The History Of East Nusa Tenggara

Because of the commodities of spices and sandalwood East Nusa Tenggara has become a destination of trading hundred years ago. Ships had sailed from various countries to visit this region because they want to get spices and sandalwood tree at a cheap price.

Sandalwood trees growing on some of the islands, especially on the island of Timor and Sumba has superior quality. In addition to the craft materials, sandalwood is used as a raw material of perfume, sandalwood oil.

The ancient Chinese travel chronicle Hsing Cha Sheng Can mentions that from the 6th to the 9th AD many ships from the Chinese mainland came here to barter with their merchandise of ceramics, yarns and silks, in exchange for sandalwood.

Can Yu Kua wrote in the Chu Fan Shih, in 1225, that Timor Island had links with Java as far as the trade of Sandalwood was concerned. Evidence of these old trade links with Java is to be found in the Dance of Lendo Maja, in Sabu. Evidence of early trading with China is provided by the antique Chinese ceramics that are to be found in this area.

There are so many horses on Sumba. It was because of  the merchants from India who come to these islands to buy sandalwood  brought horses that they had purchased in Arabia and sold them to the people of Sumba. Meanwhile the Europeans came to East Nusa Tenggara and purchased sandalwood oil for treating wounds.

In 1520, a Portuguese flotilla led by Alfonso de Abreu and Serrao, sailed to Ternate, intending to defeat the Sultan of Ternate and take over his sphere of influence, which stretched from the southern Philippines to Sangihe Talaud, Maluku and the Solor island. Losing their orientation, they arrived at Solor. They had failed to find their destination, but had discovered East Nusa Tenggara, the source of sandalwood.

They set up a trading post in Lamakera, on Solor Island, as a transit harbor between Maluku and Malacca. In 1566, the Portuguese set up a trading post, know as Fort Hendricus, where sandalwood was accumulated. During the Portuguese period, many names were changed. Nusa Nipa became Flores, and Tanah Wutun, or Tanjung, was renamed Cabo da Flores.

Nusa Wuo was changed into Sumba, and Nusa Eda into Rote or Roti, which was presumably the result of a misunderstanding involving the name Rote. Nusa Timu became Timor.

In addition, the Portuguese did their best to convert the people to Roman Catholicism. By 1597, thousands of people on these islands had been converted to Christianity.

The little town of Kupang is known among students of maritime history. Around the end of the 18th, century, Kupang was visited by a sloop of the British Ship HMS bounty skippered by Captain Bligh, who had braved the Pacific Ocean after the infamous mutiny. On his arrival at Kupang Captain Bligh received the help of the Dutch who provided him with a ship to return to England.

In 1592, an inhabitant of Larantuka, of Portuguese origin, whose mother had been ill treated, asked the Dutch for help to fight the Portuguese. The dutch attacked Fort Hendricus and defeated the Portuguese. The Dutch arrived at East Nusa Tenggara for the first time in the 1 7th century. In 1613, Apollonius Scotte led a war expedition to East Nusa Tenggara to fight the Portuguese.

War broke out and Soler fell to the Dutch in 1653. Through further victory, the Dutch consolidated their position in Kupang in 1657. Fort Hendricus became the headquarters of Dutch East India Company. Like the Portuguese before them, the Dutch brought their own Lutheran Ministers to the island.

After this the people living in the surroundings of Kupang converted from Catholicism to Protestantism and the Protestant center was moved to Kupang. Meanwhile, the Portuguese moved the seat of their authority to Rote and Sawu islands. Meanwhile, many of the other islands were being subjugated and put under Portuguese control.

In the months of May and June 1642, the Portuguese were sending their best troops from Larantuka to attack Timor Island. In 1739 a new power group, called the black Portuguese or Tropaas, emerged in Timor.

The situation continued until 1854, when the treaty of Timor was signed between the Dutch and Portuguese, dividing Timor into half with the west to be ruled by the Dutch, and the east by the Portuguese. Larantuka and surrounding areas were ceded to the Dutch whereas the barren territory of Oekusi was relinquished to the Portuguese.

This region now known as Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) or East Nusa Tenggara. After Indonesian independence in 1945, the eastern part of Indonesia declared the State of East Indonesia.The further states included in the United State of Indonesia. In 1950, the United States of Indonesia dissolved itself into a unitary state and begin to divide its territory into provinces. In 1958, the three provinces in the Lesser Sunda Islands was established, namely Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.The territory of East Nusa Tenggara province, including the western part of the island of Timor, Flores, Sumba, and other small islands in the region. The province is divided into twelve districts.

Nusa Tenggara Timur

Lombok has a full cultural diversity of Hindu Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa Islam, the majority of Catholic Flores as a legacy of the Portuguese, while Timor and Alor and Solor Archipelagos Protestant. On all the islands, animist rituals and traditions of the tribe continues aside, the temple tower and chapel, especially in rural areas. Although Indonesian is the unifying language, each major island has at least one native language, which is often divided into dialects.

Most diverse forms of land: fertile volcanic slopes and shimmering rice fields of West Lombok sharp contrast to the arid hillside Komodo and Sumba, which turned into a dusty brown at the end of a long season if you have a thirst for adventure or nature, or if you are surfing, snorkeling, hiking or diving, Nusa Tenggara opportunities are virtually endless. Of the dozens of volcanoes, cone Kelimutu - peak crowned by three different colored crater lake is extremely charming, despite towering Rinjani Lombok is much more challenging ascent. Cities and towns in this region are generally not places to linger long - with little excess smoke, heat, noise and urban grime - though they rarely threatening or dangerous.

Lombok, The Island of Hidden Paradise

Lombok that is located in the province of West Nusa Tenggara is a very beautiful island to visit. Exotic tropical island with a beach stretching offering offers its own beauty, pleasant climate and natural beauty of this virgin island can not be separated from the water charm call it a variety of activities related to water sports such as swimming, diving, sailing, basking in the sun, surfing, fishing and many others.Lombok is between 115 ^ 45 and 119 ^ 10 in the east and south of the equator, between 8 and 9 ^ 52 ^ 52 degrees latitude south, so this beautiful island vantage point, which is located in the golden triangle in a circle among the most beautiful in Indonesia of East Nusa Tenggara with Komodonya, Dewatanya island of Bali, Toraja in Sulawesi with a unique tribe.

Land
Covering an area of ​​20, 153 square kilometers. And most of it is mountainous and hilly with high and low plains stretching from the western to the eastern end of the island of Sumbawa. Its length from west to east around 80 KM. Sumbawa is 300 km from west to east and 100 km from north to south and 2500 km long coastline and territorial waters of 29,000 square kilometers, including 137 islands, which are each 70 region has been inhabited. Sumbawa with 75% of land area has only 25% of total population, though Lombok only have 75% of the population

Climate
The climate in Lombok are generally similar to other parts of Indonesia. The temperature ranges from 21 ^ to 33 ^ degrees. There are two seasons namely the wet and dry seasons, the rainy season from October to March and the dry season from April to September, in January fairly heavy rain and strong winds blow till February.

Environment
Marine ecology plays an important role in the growth of shellfish and seaweed and other marine plants which mostly live coral found in the Nusa Tenggara region. They are very big potential in the development of tourism, fisheries, and pharmaceutical products in the future. With the monsoon season, the plants in Nusa Tenggara determined by the help of rainfall every year.

Flora & Fauna
According to the Wallace Line that Flora and Fauna in different Asia Australia which runs from north to south between the islands of Lombok and Bali. These forests are found in mountainous areas. The largest part of Lombok are coastal areas, irrigated fields, and other waters. While the largest land area in the island of Sumbawa. In particular species of plant growth has a great influence impact on the lives of the locals like kesambi, Lagerstroemia, rosewood, mahogany, teak, ipil, bamboo, leopards and others. Can also be found scattered some wildlife species in the region according to climate and natural conditions such as wild boar, small deer, foxes, lizards, hedgehogs, turtles, and several species of snakes and birds such as dishes, parrots, bering, coax-Kaek, cucak swamps and others.

Religion
Native of the island of Lombok was initially embraced animism and is believed to come from the north and west of Burma or India. Nowadays, people are mostly Moslem approximately 90% of the population but there are also other religions such as Hindu Balinese (mostly located in the western part), Christians and Buddhists. Interestingly, the diverse forms of religious life with places of worship and religious rituals were always side by side.

People & Culture
Tribal / ethnic customs and traditions have hereditary still visible to this day. Customary marriage ceremony highlighted the many traditions besides catching sea worms (Bau Nyale) on the south coast of Lombok which Seger Beach, Kuta, Selong Belanak, Mawun and Kaliantan.

Government
As a province, autonomous region is headed by a governor who is elected in a period of 5 years by the regional parliament and approved by the President of the Republic of Indonesia. A governor plays an important role in the implementation of administrative, coordinating, planners, developers and promote all aspects of social life.There are seven districts and two municipalities by region and the administration as follows:1. West Lombok regency, the capital Gerung2. Central Lombok District, the capital city of Praya3. East Lombok District, the capital Selong4. West Sumbawa capital Taliwang5. Sumbawa regency, the capital of Sumbawa6. Dompu, capital Dompu7. Bima Kabupten Capital Rababima