RAJA AMPAT ISLAND

  Raja Ampat Island History

          The name of Raja Ampat comes from local mythology that tells about a woman who finds seven eggs. Four of the seven eggs hatch and become kings that occupy four of Raja Ampat biggest islands whilst the other three become a ghost, a woman, and a stone.
          History shows that Raja Ampat was once a part of Tidore Kingdom, an influential kingdom from Maluku. Yet, after the Dutch invaded Maluku, it was shortly claimed by the Netherlands. The main occupation for people around this area is fishing since the area is dominated by the sea. They live in a small colony of tribes that spreads around the area. Although traditional culture still strongly exists, they are very welcoming to visitors. Their religion is dominantly Christian.

 Location of Raja Ampat Island

          Raja Ampat Islands is a series of four adjacent group of islands located in the western part of the Bird's Head ( Vogelkoop ) Papua Island . Administratively , this cluster is under the Raja Ampat , West Papua Province , Indonesia . The islands are now a destination for divers who are interested in the beauty of the underwater scenery . The four islands that are members named by the four biggest islands , namely Waigeo Island , Misool Island , Salawati Island , and Island Batanta .
          Raja Ampat is a fraction of Sorong regency , since 2003 . The district has a population of 31,000 souls has 610 islands ( only 35 islands are inhabited and most do not yet have ) with an area of ​​about 46,000 km2 , but only 6,000 km2 of land , 40,000 km2 , the sea again . As the islands, the only inter- island transport and supporting community activities Raja Ampat is sea transport . Similarly, to reach Waisai , the district capital . When using aircraft , first to the city of Sorong . After that , the trip from Sorong to Waisai followed by sea transport . Facilities available are fast ships with a capacity of 10 , 15 , or 30 people . At a cost of approximately Rp . 2 million , Waisai can be reached within 1.5 to two hours .

 Flora dan Fauna

West Papua or Papua Barat, formerly Irian Jaya, is the western half of New Guinea Island. Its inhabitants are Melanesian Papuans. This is one of Indonesia's most remote and least visited regions. It is sparsely populated due to its rugged terrain, which contributed to the 250 distinct languages spoken here. West Papua is one of the last frontiers of tourism. Although New Guinea was first settled about 60,000 years ago, West Papua came under Dutch control and remained there until 1962 when the territory was ceded to Indonesia. Christian missionaries arrived with the Dutch and are still a big presence in West Papua. An active Free Papua Movement continues to push for independence from Indonesia. Gone are the days of fierce warriors and cannibals. Today coastal inhabitants fish, highland residents farm, and many others work in the mining or forestry industries. Sago and sweet potatoes replace rice as the staple food of West Papua. The area is rich in natural resources. The huge Freeport copper and gold mine at 3700m (12000ft) is a joint venture that contributes to the Indonesian economy.

 Island beauty Kangean

 

          Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia's West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau. Raja Ampat Regency is a new regency which separated from Sorong Regency in 2004.^[1] It encompasses more than 40,000 km² of land and sea, which also contains Cenderawasih Bay, the largest marine national park in Indonesia. It is a part of the newly named West Papua (province) of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya. Some of the islands are the most northern pieces of land in the Australian continent.