THE MOLUCCAS ARCHIPELAGO : HALMAHERA ISLAND

Total area of the Moluccas (Maluku) is 74 505 km2, population is 2 million, and there are over 100 languages. Administratively, Halmahera and Morotai islands belong to the Maluku Utara Regency. Forests cover 79% of total area (MAC ANDREWS).

Halmahera alone : 20 000 km2, approximately 200 000 inhabitants (1971). The island is very mountainous in its centre (with peaks at 1500 m above sea level) and covered in luxuriant tropical rainforest ; these areas are virtually unknown. What we do know is that there are some swidden cultivators and a few hunter-gatherer populations living in these mountains.

Languages are divided into 2 families and 18 main dialects : -North Halmahera (non-Austronesian) : Galela, Tobelo, Modoli, Pagu, Loloda, Ibu, Tobaru, Woyoli, Ternate and Tidore, -South Halmahera (Austronesian) : Buli, Maba, Patani, Sawai, Weda, Gane, Bacan.

source: lucy.ukc.ac.uk

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