts of their ethnic groups to their original settlements; they were joined in the early 1900s by Tagalisa. By then, many other of the original 13 Kayeli villages were either abandoned or lost their rajas. By about 1910, the leading role of Kayeli clan had almost disappeared.
, including Buru, were occupied by the Japanese army. During this period, the island was raided by the bombers of the Allies aiming to incapacitate the Japanese military infrastructure, in particular the airport at Namlea – the major town of Buru.
After the capitulation of Japan on 2 September 1945, the control over the island fell back to the Netherlands. In December 1946, Buru, along with other Maluku Islands, Sulawesi
and Lesser Sunda Islands
, was included in a quasi-independent State of East Indonesia
which was established by the Dutch government in order to gradually transform their former colonial possessions in the East Indies in a dependent state. In December 1949, eastern Indonesia joined the Republic of the United States of Indonesia
( RIS) established at the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference of 23 August – 2 November 1949.
In April 1950, just before the abolition of RIS and inclusion of most of eastern Indonesia to the Republic of Indonesia, the local authorities of Buru, Ambon, Seram and several smaller nearby islands proclaimed the establishment of an independent Republic of South Moluccas and committed to maintain close political ties with the Netherlands. After unsuccessful attempts to absorb RMS through negotiations, the Republic of Indonesia initiated a six-month military conflict in July 1950. In December 1950, Buru was brought under control of Indonesian troops and proclaimed part of the Republic of Indonesia.
One of the prisoners was a prominent Indonesian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer
, who spent 14 years (1965–1979) in a prison, mostly on Buru, and wrote there many of his novels. Those included a large part of Buru Quartet
, in particular its first part "The world of humanity" . Until 1975, Toer was deprived of writing tools. He memorized his novels and was reciting them to his cellmates partly relying on their memory.
Economic development of the island was depressed in the late 1990s as a result of the national and regional crisis. The growth resumed in the early 2000s, however, unemployment remains high (9.92% of the population in 2008), and more than 37% of islanders are living below the national poverty line (as of 2008).
The basis of the island's economy is agriculture which contributed 51.22% to the GDP
in 2008. The major crop is rice
with plantations taking an area of more than 5,700 hectare
s and yielding about 23,000 tonnes per the year (for 2008). Most rice fields are located on the northern coasts of the island, in the districts of Namlea, Waeapo and Air Buaya. With the total area of 135 hectares, maize
dominates the southern field of districts Waisama, Kepalamadan and Namrole, yielding 176 tonnes per year (as of 2008). Other crops of the southern part are sweet potato
(211 hectares, 636 tonnes), beans
(926 hectares, 946 tonnes ) and soybean
s (965 hectares, 965 tonnes). Coco
(5,724 ha, 2,742 tonnes), cocoa (4,453 ha, 2,368 tonnes), clove
(947 ha, 881 tonnes) and coffee
(114 acres, 1223 tonnes) are grown in the Namlea, Air Buaya, Waeapo, Batubual and Waplau areas, whereas nutmeg
(143 ha, 75 tonnes) is restricted to Batubual. Teak
plantations are found almost everywhere on Buru and complement the natural sources of timber.
Animal
farming is of secondary importance, but its role is gradually increasing. The major animals are cows (41,349 animals as of 2008), buffalo
(3,699), chickens (more than 1,346,000), ducks (195,000), sheep (26,950), domestic pigs (1,276) and horses (497). In 2008, there were 410 fishing enterprises with the annual catch of 3,891 tonnes of fish and seafood. The major commercial species are tuna (900 tonnes), sardine
s (420 tonnes) and mackerel
(385 tonnes).
The industry employs only about 2,700 islanders and contributes about 7% to the GDP. Among the 537 enterprises registered in 2008, 482 were engaged in processing of agricultural products and 44 in engineering, chemicals and repair. In January 2010, the Ministry of Industry of Indonesia has approved a plan to build major cement plants on the island. The expansion of tourism is hindered by the lack of infrastructure on the island.
Apart from agriculture and engineering, other significant economic areas are trade, hotel industry and catering (19.19% of GDP in 2008), custom services (12.74%), transport and communication (3.10%), construction (3.13%), financial sector (2.64%) and energy and water (0.49%).
By agreement between the administration of Buru district and local military authorities, the military airfield at Namlea (runway 750 meters) is used for air transportation. Aircraft CASA C-212 Aviocar make 96 passenger flights a year between Namlea and several towns of Maluku. In 2007, construction began of a civil airport
near the village of Suva, about 30 km west of Namlea.
In absence of railways, most local transportation occurs via the roads. In 2008, their total length was 1,310 km, of which 278 km was covered with asphalt
, 282 km with gravel and the rest were laid in soil. The construction project of a modern 287 km long highway across the island, connecting its two major towns of Namlea and Namrole and several other towns is delayed due to underfunding. There is a regular long-distance bus service supported by a park of 18 units.
and 303 nurses. The authorities plan to increase the number of medical facilities and staff by 2–4 times by 2012.
, deer and possum
, in the forests, mostly during the peak of east monsoon (June and July); meanwhile women were gathering wild vegetables. However, during the west monsoon (November to April) both men and women were working together in the fields. The position of the villages was also changing with time, mostly because of the low soil fertility on the island – recovery of the soil took significant time urging long-distance travel to the new fields. It was rather common for a family to leave the village for most of the week to their field and return only for the religious service on Sunday. It was also rather common to move the entire village after some 20 years of exploiting a plot of land. Partly because of this, most settlements were rather small, with the smallest type accommodating one-two families (hum-hawa or hum-tapa), middle-type (hum-lolin) consisting of 3–10 houses and accommodating 20–50 people, and larger ones of 30–50 houses and 150–300 people (fen-lale). On the coast, there were several multi-ethnic settlements with more than 200 houses (ibu kota kecamatan). This local variety of terms for a "settlement" puzzled the Dutch colonizers trying to systematize the local registries.
Traditional Buru houses were made from bamboo, often on stilts. The roofs were covered with palm leaves or reeds. Cement, metal and tiles were introduced in the 20th century and urged to build more permanent dwelling, but with limited results, as the locals continued to relocate. This was partly due to the habits of relocation and partly due to local disputes or superstitions, such as cursing a place where a certain number of people died within a short period. Presence of a church in a village might hindered relocation for a century, but not always. Traditional Buru costumes are similar those of most other Indonesia peoples. Men wear sarong
(a kind of kilt
) and a long-skirted tunic, and women are dressed in sarong and a shorter jacket. However, the dress color systematically varies between the different tribes of the island.
Most of the published studies on the history, culture and languages of the island were conducted in the 1980s out by spouses Charles E. Grimes and Barbara Dix Grimes – Australian missionaries and ethnographers and active members of SIL International
(they should not be confused with Joseph E. Grimes and Barbara F. Grimes, Charles' parents, also known Australian ethnographers). They have also completed translation of the Bible to Buru language, which was started by the early Dutch missionaries.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
within Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
of Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
. It lies between the Banda Sea
Banda Sea
The Banda Sea is a sea in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, technically part of the Pacific Ocean but separated from it by hundreds of islands, as well as the Halmahera and Ceram Seas...
to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies. Their administrative centers, Namlea and Nampole, respectively, have ports and the largest towns of the island. There is a military airport at Namlea which supports civilian cargo transportation.
About a third of the population is indigenous, mostly Buru
Buru people
Buru people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They also call themselves gebfuka or gebemliar that literally means "people of the world" or "people of the land"...
, but also Lisela
Lisela people
Lisela people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They belong to the eastern Indonesian anthropological group and are sometimes referred to as northern Buru people. From an ethnographic point of view, Lisela are similar to other...
, Ambelau
Ambelau people
The Ambelau are an ethnic group who form the majority of the population of the Indonesian island of Ambelau. They also live on nearby island Buru and other islands. By ethnography, Ambelau are close to most indigenous peoples of Buru island...
and Kayeli people
Kayeli people
Kayeli people is an ethnic group mainly living on the southern coast of the Kayeli Bay of Indonesian island Buru. From an ethnographic point of view Kayeli are close to other indigenous people of Buru, such as Lisela and Buru. There were about 800 Kayeli people in the early 2000s. By religion,...
. The rest of population are immigrants from Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and nearby Maluku Islands. The religious affiliation is evenly split between Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
, with some remnants of traditional beliefs. While local languages and dialects are spoken within individual communities, the national Indonesian language
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
is used among the communities and by the administration. Most of the island is covered with forests rich in tropical flora and fauna. From the present 179 bird and 25 mammal species, about 14 are found either on Buru only or also on a few nearby islands, the most notable being the wild pig Buru babirusa
Buru Babirusa
The Buru babirusa , also known as the golden babirusa or hairy babirusa, is a wild pig-like animal native to the island of Buru and the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu, all belonging to Indonesia...
. There is little industry on the island, and most population is engaged in growing rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
, beans
Phaseolus
Phaseolus is a genus in the family Fabaceae of about fifty plant species, all native to the Americas.At least four of the species have been domesticated since pre-Columbian times for their beans. Most prominent among these is the common bean, P...
, coconuts, cocoa, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
and nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
. Other significant activities are animal farming and fishing.
The island was first mentioned around 1365. Between 1658 and 1942, it was colonized by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
and then by the Crown of the Netherlands
Crown of the Netherlands
The current Crown of the Netherlands is of relatively modern origin. In 1813 the new "Sovereign Ruler" of the Netherlands, Prince William of Orange, son and heir of the exiled Stadtholder William V of Orange was sworn in Amsterdam...
. The Dutch administration relocated many local villages to the newly built island capital at Kayeli Bay for working at clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
plantations. It also promoted the hierarchy among the indigenous people with selected loyal raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
s placed above the heads of the local clans. The island was occupied by the Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945 and in 1950 became part of independent Indonesia. During former President Suharto's New Order administration in the 1960s–1970s, Buru was the site of a prison used to hold thousands of political prisoners. While held at Buru, writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer was an Indonesian author of novels, short stories, essays, polemic and histories of his homeland and its people...
wrote most his novels, including Buru Quartet
Buru Quartet
The Buru Quartet is a literary tetralogy written by Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer. It is composed of the novels This Earth of Mankind, Child of All Nations, Footsteps, and House of Glass.-External links:...
.
Geography and geology
Buru island lies between two seas of Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
– Seram Sea on the north and Banda Sea
Banda Sea
The Banda Sea is a sea in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, technically part of the Pacific Ocean but separated from it by hundreds of islands, as well as the Halmahera and Ceram Seas...
to the south and west. To the east, it is separated by Manipa Strait from Seram Island . With an area of 9505 km² (3,669.9 sq mi), Buru is the third largest among the Maluku Islands after Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia.Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² and a population in 1995 of 162,728...
and Seram.
Buru is shaped as an oval elongated from west to east. The maximum length is about 130 km (80.8 mi) from east to west and 90 km (55.9 mi) from north to south. The coastline is smooth, with the only indentation being Kayeli Bay located on the eastern coast. The bay also has a smooth oval shape. It extends into the island to 8–12 km and has a maximum width of 17 km, the width decreases to 9 km at the mouth; the coastal length of the bay is about 50 km. At the northern part of the mouth stands Namlea – the largest town of the island.
Maximum elevation of the island (2429 m (7,969.2 ft)) is the peak of mountain Kapalamadan (also called Kepala Madan, Kepalat Mada or Ghegan). Off the coast of Buru there are several smaller islands; of those permanently inhabited are Ambelau
Ambelau
Ambelau or Ambalau is a volcanic island in the Banda Sea within Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island forms an administrative unit which belongs to the South Buru Regency of Maluku province , Indonesia. The administrative center is Wailua, a settlement located at the south of the island...
(the largest, about 10 km in diameter, located about 20 km south-east of Buru) and Tengah . The largest of the uninhabited are Fogi , Oki and Tomahu .
The relief is mostly mountainous, especially in central and western parts. So from the 9,505 km² of the island area, 1,789 km² lie 900 m above mean sea level, 872 km² above 1,200 m and 382 km² above 1,500 m. Flat areas are located in narrow stripes near the coast and along the banks of river Apo – there they form a valley of the same name. Much of the island is covered with tropical rain forests.
With the length of about 80 km (49.7 mi), Apo is the largest river of Buru. It flows nearly straight to the north-east and empties into the Kayeli Bay, however its bed is very winding on the hundreds meters scale, with loops all along the length. Two other permanent rivers are Geren and Nibe, the rest are periodic rivers with discontinuous flow. The river discharge varies significantly through the year reaching the maximum in rainy season. Note that Indonesian sources often include wae (meaning river) before the river names; thus Apo is often referred to as Waeapo or Wae Apo, it is also called Apu in some local dialects. In the center of the island at an altitude of 767 metres (2,516.4 ft) lies a freshwater lake Rana . This is the only significant lake on Buru; it has a nearly rectangular shape with the length of about 4.3 km, width of about 2.7 km and an area of 11.5 km² (4.4 sq mi)
The crust consists of several types of deposits. It is dominated by Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
sedimentary rocks, probably originating from the Australian continent; Also present are younger volcanic rocks and more recent alluvial deposits. Sedimentary deposits in the form of silt, peat, sand and mud are mostly found in the river valleys. Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
s of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
and arkose
Arkose
Arkose is a detrital sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar. Arkosic sand is sand that is similarly rich in feldspar, and thus the potential precursor of arkose....
dominate the northern part of the island. Very few mineral deposits of Buru have industrial value, and only limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
is mined commercially. However, significant reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the shelf in 2009. There are numerous coral reefs around the island. The soil mostly consists of yellow-red Podsol
Podsol
In soil science, podzols are the typical soils of coniferous, or boreal forests. They are also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia...
, Organosol
Acid sulfate soil
Acid sulfate soils are naturally occurring soils, sediments or organic substrates that are formed under waterlogged conditions. These soils contain iron sulfide minerals or their oxidation products. In an undisturbed state below the water table, acid sulfate soils are benign...
, Grumosol and various mixtures.
Climate
The climate is equatorial monsoonal, wet, and in general typical for the Maluku Islands. Rainy season spreads from October to April with the highest rainfall in December–February. Despite relatively small size of the island, its mountainous terrain results in several climatic zones. Apart from temperature reduction with altitude, the temperature variations across these zones are negligible, with the annual average of about 26 °C, However the annual precipitation differs and amounts to 1,400–1,800 mm in the north, 1,800–2,000 mm in the center, 2,000–2,500 mm in the south and 3,000–4,000 mm in the mountains, at elevation above 500 m.Flora and fauna
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
zones of Australia and Asia, its flora and fauna are unique and are the subject of national and international scientific research. Of 25 species of mammals found on the island, at least 4 are endemic to Buru and closest to it islands. The local subspecies of the wild pig named Buru babirusa
Buru Babirusa
The Buru babirusa , also known as the golden babirusa or hairy babirusa, is a wild pig-like animal native to the island of Buru and the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu, all belonging to Indonesia...
(Babyrousa babyrussa) is distinguished from the other babyrousa
Babyrousa
The babirusas are a genus, Babyrousa, in the pig family found in Wallacea, or specifically the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. All members of this genus were considered part of a single species until 2002, the babirusa, B...
species by having relatively long and thick body-hair. It also has very low fat content in their meat (only 1.27% compared to 5–15% for domestic pigs) and is regarded as a delicacy among the local population, which favors it to other wild pigs or deer in terms of texture and flavor. Also endemic to Buru are three types of bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s: Moluccan flying fox (Pteropus chrysoproctus), Ceram fruit bat
Ceram Fruit Bat
The Ceram fruit bat or Seram flying fox is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to the mountainous forests of two Indonesian islands, Buru and Seram, including the Manusela National Park on Seram. They were present on the nearby Ambon Island but probably not anymore...
Pteropus ocularis and lesser tube-nosed bat
Lesser Tube-nosed Bat
The Lesser Tube-nosed Bat is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to the mountainous forests of two Indonesian islands, Buru and Seram, including the Manusela National Park on Seram, but is not found on the nearby Ambon Island. The habitat has an area of less than 2,000...
(Nyctimene minutus).
Of the 178 recorded species of birds, 10 are endemic to Buru and nearby islands: Buru Racket-tail (Prioniturus mada), Black-lored Parrot
Black-lored Parrot
The Black-lored Parrot also known as the Buru Green Parrot, is a parrot Endemic to the Indonesian island of Buru. It is a long green parrot with black lores, and a turquoise crown. Males have red beaks, and females are gray-brown...
(Tanygnathus gramineus), Blue-fronted Lorikeet
Blue-fronted Lorikeet
The Blue-fronted Lorikeet also known as the Buru Lorikeet, is a parrot endemic to the Indonesian island of Buru....
(Charmosyna toxopei), Buru Honeyeater
Buru Honeyeater
The black-tipped monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. The species occupy an area of larger than 20,000 km² and have a stable population...
(Lichmera deningeri), Buru Cuckooshrike (Coracina fortis), Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
The Streak-breasted Jungle Flycatcher , also known as the Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher or Buru Jungle-flycatcher, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family...
(Rhinomyias addita), Rufous-throated White-eye
Rufous-throated White-eye
The Rufous-throated White-eye is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Madanga, with no close relatives, and is endemic to the moist, mountainous, subtropical and tropical forests of the Indonesian island Buru...
(Madanga ruficollis), Buru White-eye (Zosterops buruensis), Tawny-backed Fantail
Tawny-backed Fantail
The Tawny-backed Fantail is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes...
(Rhipidura superflua) and Black-tipped Monarch
Black-tipped Monarch
The Black-tipped Monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes...
(Monarcha loricatus). Among those, the rufous-throated white-eye is regarded as endangered and the Black-lored Parrot and vulnerable (threatened) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; both species were observed only in very limited areas of Buru island. There are another 19 birds that are near-endemic to Buru: Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
The Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
(Accipiter erythrauchen), Dusky Megapode (Megapodius forstenii), Moluccan Megapode
Moluccan Megapode
The Moluccan Megapode also known as Wallace's Scrubfowl, Moluccan Scrubfowl or Painted Megapode, is a small, approximately 31 cm long, olive-brown megapode. The genus Eulipoa is monotypic, but the Moluccan Megapode is sometimes placed in Megapodius instead...
(Megapodius wallacei), White-eyed Imperial Pigeon (Ducula perspicillata), Long-tailed Mountain Pigeon (Gymnophaps mada), Red Lory
Red Lory
The Red Lory is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to the Moluccas and surrounding islands in Indonesia.Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical mangrove forests....
(Eos bornea), Moluccan Hawk-owl
Moluccan Hawk-owl
The Moluccan Hawk-Owl , is a species of owl in the Strigidae family. It is found in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Subspecies:...
(Ninox squamipila), Moluccan Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula), Wakolo Myzomela
Wakolo Myzomela
The Wakolo Myzomela is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
(Myzomela wakoloensis), Black-faced Friarbird
Black-faced Friarbird
The Black-faced Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Buru in Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Philemon moluccensis), Drab Whistler
Drab Whistler
The Drab Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Pachycephala griseonota), White-naped Monarch
White-naped Monarch
The White-naped Monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Monarcha pileatus), Dark-grey Flycatcher
Dark-grey Flycatcher
The Dark-grey Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Myiagra galeata), Black-eared Oriole
Black-eared Oriole
The Black-eared Oriole is a species of bird in the Oriolidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
(Oriolus bouroensis), Pale Cicadabird
Pale Cicadabird
The Pale Cicadabird is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Coracina ceramensis), Buru Thrush
Buru Thrush
The Buru Thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family. It is endemic to montane rainforest on Buru in Indonesia. Traditionally, it included the Seram Thrush as a subspecies, in which case the common name of the 'combined species' was Moluccan Thrush.-References:* BirdLife International 2006....
(Zoothera dumasi), Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
The Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
(Ficedula buruensis), Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
The Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family.It is found only in Indonesia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
(Bradypterus castaneus) and Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
The Flame-breasted Flowerpecker is a species of bird in the Dicaeidae family. It is endemic to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.The nominate subspecies D. e. erythrothorax is...
(Dicaeum erythrothorax). Among butterflies, 25% of Pieridae
Pieridae
The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing approximately 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots...
and 7% of Papilionidae
Swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies that form the family Papilionidae. There are over 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica...
are endemic to the island.
The vegetation is characteristic of tropical lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forests, with the dominant family of Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 17 genera and approximately 500 species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus Dipterocarpus, is derived from Greek and refers to the two-winged fruit...
, genuses of Hopea
Hopea
Hopea is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus was named after John Hope, 1725-1786, the first Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. It contains about 104 species, distributed from Sri Lanka and southern India to southern China, and southward throughout Malesia to...
, Shorea
Shorea
Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the...
and Vatica
Vatica
Vatica is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. It contains the following species :...
, and the individual species of Anisoptera thurifera
Anisoptera (tree)
Anisoptera is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. The name Anisoptera is derived from Greek and describes the unequal fruit calyx lobes. It contains ten species distributed from Chittagong to New Guinea . Eight out of the ten species are currently listed on the IUCN redlist...
, Hopea gregaria
Hopea gregaria
Hopea gregaria is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru island.It is an Endangered species threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. - Downloaded on 21 August 2007.*...
, H. iriana, H. novoguineensis, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena
Shorea montigena
Shorea montigena is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. . - Downloaded on 23 August 2007.*...
, Shorea selanica
Shorea selanica
Shorea selanica is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru.It is a Critically endangered species threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. - Downloaded on 23 August 2007*...
and Vatica rassak
Vatica rassak
Vatica rassak is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Buru, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.-References:* Ashton, P. 1998. . Downloaded on 24 August 2007....
. Some of these trees may grow to more than 30 metres (98.4 ft) and are usually bound by thick lianas and other epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
s. Open forest, woodland, and savanna areas also exist on Buru. The fire-resistant paper bark tree (Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
cajuputi) is common in dry areas. The northwestern part of the island has steep limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliffs covered by mixed forests that include Shorea
Shorea
Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the...
trees, and stunted Dacrydium novo-guineense
Dacrydium novo-guineense
Dacrydium novo-guineense is a species of conifer in the Podocarpaceae family.It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
is present at the mountain tops.
Primary forests constitute 60% of the island, and are mostly found in the areas of Air Buaya and Waeapo. There is only 0.51% of secondary forests, in the district Batabual, and 0.9% of mangroves, at Waeapo, Air Buaya, Batabual and Namlea. A significant part of the island (23.10%) is taken by shrubs, and only 5.83% is open land, which is spread over most districts of Buru.
Administrative division
The island belongs to the Indonesian province of Maluku . Until 1999, it was part of the Central Maluku Regency and then became a separate regency of the same name. In 2008, it was split into Buru Regency and South Buru Regency .Buru Regency has an area of 5,578 km² and the administrative center at Namlea. It is divided into 5 districts: Namlea (center in Namlea), Waplau (center – Waplau), Waeapo (center – Waenetat), Air Buaya (center – Air Buaya) and Batubual (center – Ilath). The governor (Regent or , as of October 2009) is Husni Hentihu and Vice Regent is Ramli Umasugi.
South Buru Regency (administrative center Namrole) has an area of 5,060 km² and includes the Ambelau and other small islands south of Buru. Its governing structure has not been completed as of February 2010, and the current acting Regent is A. R. Uluputti. The regency is divided into 5 districts: Namrole (center – Namrole), Kepalamadan (center – Biloro), Leksula (center – Leksula), Wae Sama (center – Wamsisi),
and Ambalau (center – Wailua); the last district is entirely located on the island Ambalau.
Population
In 2009, the population of Buru was approximately 135,000 people, most of which was concentrated in the coastal areas. It was divided into three nearly equal parts: indigenous BuruBuru people
Buru people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They also call themselves gebfuka or gebemliar that literally means "people of the world" or "people of the land"...
(33,000 people), Lisela
Lisela people
Lisela people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They belong to the eastern Indonesian anthropological group and are sometimes referred to as northern Buru people. From an ethnographic point of view, Lisela are similar to other...
(13,000), Ambelau
Ambelau people
The Ambelau are an ethnic group who form the majority of the population of the Indonesian island of Ambelau. They also live on nearby island Buru and other islands. By ethnography, Ambelau are close to most indigenous peoples of Buru island...
(6,000) and Kayeli people
Kayeli people
Kayeli people is an ethnic group mainly living on the southern coast of the Kayeli Bay of Indonesian island Buru. From an ethnographic point of view Kayeli are close to other indigenous people of Buru, such as Lisela and Buru. There were about 800 Kayeli people in the early 2000s. By religion,...
(800); migrants from Java, and migrants from other Maluku Islands. The migration to Buru was stimulated by the Dutch colonial administration in the 1900s, and by Indonesian authorities in the 1950s–1990s. The local communities speak Buru, Lisela
Lisela language
Lisela , also called Li Enyorot, is an Austronesian language; as of 1989, it was spoken by about 11,900 Lisela people mostly living in the northern part of Indonesian island Buru . It is also preserved among the small Lisela community on the Ambon Island....
and Ambelau language
Ambelau language
Ambelau is an Austronesian language; as of 1989, it was spoken by about 5,700 Ambelau people, of whom more than 5,000 lived on the Indonesian island Ambelau and most others in the village Wae Tawa of the nearby island Buru ....
s in everyday life, however, the national Indonesian language
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
is used as a means of international communication. It is also used for writing, as none of the local languages (except for Buru) have a writing system. Also common is Ambon dialect of Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
(Melayu Ambon). The latter is widely used in the Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
as a second language and is a simplified form of Indonesian language with additions of the local lexicon. Some local dialects, such as the Hukumina and Kayeli language
Kayeli language
Kayeli is an Austronesian language which was used by the Kayeli people who lived in Indonesian island Buru . Two dialects were recognized, namely Leliali and Lumaete...
s, have become extinct in the second half of the 20th century.
Religious composition of the population is heterogeneous: the number of islanders practicing Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is almost the same at about 40–45% each, and the rest – mainly residents of remote mountain areas – still follow traditional local cults or do not have a clear religious affiliation. Most Christians are indigenous islanders and migrants from Maluku Islands, while most Muslims originate from Java. The economical crisis of the 1990s resulted in frequent conflicts among Buru people over religious grounds.
Buru (formally spelt Boeroe) is the third largest island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
within Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
of Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
. It lies between the Banda Sea
Banda Sea
The Banda Sea is a sea in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, technically part of the Pacific Ocean but separated from it by hundreds of islands, as well as the Halmahera and Ceram Seas...
to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies. Their administrative centers, Namlea and Nampole, respectively, have ports and the largest towns of the island. There is a military airport at Namlea which supports civilian cargo transportation.
About a third of the population is indigenous, mostly Buru
Buru people
Buru people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They also call themselves gebfuka or gebemliar that literally means "people of the world" or "people of the land"...
, but also Lisela
Lisela people
Lisela people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They belong to the eastern Indonesian anthropological group and are sometimes referred to as northern Buru people. From an ethnographic point of view, Lisela are similar to other...
, Ambelau
Ambelau people
The Ambelau are an ethnic group who form the majority of the population of the Indonesian island of Ambelau. They also live on nearby island Buru and other islands. By ethnography, Ambelau are close to most indigenous peoples of Buru island...
and Kayeli people
Kayeli people
Kayeli people is an ethnic group mainly living on the southern coast of the Kayeli Bay of Indonesian island Buru. From an ethnographic point of view Kayeli are close to other indigenous people of Buru, such as Lisela and Buru. There were about 800 Kayeli people in the early 2000s. By religion,...
. The rest of population are immigrants from Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and nearby Maluku Islands. The religious affiliation is evenly split between Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
, with some remnants of traditional beliefs. While local languages and dialects are spoken within individual communities, the national Indonesian language
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
is used among the communities and by the administration. Most of the island is covered with forests rich in tropical flora and fauna. From the present 179 bird and 25 mammal species, about 14 are found either on Buru only or also on a few nearby islands, the most notable being the wild pig Buru babirusa
Buru Babirusa
The Buru babirusa , also known as the golden babirusa or hairy babirusa, is a wild pig-like animal native to the island of Buru and the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu, all belonging to Indonesia...
. There is little industry on the island, and most population is engaged in growing rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
, beans
Phaseolus
Phaseolus is a genus in the family Fabaceae of about fifty plant species, all native to the Americas.At least four of the species have been domesticated since pre-Columbian times for their beans. Most prominent among these is the common bean, P...
, coconuts, cocoa, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
and nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
. Other significant activities are animal farming and fishing.
The island was first mentioned around 1365. Between 1658 and 1942, it was colonized by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
and then by the Crown of the Netherlands
Crown of the Netherlands
The current Crown of the Netherlands is of relatively modern origin. In 1813 the new "Sovereign Ruler" of the Netherlands, Prince William of Orange, son and heir of the exiled Stadtholder William V of Orange was sworn in Amsterdam...
. The Dutch administration relocated many local villages to the newly built island capital at Kayeli Bay for working at clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
plantations. It also promoted the hierarchy among the indigenous people with selected loyal raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
s placed above the heads of the local clans. The island was occupied by the Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945 and in 1950 became part of independent Indonesia. During former President Suharto's New Order administration in the 1960s–1970s, Buru was the site of a prison used to hold thousands of political prisoners. While held at Buru, writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer was an Indonesian author of novels, short stories, essays, polemic and histories of his homeland and its people...
wrote most his novels, including Buru Quartet
Buru Quartet
The Buru Quartet is a literary tetralogy written by Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer. It is composed of the novels This Earth of Mankind, Child of All Nations, Footsteps, and House of Glass.-External links:...
.
Geography and geology
Buru island lies between two seas of Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
– Seram Sea on the north and Banda Sea
Banda Sea
The Banda Sea is a sea in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, technically part of the Pacific Ocean but separated from it by hundreds of islands, as well as the Halmahera and Ceram Seas...
to the south and west. To the east, it is separated by Manipa Strait from Seram Island . With an area of 9505 km² (3,669.9 sq mi), Buru is the third largest among the Maluku Islands after Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia.Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² and a population in 1995 of 162,728...
and Seram.
Buru is shaped as an oval elongated from west to east. The maximum length is about 130 km (80.8 mi) from east to west and 90 km (55.9 mi) from north to south. The coastline is smooth, with the only indentation being Kayeli Bay located on the eastern coast. The bay also has a smooth oval shape. It extends into the island to 8–12 km and has a maximum width of 17 km, the width decreases to 9 km at the mouth; the coastal length of the bay is about 50 km. At the northern part of the mouth stands Namlea – the largest town of the island.
Maximum elevation of the island (2429 m (7,969.2 ft)) is the peak of mountain Kapalamadan (also called Kepala Madan, Kepalat Mada or Ghegan). Off the coast of Buru there are several smaller islands; of those permanently inhabited are Ambelau
Ambelau
Ambelau or Ambalau is a volcanic island in the Banda Sea within Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island forms an administrative unit which belongs to the South Buru Regency of Maluku province , Indonesia. The administrative center is Wailua, a settlement located at the south of the island...
(the largest, about 10 km in diameter, located about 20 km south-east of Buru) and Tengah . The largest of the uninhabited are Fogi , Oki and Tomahu .Hydro Potential at Buru Island
The relief is mostly mountainous, especially in central and western parts. So from the 9,505 km² of the island area, 1,789 km² lie 900 m above mean sea level, 872 km² above 1,200 m and 382 km² above 1,500 m.Black-lored Parrot, Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences and Japan Science and Technology AgencyRufous-throated White-eye, Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences and Japan Science and Technology Agency Flat areas are located in narrow stripes near the coast and along the banks of river Apo – there they form a valley of the same name. Much of the island is covered with tropical rain forests.
With the length of about 80 km (49.7 mi), Apo is the largest river of Buru. It flows nearly straight to the north-east and empties into the Kayeli Bay, however its bed is very winding on the hundreds meters scale, with loops all along the length. Two other permanent rivers are Geren and Nibe, the rest are periodic rivers with discontinuous flow. The river discharge varies significantly through the year reaching the maximum in rainy season. Note that Indonesian sources often include wae (meaning river) before the river names; thus Apo is often referred to as Waeapo or Wae Apo, it is also called Apu in some local dialects. In the center of the island at an altitude of 767 metres (2,516.4 ft) lies a freshwater lake Rana . This is the only significant lake on Buru; it has a nearly rectangular shape with the length of about 4.3 km, width of about 2.7 km and an area of 11.5 km² (4.4 sq mi)
The crust consists of several types of deposits. It is dominated by Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
sedimentary rocks, probably originating from the Australian continent; Also present are younger volcanic rocks and more recent alluvial deposits. Sedimentary deposits in the form of silt, peat, sand and mud are mostly found in the river valleys. Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
s of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
and arkose
Arkose
Arkose is a detrital sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar. Arkosic sand is sand that is similarly rich in feldspar, and thus the potential precursor of arkose....
dominate the northern part of the island. Very few mineral deposits of Buru have industrial value, and only limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
is mined commercially. However, significant reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the shelf in 2009. There are numerous coral reefs around the island. The soil mostly consists of yellow-red Podsol
Podsol
In soil science, podzols are the typical soils of coniferous, or boreal forests. They are also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia...
, Organosol
Acid sulfate soil
Acid sulfate soils are naturally occurring soils, sediments or organic substrates that are formed under waterlogged conditions. These soils contain iron sulfide minerals or their oxidation products. In an undisturbed state below the water table, acid sulfate soils are benign...
, Grumosol and various mixtures.
Climate
The climate is equatorial monsoonal, wet, and in general typical for the Maluku Islands. Rainy season spreads from October to April with the highest rainfall in December–February. Despite relatively small size of the island, its mountainous terrain results in several climatic zones. Apart from temperature reduction with altitude, the temperature variations across these zones are negligible, with the annual average of about 26 °C, However the annual precipitation differs and amounts to 1,400–1,800 mm in the north, 1,800–2,000 mm in the center, 2,000–2,500 mm in the south and 3,000–4,000 mm in the mountains, at elevation above 500 m.Flora and fauna
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
zones of Australia and Asia, its flora and fauna are unique and are the subject of national and international scientific research. Of 25 species of mammals found on the island, at least 4 are endemic to Buru and closest to it islands. The local subspecies of the wild pig named Buru babirusa
Buru Babirusa
The Buru babirusa , also known as the golden babirusa or hairy babirusa, is a wild pig-like animal native to the island of Buru and the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu, all belonging to Indonesia...
(Babyrousa babyrussa) is distinguished from the other babyrousa
Babyrousa
The babirusas are a genus, Babyrousa, in the pig family found in Wallacea, or specifically the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. All members of this genus were considered part of a single species until 2002, the babirusa, B...
species by having relatively long and thick body-hair. It also has very low fat content in their meat (only 1.27% compared to 5–15% for domestic pigs) and is regarded as a delicacy among the local population, which favors it to other wild pigs or deer in terms of texture and flavor. Also endemic to Buru are three types of bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s: Moluccan flying fox (Pteropus chrysoproctus), Ceram fruit bat
Ceram Fruit Bat
The Ceram fruit bat or Seram flying fox is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to the mountainous forests of two Indonesian islands, Buru and Seram, including the Manusela National Park on Seram. They were present on the nearby Ambon Island but probably not anymore...
Pteropus ocularis and lesser tube-nosed bat
Lesser Tube-nosed Bat
The Lesser Tube-nosed Bat is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to the mountainous forests of two Indonesian islands, Buru and Seram, including the Manusela National Park on Seram, but is not found on the nearby Ambon Island. The habitat has an area of less than 2,000...
(Nyctimene minutus).
Of the 178 recorded species of birds, 10 are endemic to Buru and nearby islands: Buru Racket-tail (Prioniturus mada), Black-lored Parrot
Black-lored Parrot
The Black-lored Parrot also known as the Buru Green Parrot, is a parrot Endemic to the Indonesian island of Buru. It is a long green parrot with black lores, and a turquoise crown. Males have red beaks, and females are gray-brown...
(Tanygnathus gramineus), Blue-fronted Lorikeet
Blue-fronted Lorikeet
The Blue-fronted Lorikeet also known as the Buru Lorikeet, is a parrot endemic to the Indonesian island of Buru....
(Charmosyna toxopei), Buru Honeyeater
Buru Honeyeater
The black-tipped monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. The species occupy an area of larger than 20,000 km² and have a stable population...
(Lichmera deningeri), Buru Cuckooshrike (Coracina fortis), Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
The Streak-breasted Jungle Flycatcher , also known as the Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher or Buru Jungle-flycatcher, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family...
(Rhinomyias addita), Rufous-throated White-eye
Rufous-throated White-eye
The Rufous-throated White-eye is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Madanga, with no close relatives, and is endemic to the moist, mountainous, subtropical and tropical forests of the Indonesian island Buru...
(Madanga ruficollis), Buru White-eye (Zosterops buruensis), Tawny-backed Fantail
Tawny-backed Fantail
The Tawny-backed Fantail is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes...
(Rhipidura superflua) and Black-tipped Monarch
Black-tipped Monarch
The Black-tipped Monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes...
(Monarcha loricatus). Among those, the rufous-throated white-eye is regarded as endangered and the Black-lored Parrot and vulnerable (threatened) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; both species were observed only in very limited areas of Buru island. There are another 19 birds that are near-endemic to Buru: Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
The Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
(Accipiter erythrauchen), Dusky Megapode (Megapodius forstenii), Moluccan Megapode
Moluccan Megapode
The Moluccan Megapode also known as Wallace's Scrubfowl, Moluccan Scrubfowl or Painted Megapode, is a small, approximately 31 cm long, olive-brown megapode. The genus Eulipoa is monotypic, but the Moluccan Megapode is sometimes placed in Megapodius instead...
(Megapodius wallacei), White-eyed Imperial Pigeon (Ducula perspicillata), Long-tailed Mountain Pigeon (Gymnophaps mada), Red Lory
Red Lory
The Red Lory is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to the Moluccas and surrounding islands in Indonesia.Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical mangrove forests....
(Eos bornea), Moluccan Hawk-owl
Moluccan Hawk-owl
The Moluccan Hawk-Owl , is a species of owl in the Strigidae family. It is found in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Subspecies:...
(Ninox squamipila), Moluccan Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula), Wakolo Myzomela
Wakolo Myzomela
The Wakolo Myzomela is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
(Myzomela wakoloensis), Black-faced Friarbird
Black-faced Friarbird
The Black-faced Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Buru in Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Philemon moluccensis), Drab Whistler
Drab Whistler
The Drab Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Pachycephala griseonota), White-naped Monarch
White-naped Monarch
The White-naped Monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Monarcha pileatus), Dark-grey Flycatcher
Dark-grey Flycatcher
The Dark-grey Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Myiagra galeata), Black-eared Oriole
Black-eared Oriole
The Black-eared Oriole is a species of bird in the Oriolidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
(Oriolus bouroensis), Pale Cicadabird
Pale Cicadabird
The Pale Cicadabird is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Coracina ceramensis), Buru Thrush
Buru Thrush
The Buru Thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family. It is endemic to montane rainforest on Buru in Indonesia. Traditionally, it included the Seram Thrush as a subspecies, in which case the common name of the 'combined species' was Moluccan Thrush.-References:* BirdLife International 2006....
(Zoothera dumasi), Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
The Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
(Ficedula buruensis), Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
The Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family.It is found only in Indonesia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
(Bradypterus castaneus) and Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
The Flame-breasted Flowerpecker is a species of bird in the Dicaeidae family. It is endemic to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.The nominate subspecies D. e. erythrothorax is...
(Dicaeum erythrothorax). Among butterflies, 25% of Pieridae
Pieridae
The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing approximately 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots...
and 7% of Papilionidae
Swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies that form the family Papilionidae. There are over 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica...
are endemic to the island.
The vegetation is characteristic of tropical lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forests, with the dominant family of Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 17 genera and approximately 500 species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus Dipterocarpus, is derived from Greek and refers to the two-winged fruit...
, genuses of Hopea
Hopea
Hopea is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus was named after John Hope, 1725-1786, the first Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. It contains about 104 species, distributed from Sri Lanka and southern India to southern China, and southward throughout Malesia to...
, Shorea
Shorea
Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the...
and Vatica
Vatica
Vatica is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. It contains the following species :...
, and the individual species of Anisoptera thurifera
Anisoptera (tree)
Anisoptera is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. The name Anisoptera is derived from Greek and describes the unequal fruit calyx lobes. It contains ten species distributed from Chittagong to New Guinea . Eight out of the ten species are currently listed on the IUCN redlist...
, Hopea gregaria
Hopea gregaria
Hopea gregaria is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru island.It is an Endangered species threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. - Downloaded on 21 August 2007.*...
, H. iriana, H. novoguineensis, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena
Shorea montigena
Shorea montigena is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. . - Downloaded on 23 August 2007.*...
, Shorea selanica
Shorea selanica
Shorea selanica is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru.It is a Critically endangered species threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. - Downloaded on 23 August 2007*...
and Vatica rassak
Vatica rassak
Vatica rassak is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Buru, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.-References:* Ashton, P. 1998. . Downloaded on 24 August 2007....
. Some of these trees may grow to more than 30 metres (98.4 ft) and are usually bound by thick lianas and other epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
s. Open forest, woodland, and savanna areas also exist on Buru. The fire-resistant paper bark tree (Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
cajuputi) is common in dry areas. The northwestern part of the island has steep limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliffs covered by mixed forests that include Shorea
Shorea
Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the...
trees, and stunted Dacrydium novo-guineense
Dacrydium novo-guineense
Dacrydium novo-guineense is a species of conifer in the Podocarpaceae family.It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
is present at the mountain tops.
Primary forests constitute 60% of the island, and are mostly found in the areas of Air Buaya and Waeapo. There is only 0.51% of secondary forests, in the district Batabual, and 0.9% of mangroves, at Waeapo, Air Buaya, Batabual and Namlea. A significant part of the island (23.10%) is taken by shrubs, and only 5.83% is open land, which is spread over most districts of Buru.
Administrative division
The island belongs to the Indonesian province of Maluku . Until 1999, it was part of the Central Maluku Regency and then became a separate regency of the same name. In 2008, it was split into Buru Regency and South Buru Regency .Buru Regency has an area of 5,578 km² and the administrative center at Namlea. It is divided into 5 districts: Namlea (center in Namlea), Waplau (center – Waplau), Waeapo (center – Waenetat), Air Buaya (center – Air Buaya) and Batubual (center – Ilath). The governor (Regent or , as of October 2009) is Husni Hentihu and Vice Regent is Ramli Umasugi.
South Buru Regency (administrative center Namrole) has an area of 5,060 km² and includes the Ambelau and other small islands south of Buru. Its governing structure has not been completed as of February 2010, and the current acting Regent is A. R. Uluputti. The regency is divided into 5 districts: Namrole (center – Namrole), Kepalamadan (center – Biloro), Leksula (center – Leksula), Wae Sama (center – Wamsisi),
and Ambalau (center – Wailua); the last district is entirely located on the island Ambalau.
Population
In 2009, the population of Buru was approximately 135,000 people, most of which was concentrated in the coastal areas. It was divided into three nearly equal parts: indigenous BuruBuru people
Buru people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They also call themselves gebfuka or gebemliar that literally means "people of the world" or "people of the land"...
(33,000 people), Lisela
Lisela people
Lisela people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They belong to the eastern Indonesian anthropological group and are sometimes referred to as northern Buru people. From an ethnographic point of view, Lisela are similar to other...
(13,000), Ambelau
Ambelau people
The Ambelau are an ethnic group who form the majority of the population of the Indonesian island of Ambelau. They also live on nearby island Buru and other islands. By ethnography, Ambelau are close to most indigenous peoples of Buru island...
(6,000) and Kayeli people
Kayeli people
Kayeli people is an ethnic group mainly living on the southern coast of the Kayeli Bay of Indonesian island Buru. From an ethnographic point of view Kayeli are close to other indigenous people of Buru, such as Lisela and Buru. There were about 800 Kayeli people in the early 2000s. By religion,...
(800); migrants from Java, and migrants from other Maluku Islands. The migration to Buru was stimulated by the Dutch colonial administration in the 1900s, and by Indonesian authorities in the 1950s–1990s. The local communities speak Buru, Lisela
Lisela language
Lisela , also called Li Enyorot, is an Austronesian language; as of 1989, it was spoken by about 11,900 Lisela people mostly living in the northern part of Indonesian island Buru . It is also preserved among the small Lisela community on the Ambon Island....
and Ambelau language
Ambelau language
Ambelau is an Austronesian language; as of 1989, it was spoken by about 5,700 Ambelau people, of whom more than 5,000 lived on the Indonesian island Ambelau and most others in the village Wae Tawa of the nearby island Buru ....
s in everyday life, however, the national Indonesian language
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
is used as a means of international communication. It is also used for writing, as none of the local languages (except for Buru) have a writing system. Also common is Ambon dialect of Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
(Melayu Ambon). The latter is widely used in the Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
as a second language and is a simplified form of Indonesian language with additions of the local lexicon. Some local dialects, such as the Hukumina and Kayeli language
Kayeli language
Kayeli is an Austronesian language which was used by the Kayeli people who lived in Indonesian island Buru . Two dialects were recognized, namely Leliali and Lumaete...
s, have become extinct in the second half of the 20th century.
Religious composition of the population is heterogeneous: the number of islanders practicing Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is almost the same at about 40–45% each, and the rest – mainly residents of remote mountain areas – still follow traditional local cults or do not have a clear religious affiliation. Most Christians are indigenous islanders and migrants from Maluku Islands, while most Muslims originate from Java. The economical crisis of the 1990s resulted in frequent conflicts among Buru people over religious grounds.
Buru (formally spelt Boeroe) is the third largest island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
within Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
of Malay Archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
. It lies between the Banda Sea
Banda Sea
The Banda Sea is a sea in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, technically part of the Pacific Ocean but separated from it by hundreds of islands, as well as the Halmahera and Ceram Seas...
to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of , and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of 2 territories: The main city and seaport is Ambon , which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah Ambon Island is part of the...
and Seram islands. The island belongs to Maluku province of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and includes the Buru and South Buru regencies. Their administrative centers, Namlea and Nampole, respectively, have ports and the largest towns of the island. There is a military airport at Namlea which supports civilian cargo transportation.
About a third of the population is indigenous, mostly Buru
Buru people
Buru people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They also call themselves gebfuka or gebemliar that literally means "people of the world" or "people of the land"...
, but also Lisela
Lisela people
Lisela people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They belong to the eastern Indonesian anthropological group and are sometimes referred to as northern Buru people. From an ethnographic point of view, Lisela are similar to other...
, Ambelau
Ambelau people
The Ambelau are an ethnic group who form the majority of the population of the Indonesian island of Ambelau. They also live on nearby island Buru and other islands. By ethnography, Ambelau are close to most indigenous peoples of Buru island...
and Kayeli people
Kayeli people
Kayeli people is an ethnic group mainly living on the southern coast of the Kayeli Bay of Indonesian island Buru. From an ethnographic point of view Kayeli are close to other indigenous people of Buru, such as Lisela and Buru. There were about 800 Kayeli people in the early 2000s. By religion,...
. The rest of population are immigrants from Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and nearby Maluku Islands. The religious affiliation is evenly split between Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
, with some remnants of traditional beliefs. While local languages and dialects are spoken within individual communities, the national Indonesian language
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
is used among the communities and by the administration. Most of the island is covered with forests rich in tropical flora and fauna. From the present 179 bird and 25 mammal species, about 14 are found either on Buru only or also on a few nearby islands, the most notable being the wild pig Buru babirusa
Buru Babirusa
The Buru babirusa , also known as the golden babirusa or hairy babirusa, is a wild pig-like animal native to the island of Buru and the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu, all belonging to Indonesia...
. There is little industry on the island, and most population is engaged in growing rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
, beans
Phaseolus
Phaseolus is a genus in the family Fabaceae of about fifty plant species, all native to the Americas.At least four of the species have been domesticated since pre-Columbian times for their beans. Most prominent among these is the common bean, P...
, coconuts, cocoa, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
and nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
. Other significant activities are animal farming and fishing.
The island was first mentioned around 1365. Between 1658 and 1942, it was colonized by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
and then by the Crown of the Netherlands
Crown of the Netherlands
The current Crown of the Netherlands is of relatively modern origin. In 1813 the new "Sovereign Ruler" of the Netherlands, Prince William of Orange, son and heir of the exiled Stadtholder William V of Orange was sworn in Amsterdam...
. The Dutch administration relocated many local villages to the newly built island capital at Kayeli Bay for working at clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
plantations. It also promoted the hierarchy among the indigenous people with selected loyal raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
s placed above the heads of the local clans. The island was occupied by the Japanese forces between 1942 and 1945 and in 1950 became part of independent Indonesia. During former President Suharto's New Order administration in the 1960s–1970s, Buru was the site of a prison used to hold thousands of political prisoners. While held at Buru, writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer was an Indonesian author of novels, short stories, essays, polemic and histories of his homeland and its people...
wrote most his novels, including Buru Quartet
Buru Quartet
The Buru Quartet is a literary tetralogy written by Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer. It is composed of the novels This Earth of Mankind, Child of All Nations, Footsteps, and House of Glass.-External links:...
.
Geography and geology
Buru island lies between two seas of Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
– Seram Sea on the north and Banda Sea
Banda Sea
The Banda Sea is a sea in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia, technically part of the Pacific Ocean but separated from it by hundreds of islands, as well as the Halmahera and Ceram Seas...
to the south and west. To the east, it is separated by Manipa Strait from Seram Island . With an area of 9505 km² (3,669.9 sq mi), Buru is the third largest among the Maluku Islands after Halmahera
Halmahera
Halmahera is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia.Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² and a population in 1995 of 162,728...
and Seram.
Buru is shaped as an oval elongated from west to east. The maximum length is about 130 km (80.8 mi) from east to west and 90 km (55.9 mi) from north to south. The coastline is smooth, with the only indentation being Kayeli Bay located on the eastern coast. The bay also has a smooth oval shape. It extends into the island to 8–12 km and has a maximum width of 17 km, the width decreases to 9 km at the mouth; the coastal length of the bay is about 50 km. At the northern part of the mouth stands Namlea – the largest town of the island.
Maximum elevation of the island (2429 m (7,969.2 ft)) is the peak of mountain Kapalamadan (also called Kepala Madan, Kepalat Mada or Ghegan). Off the coast of Buru there are several smaller islands; of those permanently inhabited are Ambelau
Ambelau
Ambelau or Ambalau is a volcanic island in the Banda Sea within Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island forms an administrative unit which belongs to the South Buru Regency of Maluku province , Indonesia. The administrative center is Wailua, a settlement located at the south of the island...
(the largest, about 10 km in diameter, located about 20 km south-east of Buru) and Tengah . The largest of the uninhabited are Fogi , Oki and Tomahu .Hydro Potential at Buru Island
The relief is mostly mountainous, especially in central and western parts. So from the 9,505 km² of the island area, 1,789 km² lie 900 m above mean sea level, 872 km² above 1,200 m and 382 km² above 1,500 m.Black-lored Parrot, Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences and Japan Science and Technology AgencyRufous-throated White-eye, Hokkaido Institute of Environmental Sciences and Japan Science and Technology Agency Flat areas are located in narrow stripes near the coast and along the banks of river Apo – there they form a valley of the same name. Much of the island is covered with tropical rain forests.
With the length of about 80 km (49.7 mi), Apo is the largest river of Buru. It flows nearly straight to the north-east and empties into the Kayeli Bay, however its bed is very winding on the hundreds meters scale, with loops all along the length. Two other permanent rivers are Geren and Nibe, the rest are periodic rivers with discontinuous flow. The river discharge varies significantly through the year reaching the maximum in rainy season. Note that Indonesian sources often include wae (meaning river) before the river names; thus Apo is often referred to as Waeapo or Wae Apo, it is also called Apu in some local dialects. In the center of the island at an altitude of 767 metres (2,516.4 ft) lies a freshwater lake Rana . This is the only significant lake on Buru; it has a nearly rectangular shape with the length of about 4.3 km, width of about 2.7 km and an area of 11.5 km² (4.4 sq mi)
The crust consists of several types of deposits. It is dominated by Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
sedimentary rocks, probably originating from the Australian continent; Also present are younger volcanic rocks and more recent alluvial deposits. Sedimentary deposits in the form of silt, peat, sand and mud are mostly found in the river valleys. Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
s of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
, schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
and arkose
Arkose
Arkose is a detrital sedimentary rock, specifically a type of sandstone containing at least 25% feldspar. Arkosic sand is sand that is similarly rich in feldspar, and thus the potential precursor of arkose....
dominate the northern part of the island. Very few mineral deposits of Buru have industrial value, and only limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
is mined commercially. However, significant reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the shelf in 2009. There are numerous coral reefs around the island. The soil mostly consists of yellow-red Podsol
Podsol
In soil science, podzols are the typical soils of coniferous, or boreal forests. They are also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia...
, Organosol
Acid sulfate soil
Acid sulfate soils are naturally occurring soils, sediments or organic substrates that are formed under waterlogged conditions. These soils contain iron sulfide minerals or their oxidation products. In an undisturbed state below the water table, acid sulfate soils are benign...
, Grumosol and various mixtures.
Climate
The climate is equatorial monsoonal, wet, and in general typical for the Maluku Islands. Rainy season spreads from October to April with the highest rainfall in December–February. Despite relatively small size of the island, its mountainous terrain results in several climatic zones. Apart from temperature reduction with altitude, the temperature variations across these zones are negligible, with the annual average of about 26 °C, However the annual precipitation differs and amounts to 1,400–1,800 mm in the north, 1,800–2,000 mm in the center, 2,000–2,500 mm in the south and 3,000–4,000 mm in the mountains, at elevation above 500 m.Flora and fauna
Biogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
zones of Australia and Asia, its flora and fauna are unique and are the subject of national and international scientific research. Of 25 species of mammals found on the island, at least 4 are endemic to Buru and closest to it islands. The local subspecies of the wild pig named Buru babirusa
Buru Babirusa
The Buru babirusa , also known as the golden babirusa or hairy babirusa, is a wild pig-like animal native to the island of Buru and the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu, all belonging to Indonesia...
(Babyrousa babyrussa) is distinguished from the other babyrousa
Babyrousa
The babirusas are a genus, Babyrousa, in the pig family found in Wallacea, or specifically the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula and Buru. All members of this genus were considered part of a single species until 2002, the babirusa, B...
species by having relatively long and thick body-hair. It also has very low fat content in their meat (only 1.27% compared to 5–15% for domestic pigs) and is regarded as a delicacy among the local population, which favors it to other wild pigs or deer in terms of texture and flavor. Also endemic to Buru are three types of bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s: Moluccan flying fox (Pteropus chrysoproctus), Ceram fruit bat
Ceram Fruit Bat
The Ceram fruit bat or Seram flying fox is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to the mountainous forests of two Indonesian islands, Buru and Seram, including the Manusela National Park on Seram. They were present on the nearby Ambon Island but probably not anymore...
Pteropus ocularis and lesser tube-nosed bat
Lesser Tube-nosed Bat
The Lesser Tube-nosed Bat is a species of megabat in the Pteropodidae family. It is endemic to the mountainous forests of two Indonesian islands, Buru and Seram, including the Manusela National Park on Seram, but is not found on the nearby Ambon Island. The habitat has an area of less than 2,000...
(Nyctimene minutus).
Of the 178 recorded species of birds, 10 are endemic to Buru and nearby islands: Buru Racket-tail (Prioniturus mada), Black-lored Parrot
Black-lored Parrot
The Black-lored Parrot also known as the Buru Green Parrot, is a parrot Endemic to the Indonesian island of Buru. It is a long green parrot with black lores, and a turquoise crown. Males have red beaks, and females are gray-brown...
(Tanygnathus gramineus), Blue-fronted Lorikeet
Blue-fronted Lorikeet
The Blue-fronted Lorikeet also known as the Buru Lorikeet, is a parrot endemic to the Indonesian island of Buru....
(Charmosyna toxopei), Buru Honeyeater
Buru Honeyeater
The black-tipped monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes. The species occupy an area of larger than 20,000 km² and have a stable population...
(Lichmera deningeri), Buru Cuckooshrike (Coracina fortis), Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher
The Streak-breasted Jungle Flycatcher , also known as the Streaky-breasted Jungle-flycatcher or Buru Jungle-flycatcher, is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family...
(Rhinomyias addita), Rufous-throated White-eye
Rufous-throated White-eye
The Rufous-throated White-eye is a species of bird in the Zosteropidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Madanga, with no close relatives, and is endemic to the moist, mountainous, subtropical and tropical forests of the Indonesian island Buru...
(Madanga ruficollis), Buru White-eye (Zosterops buruensis), Tawny-backed Fantail
Tawny-backed Fantail
The Tawny-backed Fantail is a species of bird in the Rhipiduridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes...
(Rhipidura superflua) and Black-tipped Monarch
Black-tipped Monarch
The Black-tipped Monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes...
(Monarcha loricatus). Among those, the rufous-throated white-eye is regarded as endangered and the Black-lored Parrot and vulnerable (threatened) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature; both species were observed only in very limited areas of Buru island. There are another 19 birds that are near-endemic to Buru: Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk
The Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is endemic to Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests....
(Accipiter erythrauchen), Dusky Megapode (Megapodius forstenii), Moluccan Megapode
Moluccan Megapode
The Moluccan Megapode also known as Wallace's Scrubfowl, Moluccan Scrubfowl or Painted Megapode, is a small, approximately 31 cm long, olive-brown megapode. The genus Eulipoa is monotypic, but the Moluccan Megapode is sometimes placed in Megapodius instead...
(Megapodius wallacei), White-eyed Imperial Pigeon (Ducula perspicillata), Long-tailed Mountain Pigeon (Gymnophaps mada), Red Lory
Red Lory
The Red Lory is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to the Moluccas and surrounding islands in Indonesia.Its natural habitats are tropical moist lowland forests and tropical mangrove forests....
(Eos bornea), Moluccan Hawk-owl
Moluccan Hawk-owl
The Moluccan Hawk-Owl , is a species of owl in the Strigidae family. It is found in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Subspecies:...
(Ninox squamipila), Moluccan Masked Owl (Tyto sororcula), Wakolo Myzomela
Wakolo Myzomela
The Wakolo Myzomela is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
(Myzomela wakoloensis), Black-faced Friarbird
Black-faced Friarbird
The Black-faced Friarbird is a species of bird in the Meliphagidae family.It is endemic to Buru in Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Philemon moluccensis), Drab Whistler
Drab Whistler
The Drab Whistler is a species of bird in the Pachycephalidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Pachycephala griseonota), White-naped Monarch
White-naped Monarch
The White-naped Monarch is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Monarcha pileatus), Dark-grey Flycatcher
Dark-grey Flycatcher
The Dark-grey Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Monarchidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.-References:...
(Myiagra galeata), Black-eared Oriole
Black-eared Oriole
The Black-eared Oriole is a species of bird in the Oriolidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
(Oriolus bouroensis), Pale Cicadabird
Pale Cicadabird
The Pale Cicadabird is a species of bird in the Campephagidae family. It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes....
(Coracina ceramensis), Buru Thrush
Buru Thrush
The Buru Thrush is a species of bird in the Turdidae family. It is endemic to montane rainforest on Buru in Indonesia. Traditionally, it included the Seram Thrush as a subspecies, in which case the common name of the 'combined species' was Moluccan Thrush.-References:* BirdLife International 2006....
(Zoothera dumasi), Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher
The Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.It is endemic to Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montanes.-References:...
(Ficedula buruensis), Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler
The Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the Locustellidae family.It is found only in Indonesia.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
(Bradypterus castaneus) and Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
Flame-breasted Flowerpecker
The Flame-breasted Flowerpecker is a species of bird in the Dicaeidae family. It is endemic to the Maluku Islands in Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.The nominate subspecies D. e. erythrothorax is...
(Dicaeum erythrothorax). Among butterflies, 25% of Pieridae
Pieridae
The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing approximately 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots...
and 7% of Papilionidae
Swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies that form the family Papilionidae. There are over 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica...
are endemic to the island.
The vegetation is characteristic of tropical lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rain forests, with the dominant family of Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarpaceae
Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 17 genera and approximately 500 species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus Dipterocarpus, is derived from Greek and refers to the two-winged fruit...
, genuses of Hopea
Hopea
Hopea is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus was named after John Hope, 1725-1786, the first Regius Keeper of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. It contains about 104 species, distributed from Sri Lanka and southern India to southern China, and southward throughout Malesia to...
, Shorea
Shorea
Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the...
and Vatica
Vatica
Vatica is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. It contains the following species :...
, and the individual species of Anisoptera thurifera
Anisoptera (tree)
Anisoptera is a genus of plant in family Dipterocarpaceae. The name Anisoptera is derived from Greek and describes the unequal fruit calyx lobes. It contains ten species distributed from Chittagong to New Guinea . Eight out of the ten species are currently listed on the IUCN redlist...
, Hopea gregaria
Hopea gregaria
Hopea gregaria is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru island.It is an Endangered species threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. - Downloaded on 21 August 2007.*...
, H. iriana, H. novoguineensis, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena
Shorea montigena
Shorea montigena is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. . - Downloaded on 23 August 2007.*...
, Shorea selanica
Shorea selanica
Shorea selanica is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is endemic to Indonesia, including Buru.It is a Critically endangered species threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Ashton, P. 1998. - Downloaded on 23 August 2007*...
and Vatica rassak
Vatica rassak
Vatica rassak is a species of plant in the Dipterocarpaceae family. It is found in Indonesia, Buru, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines.-References:* Ashton, P. 1998. . Downloaded on 24 August 2007....
. Some of these trees may grow to more than 30 metres (98.4 ft) and are usually bound by thick lianas and other epiphyte
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
s. Open forest, woodland, and savanna areas also exist on Buru. The fire-resistant paper bark tree (Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
cajuputi) is common in dry areas. The northwestern part of the island has steep limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliffs covered by mixed forests that include Shorea
Shorea
Shorea is a genus of about 196 species of mainly rainforest trees in the family Dipterocarpaceae. The genus is named after Sir John Shore, the Governor-General of the British East India Company, 1793-1798. They are native to southeast Asia, from Northern India to Malaysia, Indonesia and the...
trees, and stunted Dacrydium novo-guineense
Dacrydium novo-guineense
Dacrydium novo-guineense is a species of conifer in the Podocarpaceae family.It is found in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.-References:* Conifer Specialist Group 1998. . Downloaded on 10 July 2007....
is present at the mountain tops.
Primary forests constitute 60% of the island, and are mostly found in the areas of Air Buaya and Waeapo. There is only 0.51% of secondary forests, in the district Batabual, and 0.9% of mangroves, at Waeapo, Air Buaya, Batabual and Namlea. A significant part of the island (23.10%) is taken by shrubs, and only 5.83% is open land, which is spread over most districts of Buru.
Administrative division
The island belongs to the Indonesian province of Maluku . Until 1999, it was part of the Central Maluku Regency and then became a separate regency of the same name. In 2008, it was split into Buru Regency and South Buru Regency .Buru Regency has an area of 5,578 km² and the administrative center at Namlea. It is divided into 5 districts: Namlea (center in Namlea), Waplau (center – Waplau), Waeapo (center – Waenetat), Air Buaya (center – Air Buaya) and Batubual (center – Ilath). The governor (Regent or , as of October 2009) is Husni Hentihu and Vice Regent is Ramli Umasugi.
South Buru Regency (administrative center Namrole) has an area of 5,060 km² and includes the Ambelau and other small islands south of Buru. Its governing structure has not been completed as of February 2010, and the current acting Regent is A. R. Uluputti. The regency is divided into 5 districts: Namrole (center – Namrole), Kepalamadan (center – Biloro), Leksula (center – Leksula), Wae Sama (center – Wamsisi),
and Ambalau (center – Wailua); the last district is entirely located on the island Ambalau.
Population
In 2009, the population of Buru was approximately 135,000 people, most of which was concentrated in the coastal areas. It was divided into three nearly equal parts: indigenous BuruBuru people
Buru people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They also call themselves gebfuka or gebemliar that literally means "people of the world" or "people of the land"...
(33,000 people), Lisela
Lisela people
Lisela people is an ethnic group mostly living on Indonesian island Buru, as well as on some other Maluku Islands. They belong to the eastern Indonesian anthropological group and are sometimes referred to as northern Buru people. From an ethnographic point of view, Lisela are similar to other...
(13,000), Ambelau
Ambelau people
The Ambelau are an ethnic group who form the majority of the population of the Indonesian island of Ambelau. They also live on nearby island Buru and other islands. By ethnography, Ambelau are close to most indigenous peoples of Buru island...
(6,000) and Kayeli people
Kayeli people
Kayeli people is an ethnic group mainly living on the southern coast of the Kayeli Bay of Indonesian island Buru. From an ethnographic point of view Kayeli are close to other indigenous people of Buru, such as Lisela and Buru. There were about 800 Kayeli people in the early 2000s. By religion,...
(800); migrants from Java, and migrants from other Maluku Islands. The migration to Buru was stimulated by the Dutch colonial administration in the 1900s, and by Indonesian authorities in the 1950s–1990s. The local communities speak Buru, Lisela
Lisela language
Lisela , also called Li Enyorot, is an Austronesian language; as of 1989, it was spoken by about 11,900 Lisela people mostly living in the northern part of Indonesian island Buru . It is also preserved among the small Lisela community on the Ambon Island....
and Ambelau language
Ambelau language
Ambelau is an Austronesian language; as of 1989, it was spoken by about 5,700 Ambelau people, of whom more than 5,000 lived on the Indonesian island Ambelau and most others in the village Wae Tawa of the nearby island Buru ....
s in everyday life, however, the national Indonesian language
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
is used as a means of international communication. It is also used for writing, as none of the local languages (except for Buru) have a writing system. Also common is Ambon dialect of Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
(Melayu Ambon). The latter is widely used in the Maluku Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
as a second language and is a simplified form of Indonesian language with additions of the local lexicon. Some local dialects, such as the Hukumina and Kayeli language
Kayeli language
Kayeli is an Austronesian language which was used by the Kayeli people who lived in Indonesian island Buru . Two dialects were recognized, namely Leliali and Lumaete...
s, have become extinct in the second half of the 20th century.
Religious composition of the population is heterogeneous: the number of islanders practicing Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
and Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
is almost the same at about 40–45% each, and the rest – mainly residents of remote mountain areas – still follow traditional local cults or do not have a clear religious affiliation. Most Christians are indigenous islanders and migrants from Maluku Islands, while most Muslims originate from Java. The economical crisis of the 1990s resulted in frequent conflicts among Buru people over religious grounds. So within a few days in December 1999, 43 people were killed and at least 150 houses burned in the Wainibe village.
Precolonial period
One of the first mentioning of Buru can be found in NagarakretagamaNagarakretagama
The Nagarakretagama or Nagarakrtagama, also known as Desawarnana, is an Old Javanese eulogy to Hayam Wuruk, a Javanese king and the monarch of the Majapahit Empire. It was written as a kakawin by Mpu Prapanca in 1365 . The Nagarakretagama contains detailed descriptions of the Majapahit Empire...
– an Old Javanese eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
to Hayam Wuruk
Hayam Wuruk
Hayam Wuruk, also called Rajasanagara, , was a Javanese King and the fourth monarch of Majapahit empire. Together with his prime minister Gajah Mada, he reigned the empire at the time of its greatest power. He was preceded by Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi and succeeded by his son in law...
, the ruler of the Majapahit Kingdom, dating back to 1365. The island appears in the third line of 15th song in the list of lands subordinate to Majapahit under the name Hutan Kadali.
In the 16th–17th centuries the Buru territory was claimed by the rulers of Ternate
Ternate
Ternate is an island in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It is located off the west coast of the larger island of Halmahera, the center of the powerful former Sultanate of Ternate....
island and by the Portuguese; both claims were however symbolic, as neither party controlled the island but only visited it on trade matters. More active were Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
people from Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
island, who had built fortifications on Buru and forced the natives to grow valuable spices, such as clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
.
Colonial period
The rivalry between the Makassar and Dutch East India CompanyDutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
for control over production and trade in spices in the east of the Malay archipelago resulted in a military conflict. In 1648, a Dutch expedition to Buru expelled Makassar from the island and destroyed their buildings and boats; instead of re-using the existing clove plantations, the Dutch burned more than three thousand trees, as they were not in position to settle on the island and were afraid that Makassar will return after their departure. They however returned after several years and raised a fortress armed with four cannons and 24 soldiers in 1658, at the southern coast of Kayeli Bay, in the eastern part of Buru. A permanent settlement was established at the fortress, which became the administrative center of the island. About 2,000 of native inhabitants of the island were forcibly relocated to this area from other parts of the island, including much of the tribal nobility, and about thirteen large villages had been built around the fort: Lumaite, Hukumina, Palamata, Tomahu, Masarete, Waisama, Marulat, Leliali, Tagalisa, Ilat, Kayeli, Bara and Lisela. The relocation was designed to facilitate control over the local population and provide workforce for clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
fields which were being planted by the Dutch in this part of the island. Kayeli ethnicity with its own language
Kayeli language
Kayeli is an Austronesian language which was used by the Kayeli people who lived in Indonesian island Buru . Two dialects were recognized, namely Leliali and Lumaete...
was formed as a mixture of the newly arriving settlers and the native population of the fort area.
The presence among the ancestors of the tribal aristocracy and interaction with the Dutch colonial administration resulted in a special position of Kayeli over the next centuries, who claimed the role of indigenous elite of the island. In particularly, they requested donations from each clan of Buru, which could be rice, millet, coconuts, sago, sweet potatoes and tobacco, as well as supplying men to work exclusively for the Kayeli rajas.
The Dutch East India Company was abolished in the early 18th century and all its possessions in the Malay archipelago came under the direct control of Crown of the Netherlands
Crown of the Netherlands
The current Crown of the Netherlands is of relatively modern origin. In 1813 the new "Sovereign Ruler" of the Netherlands, Prince William of Orange, son and heir of the exiled Stadtholder William V of Orange was sworn in Amsterdam...
. In 1824, as part of the reform of the colonial administration, Buru was divided into 14 regencies (this number gradually reduced to seven over the next 100 years). They were headed by the local rulers, raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
s, who were subordinate to the Dutch advisors. All rajas were selected from the Kayeli tribal nobles, who had by this time proved their loyalty to the Dutch.
The demise of Kayeli dominance began in 1880s, when the leaders of Leliali, Wae Sama
and Fogi clans moved significant parts of their ethnic groups to their original settlements; they were joined in the early 1900s by Tagalisa. By then, many other of the original 13 Kayeli villages were either abandoned or lost their rajas. By about 1910, the leading role of Kayeli clan had almost disappeared.
Transition years 1942–1950
From spring of 1942 to summer of 1945, the entire Dutch East IndiesDutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
, including Buru, were occupied by the Japanese army. During this period, the island was raided by the bombers of the Allies aiming to incapacitate the Japanese military infrastructure, in particular the airport at Namlea – the major town of Buru.
After the capitulation of Japan on 2 September 1945, the control over the island fell back to the Netherlands. In December 1946, Buru, along with other Maluku Islands, Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
and Lesser Sunda Islands
Lesser Sunda Islands
The Lesser Sunda Islands or Nusa Tenggara are a group of islands in the southern Maritime Southeast Asia, north of Australia. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west they make up the Sunda Islands...
, was included in a quasi-independent State of East Indonesia
State of East Indonesia
The State of East Indonesia was a post-World War II establishment of a government over the former Dutch territory of the eastern Netherlands East Indies...
which was established by the Dutch government in order to gradually transform their former colonial possessions in the East Indies in a dependent state. In December 1949, eastern Indonesia joined the Republic of the United States of Indonesia
Republic of the United States of Indonesia
The Republic of the United States of Indonesia , also abbreviated as RUSI, was a federal state to which the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies on 27 December 1949 following the Dutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference...
( RIS) established at the Dutch–Indonesian Round Table Conference of 23 August – 2 November 1949.
In April 1950, just before the abolition of RIS and inclusion of most of eastern Indonesia to the Republic of Indonesia, the local authorities of Buru, Ambon, Seram and several smaller nearby islands proclaimed the establishment of an independent Republic of South Moluccas and committed to maintain close political ties with the Netherlands. After unsuccessful attempts to absorb RMS through negotiations, the Republic of Indonesia initiated a six-month military conflict in July 1950. In December 1950, Buru was brought under control of Indonesian troops and proclaimed part of the Republic of Indonesia.
As part of Indonesia
Between 1950 and 1965, the policy of the new government was aimed at rapid social, political and economic integration of Buru to Indonesia. In the 1960s and 1970s, during the military regime of general Suharto , Buru became one of the main places of exile and imprisonment of political dissidents – primarily Communists and other left-wing representatives, as well as disobeying intellectuals. Most camps were closed on Buru in 1980. More than 12,000 people had served a prison sentence in those camps by then, and at least several hundred have died or were killed.One of the prisoners was a prominent Indonesian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer was an Indonesian author of novels, short stories, essays, polemic and histories of his homeland and its people...
, who spent 14 years (1965–1979) in a prison, mostly on Buru, and wrote there many of his novels. Those included a large part of Buru Quartet
Buru Quartet
The Buru Quartet is a literary tetralogy written by Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer. It is composed of the novels This Earth of Mankind, Child of All Nations, Footsteps, and House of Glass.-External links:...
, in particular its first part "The world of humanity" . Until 1975, Toer was deprived of writing tools. He memorized his novels and was reciting them to his cellmates partly relying on their memory.
Economy
| Year | Growth, % | GDP Gross domestic product Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living.... , billion IDR Indonesian rupiah The rupiah is the official currency of Indonesia. Issued and controlled by the Bank of Indonesia, the ISO 4217 currency code for the Indonesian rupiah is IDR. Informally, Indonesians also use the word "perak" in referring to rupiah... |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 0.38 | 123.657 |
| 2002 | 1.08 | 124.989 |
| 2003 | 2.90 | 128.610 |
| 2004 | 3.27 | 132.821 |
| 2005 | 3.79 | 137.851 |
| 2006 | 4.80 | 144.470 |
| 2007 | 4.36 | 150.767 |
| 2008 | 4.60 | 157.709 |
Economic development of the island was depressed in the late 1990s as a result of the national and regional crisis. The growth resumed in the early 2000s, however, unemployment remains high (9.92% of the population in 2008), and more than 37% of islanders are living below the national poverty line (as of 2008).
The basis of the island's economy is agriculture which contributed 51.22% to the GDP
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....
in 2008. The major crop is rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
with plantations taking an area of more than 5,700 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s and yielding about 23,000 tonnes per the year (for 2008). Most rice fields are located on the northern coasts of the island, in the districts of Namlea, Waeapo and Air Buaya. With the total area of 135 hectares, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
dominates the southern field of districts Waisama, Kepalamadan and Namrole, yielding 176 tonnes per year (as of 2008). Other crops of the southern part are sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
(211 hectares, 636 tonnes), beans
Phaseolus
Phaseolus is a genus in the family Fabaceae of about fifty plant species, all native to the Americas.At least four of the species have been domesticated since pre-Columbian times for their beans. Most prominent among these is the common bean, P...
(926 hectares, 946 tonnes ) and soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s (965 hectares, 965 tonnes). Coco
Coco
Coco, CoCo, Co-Co or similar can mean:*Co-Co locomotives, a code for a locomotive wheel arrangement with two six-wheeled bogies with all axles powered, with a separate motor per axle*Co-Co , a British pop group...
(5,724 ha, 2,742 tonnes), cocoa (4,453 ha, 2,368 tonnes), clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
(947 ha, 881 tonnes) and coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
(114 acres, 1223 tonnes) are grown in the Namlea, Air Buaya, Waeapo, Batubual and Waplau areas, whereas nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
(143 ha, 75 tonnes) is restricted to Batubual. Teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
plantations are found almost everywhere on Buru and complement the natural sources of timber.
Animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
farming is of secondary importance, but its role is gradually increasing. The major animals are cows (41,349 animals as of 2008), buffalo
Water buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
(3,699), chickens (more than 1,346,000), ducks (195,000), sheep (26,950), domestic pigs (1,276) and horses (497). In 2008, there were 410 fishing enterprises with the annual catch of 3,891 tonnes of fish and seafood. The major commercial species are tuna (900 tonnes), sardine
Sardine
Sardines, or pilchards, are several types of small, oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines are named after the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, around which they were once abundant....
s (420 tonnes) and mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
(385 tonnes).
The industry employs only about 2,700 islanders and contributes about 7% to the GDP. Among the 537 enterprises registered in 2008, 482 were engaged in processing of agricultural products and 44 in engineering, chemicals and repair. In January 2010, the Ministry of Industry of Indonesia has approved a plan to build major cement plants on the island. The expansion of tourism is hindered by the lack of infrastructure on the island.
Apart from agriculture and engineering, other significant economic areas are trade, hotel industry and catering (19.19% of GDP in 2008), custom services (12.74%), transport and communication (3.10%), construction (3.13%), financial sector (2.64%) and energy and water (0.49%).
Transportation
Buru is linked with other parts of Indonesia via sea routes and has two main ports in Namlea and Namrole. With 866 registered cargo and passenger vessels, the average transport rate in 2008 was 400 tonnes per day. Speedboats "Bahari Express" run daily between Namlea and the capital of Maluku Province, Ambon (distance 160 km, travel time three hours).By agreement between the administration of Buru district and local military authorities, the military airfield at Namlea (runway 750 meters) is used for air transportation. Aircraft CASA C-212 Aviocar make 96 passenger flights a year between Namlea and several towns of Maluku. In 2007, construction began of a civil airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
near the village of Suva, about 30 km west of Namlea.
In absence of railways, most local transportation occurs via the roads. In 2008, their total length was 1,310 km, of which 278 km was covered with asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
, 282 km with gravel and the rest were laid in soil. The construction project of a modern 287 km long highway across the island, connecting its two major towns of Namlea and Namrole and several other towns is delayed due to underfunding. There is a regular long-distance bus service supported by a park of 18 units.
Health
As of 2007, the medical system of the island was in a poor state due to underfunding and lack of qualified medical personnel. There were 2 hospitals and 16 clinics, 5 of which were first-aid clinics and 11 were serving non-emergency patients who could arrive there on their own. The medical staff consisted of 22 doctors (two with the medical degree), 65 obstetriciansObstetrics
Obstetrics is the medical specialty dealing with the care of all women's reproductive tracts and their children during pregnancy , childbirth and the postnatal period...
and 303 nurses. The authorities plan to increase the number of medical facilities and staff by 2–4 times by 2012.
Traditional occupations and culture
Whereas local people traditionally occupied villages, variation of their seasonal activities – predominantly hunting and farming – tended to either disperse or gather them. Men hunted the wild pig Buru babirusaBuru Babirusa
The Buru babirusa , also known as the golden babirusa or hairy babirusa, is a wild pig-like animal native to the island of Buru and the two Sula Islands of Mangole and Taliabu, all belonging to Indonesia...
, deer and possum
Phalanger
Phalanger, from the Greek Phalangion, meaning spider's web, from their webbed toes is a genus of possum. They are marsupials of the family Phalangeridae...
, in the forests, mostly during the peak of east monsoon (June and July); meanwhile women were gathering wild vegetables. However, during the west monsoon (November to April) both men and women were working together in the fields. The position of the villages was also changing with time, mostly because of the low soil fertility on the island – recovery of the soil took significant time urging long-distance travel to the new fields. It was rather common for a family to leave the village for most of the week to their field and return only for the religious service on Sunday. It was also rather common to move the entire village after some 20 years of exploiting a plot of land. Partly because of this, most settlements were rather small, with the smallest type accommodating one-two families (hum-hawa or hum-tapa), middle-type (hum-lolin) consisting of 3–10 houses and accommodating 20–50 people, and larger ones of 30–50 houses and 150–300 people (fen-lale). On the coast, there were several multi-ethnic settlements with more than 200 houses (ibu kota kecamatan). This local variety of terms for a "settlement" puzzled the Dutch colonizers trying to systematize the local registries.
Traditional Buru houses were made from bamboo, often on stilts. The roofs were covered with palm leaves or reeds. Cement, metal and tiles were introduced in the 20th century and urged to build more permanent dwelling, but with limited results, as the locals continued to relocate. This was partly due to the habits of relocation and partly due to local disputes or superstitions, such as cursing a place where a certain number of people died within a short period. Presence of a church in a village might hindered relocation for a century, but not always. Traditional Buru costumes are similar those of most other Indonesia peoples. Men wear sarong
Sarong
A sarong or sarung is a large tube or length of fabric, often wrapped around the waist and worn as a kilt by men and as a skirt by women throughout much of South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Horn of Africa, and on many Pacific islands. The fabric most often has woven plaid or...
(a kind of kilt
Kilt
The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear, originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century. Since the 19th century it has become associated with the wider culture of Scotland in general, or with Celtic heritage even more broadly...
) and a long-skirted tunic, and women are dressed in sarong and a shorter jacket. However, the dress color systematically varies between the different tribes of the island.
Research
The unique flora, fauna and tropical forest ecosystem of the island are systematically researched by both Indonesian and foreign scientific bodies. The original vegetation on the coastal plain has been cleared, and much of the mountain forest on the northern side of the island has been cut and burned out for timber and creating new farming fields, but two large areas of stable rain forest still exist in the mountains. These are currently protected areas, Gunung Kapalat Mada (1,380 km²) and Waeapo (50 km²).Most of the published studies on the history, culture and languages of the island were conducted in the 1980s out by spouses Charles E. Grimes and Barbara Dix Grimes – Australian missionaries and ethnographers and active members of SIL International
SIL International
SIL International is a U.S.-based, worldwide, Christian non-profit organization, whose main purpose is to study, develop and document languages, especially those that are lesser-known, in order to expand linguistic knowledge, promote literacy, translate the Christian Bible into local languages,...
(they should not be confused with Joseph E. Grimes and Barbara F. Grimes, Charles' parents, also known Australian ethnographers). They have also completed translation of the Bible to Buru language, which was started by the early Dutch missionaries.
Further reading
- Grimes, Barbara Dix (1994). Buru inside out. In: Visser, L.E., ed. Halmahera and beyond. Leiden: KITLV Press. pp. 59–78. ISBN 90-6718-072-6.