Adonara is an island in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, located east of the larger island of Flores in the Solor Archipelago. To the east lies Lembata, formerly known as Lomblen. Adonara is the highest of the islands of the archipelago, reaching an altitude of 1,659 metres, and it has an area of 529.75 km2.[1] It is situated administratively in the East Flores Regency of East Nusa Tenggara province.

Adonara
Adonara, viewed from the Space Shuttle, 1983. The eruption plume from stratovolcano Iliboleng is visible.
Geography
LocationLesser Sunda Islands
ArchipelagoSolor Archipelago
Area529.75 km2 (204.54 sq mi)
Highest elevation1,659 m (5443 ft)
Administration
ProvinceEast Nusa Tenggara
Demographics
Population132,345 (mid 2021 estimate)
Pop. density249.8/km2 (647/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsLamaholot

Administration

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The island is divided into eight districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas (in km2) and their populations at the 2010 Census[2] and 2020 census,[3] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022.[4]

Kode
Wilayah
Name Area
in km2
Population
Census
2010
Population
Census
2020
Population
Estimate
mid 2022
Admin
centre
No.
of
villages
Post
codes
53.06.08 Adonara Barat [5]
(West Adonara)
55.97 11,743 13,529 14,454 Waiwadan 18 86263
53.06.09 Wotan Ulu Mado [6] 75.81 7,871 9,968 10,629 Baniona 12 86260
53.06.18 Adonara Tengah [7]
(Central Adonara)
57.99 10,686 13,312 14,172 Lewobele 13 86264
53.06.10 Adonara Timur (a) [8]
(East Adonara)
108.94 26,161 30,299 31,427 Waiwerang 21 (b) 86261
53.06.13 Ile Boleng [9] 51.39 13,948 17,416 18,186 Senadan 21 86253
63.06.12 Witihama [10] 77.97 14,140 17,460 18,208 Oringbele 16 86266
53.06.11 Kelubagolit [11] 45.12 10,210 12,650 13,199 Pepak Kelu 12 86265
53.06.17 Adonara (c) [12] 46.45 9,745 11,835 11,984 Sagu 8 86262
Totals on Adonara Island 519.64 104,504 126,469 132,259 121

Note: (a) Adonara Timur District, notwithstanding its name, actually occupies the south-central part of Adonara Island, with Wotan Ulu Mado District to the southwest and Ile Boleng District to the southeast.
(b) including the two kelurahan of Lamatewelu and Waiwerang Kota.
(c) Adonara District covers only the north-central part of Adonara Island ("Adonara Utara"), with Kelubagolit and Witihama Districts to the east and Adonara Barat and Adonara Tengah Districts to the west.

History

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Local history on Adonara is documented from the sixteenth century, when Portuguese traders and missionaries established a post on the nearby island of Solor. By that time Adonara and the surrounding islands were ritually divided between a population of coastal dwellers known as Paji, and a population mainly settling the mountainous inland called Demon. The Paji were susceptible to Islam, while the Demon tended to fall under Portuguese influence. The Paji areas on Adonara contained three principalities, namely Adonara proper (centered on the north coast of the island), and Terong and Lamahala (on the south coast). Together with two principalities on Solor (Lohayong and Lamakera), they constituted a league called Watan Lema ("the five shores"). The Watan Lema allied with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1613, confirmed in 1646. The Adonara principalities had frequent feuds with the Portuguese in Larantuka on Flores, and were not always obedient to the Dutch authorities. In the course of the nineteenth century, the ruler of Adonara (proper) in the north strengthened his position in the Solor Archipelago; by then, he was also the overlord of parts of eastern Flores and Lembata. The Demon areas stood under the suzerainty of the principality of Larantuka, which in turn was under Portuguese rule until 1859, when it was ceded to the Netherlands. The principalities of Larantuka and Adonara (proper) were abolished by the Indonesian government in 1962. Some post-independence local officials trace their roots to past rulers, called raja, of Adonara (proper). These include:

 
A map of Adonara made in 1911

Geography

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Adonara Island is a part of the Indonesian regency of East Flores. It can be reached by airplane from Jakarta to Kupang, then by ferry to Larantuka, then by boat.

The town of Waiwerang and its neighbouring desa (villages) forms the only urban area on Adonara. There is no single administrative centre on the island, as each district has its own centre, all subservient to the regency administration at Larantuka on Flores island.

Notes

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  1. ^ Monk, K.A.; Fretes, Y.; Reksodiharjo-Lilley, G. (1996). The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku. Hong Kong: Periplus Editions Ltd. p. 8. ISBN 962-593-076-0.
  2. ^ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  3. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  4. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023.
  5. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Adonara Barat Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309060)
  6. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Wotan Ulu Mado Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309061)
  7. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Adonara Tengah Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309062)
  8. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Adonara Timur Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309070)
  9. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Ile Boleng Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309071)
  10. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Witihama Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309072)
  11. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Kelubagolit Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309073)
  12. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Adonara Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309074)

References

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  • P. Arndt (1938), 'Demon und Padzi, die feindlichen Brüder des Solor-Archipelags', Anthropos 33.
  • Robert H. Barnes (1995), 'Lamakera, Solor: Ethnohistory of a Muslim Whaling Village of Eastern Indonesia', Anthropos 90.
  • Robert H. Barnes (2004), 'The murder of Sengaji Begu: A turning point in Dutch involvement in the Solor Archipelago', Masyarakat Indonesia 30:2
  • Benno M. Biermann (1924), 'Die alte Dominikanermission auf den Solorinseln', Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft 14.
  • Arend de Roever (2002), De jacht op sandelhout: De VOC en de tweedeling van Timor in de zeventiende eeuw. Zutphen: Walburg Pers.

8°15′S 123°09′E / 8.250°S 123.150°E / -8.250; 123.150