Flores

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For other uses, see Flores (disambiguation).
Flores
Native name: Pulau Flores
Flores Topography.png
Topography of Flores
Flores map.png
Geography
Location South East Asia
Coordinates 8�40'29?S 121�23'04?ECoordinates: 8�40'29?S 121�23'04?E
Archipelago Lesser Sunda Islands
Area 13,540 km2 (5,230 sq mi)[1]
Area rank 60th
Length 354 km (220 mi)
Width 66 km (41 mi)
Highest elevation 2,370 m (7,780 ft)
Highest point Poco Mandasawu
Administration
Indonesia
Province East Nusa Tenggara
Largest settlement Maumere (pop. 70,000)
Demographics
Population 1,831,000 (2010)
Pop. density 135 /km2 (350 /sq mi)
Flores (Indonesian: Pulau Flores) is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of
islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. The population was 1,831,000 in the 2010
census and the largest town is Maumere. The name Flores is derived from the
Portuguese for "flowers".

Flores is located east of Sumbawa and Komodo islands and west of Lembata island and
the Alor Archipelago. To the southeast is Timor. To the south, across the Sumba
Strait, is Sumba island and to the north, beyond the Flores Sea, is Sulawesi.

Among all islands containing Indonesian territory, Flores is the 10th most populous
after Java, Sumatra, Borneo (Kalimantan), Sulawesi, New Guinea, Bali, Madura,
Lombok, and Timor and also the 10th biggest island of Indonesia.

Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
3 Administration
4 Flora and fauna
4.1 Homo floresiensis
5 Culture
6 Tourism
7 Economy
8 Gallery
9 Transport
10 See also
11 Notes
12 References
13 External links
Etymology
Unlike most islands in the Indonesian archipelago, the name Flores was given by the
Portuguese, from Cabo de Flores (Cape of Flowers), the Portuguese term for the
eastern part of the island. This part of the island, originally called Kopondai,
was so named by the Portuguese because of the flowering Delonix regia trees found
there.[2] The original name of Flores was Nipa, referring to the serpent.

History

Indigenous warrior from Ende, Flores.

Portuguese traders and missionaries came to Flores in the 16th century, mainly to
Larantuka and Sikka. Their influence is still discernible in Sikka's language,
culture and religion. The first Portuguese visit took place in 1511, through the
expedition of Ant�nio de Abreu and his vice-captain Francisco Serr�o, en route
through the Sunda islands.

The Dominican order was extremely important in this island, as well as in the
neighbouring islands of Timor and Solor. When in 1613 the Dutch attacked the
Fortress of Solor, the population of this fort, led by the Dominicans, moved to the
harbor town of Larantuka, on the eastern coast of Flores. This population was
mixed, of Portuguese and local islanders descent and Larantuqueiros, Topasses or,
as Dutch knew them, the 'Black Portuguese' (Zwarte Portuguezen).

The Larantuqueiros or Topasses became the dominant sandalwood trading people of the
region for the next 200 years. This group used Portuguese as the language for
worship, Malay as the language of trade and a mixed dialect as mother tongue. This
was observed by William Dampier, an English privateer visiting the Island in 1699:

These [the Topasses] have no Forts, but depend on their Alliance with the Natives:
And indeed they are already so mixt, that it is hard to distinguish whether they
are Portuguese or Indians. Their Language is Portuguese; and the religion they
have, is Romish. They seem in Words to acknowledge the King of Portugal for their
Sovereign; yet they will not accept any Officers sent by him. They speak
indifferently the Malayan and their own native Languages, as well as Portuguese.[3]
In 1846, Dutch and Portuguese initiated negotiations towards delimiting the
territories but these negotiations led nowhere. In 1851 Lima Lopes, the new
governor of Timor, Solor and Flores, agreed to sell eastern Flores and the nearby
islands to the Dutch in return for a payment of 200,000 Florins in order to support
his impoverished administration. Lima Lopes did so without the consent of Lisbon
and was dismissed in disgrace, but his agreement was not rescinded and in 1854
Portugal ceded all its historical claims on Flores. After this, Flores became part
of the territory of Dutch East Indies.

During World War II a Japanese invasion force landed at Reo on 14 May 1942 and
occupied Flores.[4] After the war Flores became part of independent Indonesia.[3]

On 12 December 1992, an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale occurred,

killing 2,500 people in and around Maumere, including islands off the north coast.

In 2017 two men were killed in Flores due to land disputes between warrior clans;
the Mbehel, a West Maggarai mountain tribe, and the Rangko from Sulawesi island who
helped build Manggarai and were given land near Labuan Bajo by the Manggarai king.
[5]

Administration
Flores is part of the East Nusa Tenggara province. The island along with smaller
minor islands are split into eight regencies (local government districts); from
west to east these are: Manggarai Barat (West Manggarai),[6] Manggarai Tengah
(Central Manggarai), Manggarai Timur (East Manggarai), Ngada, Nagekeo, Ende, Sikka
and Flores Timur (East Flores).[7] Flores has 39.1% of the East Nusa Tenggara
provincial population as of 2010, and the most Indonesians of all islands in the
province.
Regency Name Capital Est. Statute Area (km�) Population
2010 census[8]
West Manggarai Regency Labuan Bajo 2003 UU 8/2003 2,947.50 221,430
Manggarai Regency Ruteng 1958 UU 69/1958 1,545.97 292,037
East Manggarai Regency Borong 2007 UU 36/2007 2,502.24 252,754
Ngada Regency Bajawa 1958 UU 69/1958 1,620.92 142,254
Nagekeo Regency Mbay 2007 UU 2/2007 1,416.96 129,956
Ende Regency Ende 1958 UU 69/1958 2,046.62 260,428
Sikka Regency Maumere 1958 UU 69/1958 1,731.92 300,301
East Flores Regency Larantuka 1958 UU 69/1958 1,812.85 232,312
Flores * 15,624.98 1,831,472
Main Cities in Flores are Labuan Bajo, Ruteng, Bajawa, Ende, Maumere and Larantuka

Labuan Bajo, 188 724 inhabitants

Ruteng, 34 569 inhabitants
Bajawa, 44 000 inhabitants
Ende, 60 000 inhabitants
Maumere, 52 921 inhabitants
Flora and fauna

Homo floresiensis
The west coast of Flores is one of the few places, aside from the island of Komodo
itself, where the Komodo dragon can be found in the wild, and is part of Komodo
National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kelimutu National Park is the second
national park designated on Flores to protect endangered species. The Flores giant
rat is also endemic to the island, and Verhoeven's giant tree rat was formerly
present. These giant rodents are considered examples of island gigantism.

Flores was also the habitat of several extinct dwarf forms of the proboscidean
Stegodon, the most recent (Stegodon florensis insularis) disappearing approximately
12,000 years ago[9] and the diminutive Homo floresiensis. It is speculated by
scientists that limited resources and an absence of advanced predators made the few
megafaunal species that reached the island subject to insular dwarfism.[10]

The presence of Trigonoceps vultures indicates that the island bore mammalian
carnivores at some point.[11]

Homo floresiensis
Main article: Homo floresiensis
In September 2003, at Liang Bua Cave in western Flores, paleoanthropologists
discovered small skeletons that they described as a previously unknown hominin
species, Homo floresiensis.[12] These are informally named hobbits and appear to
have stood about 1 metre (3.3 feet) tall.

This hominin had originally been considered to be remarkable for its survival until
relatively recent times, only 12,000 years ago. However, by 2016, more extensive
stratigraphic and chronological work has pushed the dating of the most recent
evidence of their existence back to 50,000 years ago.[13]

Culture

Saint Angela Church in Labuan Bajo

Some fishing boats on Flores

There are many languages spoken on the island of Flores, all of them belonging to
the Austronesian family. In the centre of the island in the districts of Ngada,
Nagekeo, and Ende there is what is variously called the Central Flores Dialect
Chain or the Central Flores Linkage. Within this area there are slight linguistic
differences in almost every village. At least six separate languages are
identifiable. These are from west to east: Ngadha, Nage, Keo, Ende, Lio and Palu'e,
which is spoken on the island with the same name of the north coast of Flores.
Locals would probably also add So'a and Bajawa to this list, which anthropologists
have labeled dialects of Ngadha.

Jesus Statue in Maumere

The peoples of Flores are almost entirely Roman Catholic Christians, whereas most
other Indonesians are Muslim. As a consequence, Flores may be regarded as
surrounded by a religious border. The prominence of Catholicism on the island
results from its colonisation by Portugal. In other parts of Indonesia with
significant Christian populations, such as the Maluku Islands and Sulawesi, the
geographical divide is less rigid and Muslims and Christians sometimes live side by
side. Flores thereby also has less religious violence that has sporadically
occurred in other parts of Indonesia. There are several churches on the island.

Tourism

Bena Village

Harbour of Labuhan Bajo on the west coast

The most famous tourist attraction in Flores is the 1,639-metre-high (5,377-foot)
Kelimutu volcano which containing three colored lakes, located in the district of
Ende close to the town of Moni, although you can also visit Inierie vulcano near
Bajawa town. These crater lakes are in the caldera of a volcano, and fed by a
volcanic gas source, resulting in highly acidic water. The colored lakes change
colors on an irregular basis, depending on the oxidation state of the lake[14] from
bright red through green and blue.

There are snorkelling and diving locations along the north coast of Flores, most
notably Maumere and Riung. However, due to the destructive practice of local
fishermen using bombs to fish, and locals selling shells to tourists, combined with
the after effects of a devastating tsunami in 1992, the reefs have slowly been
destroyed.

Labuan Bajo town located on the western tip is often used by tourists as a base to
visit Komodo and Rinca islands. Labuan bajo also attracts scuba divers, as whale
sharks inhabit the waters around Labuan bajo.

The Luba and Bena villages include traditional houses in Flores, Bena is also noted
for its Stone Age megaliths.

Larantuka, on the isle's eastern end, is known for its Holy Week festivals.

In recent years, local tourist firms around Kelimutu have begun promoting cycling
tours around Flores, some of which take up to five or six days depending on the
particular program.[15]

Economy
In addition to tourism, the main economic activities on Flores are agriculture,
fishing and seaweed production. The primary food crops being grown on Flores are
rice, maize, sweet potato and cassava, while the main cash crops are coffee,
coconut, candle nut and cashew.[16] Flores is one of the newest origins for
Indonesian coffee. Previously, most Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) from Flores was
blended with other origins. Now, demand is growing for this coffee because of its
heavy body and sweet chocolate, floral and woody notes.[17]

Gallery
The Lesser Sunda Islands with Flores in the upper right

Kelimutu

Ruins belonging to a Portuguese fort, dating from the 16th century near Ende.

An ancient Ngada megalith

Dancers in Watublapi

Villager with a headress and chest ornamentation

Transport
There are at least six airports in Flores distributed along the island, ordered
from west to east:

Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo

Frans Sales Lega Airport or Ruteng airport
Pahdamaleda Airport or Bajawa airport
Turelelo Soa Airport in Bajawa
H. Hasan Aroeboesman Airport or Ende airport
Frans Xavier Seda Airport or Maumere airport
Gewayantana Airport close to Larantuka city.
See also
flag Indonesia portal
Dutch Empire
Homo floresiensis
Flores (Azores)
Simon Milward
Nage tribe
Portuguese Empire
Manggarai people
Notes
Monk, K.A.; Fretes, Y.; Reksodiharjo-Lilley, G. (1996). The Ecology of Nusa
Tenggara and Maluku. Hong Kong: Periplus Editions Ltd. p. 7. ISBN 962-593-076-0.
Flores, Encyclop�dia Britannica
"Out of the Ashes - Chapter 1". Epress.anu.edu.au. 1914-06-25. Retrieved 2012-07-
25.
L, Klemen (1999�2000). "The Lesser Sunda Islands 1941-1942". Forgotten Campaign:
The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942.
"Subscribe to The Australian - Newspaper home delivery, website, iPad, iPhone &
Android apps". Theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
Manggarai Barat District includes islands like Komodo and Rinca to the west of
Flores
Flores Timur District includes islands like Adonara and Solor to the east of
Flores.
"Hasil Sensus Penduduk 2010". Ntt.bps.go.id. Retrieved 2012-07-25.
Van Den Bergh, G. D.; Rokhus Due Awe; Morwood, M. J.; Sutikna, T.; Jatmiko; Wahyu
Saptomo, E. (May 2008). "The youngest Stegodon remains in Southeast Asia from the
Late Pleistocene archaeological site Liang Bua, Flores, Indonesia". Quaternary
International. 182 (1): 16�48. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2007.02.001. Retrieved 27
November 2011.
"Hobbits" Were Pygmy Ancestors, Not New Species, Study Says, National Geographic,
21 August 2006.
Hanneke J.M.; et al. "Continental-style avian extinctions on an oceanic island"
(PDF). Repository.si.edu. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
Baab, Karen L.; Kieran P. McNulty; Katerina Harvati (10 July 2013). "Homo
floresiensis Contextualized: A Geometric Morphometric Comparative Analysis of
Fossil and Pathological Human Samples". PLoS ONE. 8 (7): e69119.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069119. PMC 3707875. PMID 23874886.
Sutikna, Thomas; Tocheri, Matthew W.; Morwood, Michael J.; Saptomo, E. Wahyu;
Jatmiko; Awe, Rokus Due; Wasisto, Sri; Westaway, Kira E.; Aubert, Maxime; Li, Bo;
Zhao, Jian-xin; Storey, Michael; Alloway, Brent V.; Morley, Mike W.; Meijer,
Hanneke J. M.; van den Bergh, Gerrit D.; Gr�n, Rainer; Dosseto, Anthony; Brumm,
Adam; Jungers, William L.; Roberts, Richard G. (30 March 2016). "Revised
stratigraphy and chronology for Homo floresiensis at Liang Bua in Indonesia".
Nature. 532 (7599): 366�369. doi:10.1038/nature17179. hdl:1885/109256. PMID
27027286.
Pasternack. Keli Mutu Volcanic Lakes, University of California Davis.
Markus Makur, 'Bycycle tours of Kelimutu boost local economy', The Jakarta Post,
13 March 2016.
East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Retrieved 8
August 2008.
Arabica Producing Regions of Indonesia, Specialty Coffee Association of Indonesia.
Retrieved 8 August 2008.
References
L, Klemen (1999�2000). "Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-
1942". Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
External links
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Flores (Indonesia).
Media related to Flores, Indonesia at Wikimedia Commons
Flores & Komodo - History
Authority control Edit this at Wikidata
GND: 4098001-7 NKC: ge994909
Categories: Lesser Sunda IslandsLandforms of East Nusa TenggaraFlores Island
(Indonesia)Komodo National ParkPortuguese colonialism in IndonesiaIslands of
IndonesiaInner Banda Arc
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