North Maluku
North Maluku is a province situated in the northern region of the Maluku Islands, which used to be governed as a single province before it was divided into two in 1999. The province has a population of 1,035,478, making it one of the less populated provinces in Indonesia. The provincial capital, Sofifi, is located in Halmahera, while Ternate is the largest population center on the islands. North Maluku played a crucial role in the spice trade during the 16th and 17th centuries as it was the sole producer of cloves. Various countries, including the Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and local sultanates such as Ternate and Tidore, fought to gain control of the lucrative trade. However, the demand for cloves from the original spice islands has decreased over the years as the trees have been transported and replanted worldwide, reducing North Maluku's global significance.
The North Maluku islands are primarily formed from volcanic activity, with active volcanoes such as Dukono on Halmahera and Gamalama on Ternate. Tidore is entirely comprised of a large stratovolcano. The World Wildlife Fund has designated the rainforests of Halmahera, Morotai, the Obi Islands, the Bacan islands, and other islands in the region as the "Halmahera rain forests" ecoregion. These rainforests are known for their unique plant and animal species, which are found in the Wallacea transition zone that consists of a mixture of Asian and Australasian species. The dominant tree species in the forest include Anisoptera thurifera, Hopea gregaria, Hopea iriana, Shorea assamica, Shorea montigena, Shorea selanica, and Vatica rassak.
The islands are also home to a variety of endemic mammals, including the Obi mosaic-tailed rat, Masked flying fox (Pteropus personatus), and several arboreal marsupials, such as the Ornate (Phalanger ornatus), Rothschild's (P. rothschildi), Blue-eyed (P. matabiru), and Gebe (P. alexandrae) cuscuses. The region boasts over two hundred bird species, with twenty-six of them being endemic to the area, which is impressive for such a small island group. Four of these birds are the only species within their genera, such as the elusive Invisible Rail (Habroptila wallacii), the White-streaked friarbird (Melitograis gilolensis), and two birds of paradise, the Paradise-crow (Lycocorax pyrrhopterus) and Wallace's standardwing (Semioptera wallacii). Additionally, the North Maluku islands are home to the largest bee in the world, Wallace's giant bee (Megachile pluto).
| The mountainous islands in question have a tropical rainforest climate. Even though much of the coastal and lowland regions have been cleared for clove cultivation since the sixteenth century, the majority of the natural forest remains. Logging activities have taken place more recently on Halmahera and Morotai. North Maluku Province has been divided into seven regencies and two autonomous cities, each with their respective populations at the 2010 Census. An eighth regency, which covers Taliabu Island, was established in 2013 from the westernmost island in the Sula Islands Residency. The four major sultanates located in the northern part of the Maluku Islands, collectively known as Maluku kie raha, hold significant cultural significance, despite no longer having official or political power. |
