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GEOGRAPHY OF FLORES
ISLAND
Flores
island is one of the island on East Nusa Tenggara
province. It stretches between the east longitudes of 118°
and 125°, and between the latitudes of 8° and 11°
south. The east Nusa Tenggara cover the area 49,880
sq km and it has a population of 3,500,000.
Flores
becomes one of the biggest island on the territory of East
Nusa Tenggara or NTT which comprises 566 islands,
including many smaller islands which are not in-habitated
and unnamed. The three main islands are Flores, Sumba and
Timor from which comes the term 'Flobamor', which has been
familiar as one of the names of NTT.
Flores is
the volcanic island and has unique and spectacular
attractions. Mount Kelimutu has become a favourite
destination, with its three crater lakes of different
colours. Sumba is the island famous for its arts,
handicrafts, particularly the textile weaving, and
cultural assets. Timor, being the principal island
with Kupang as its capital, serves as the centre of
government and economic activities.
The
other permanently inhabitated islands are Lembata,
Adonara, Solor, Palue, Nules, Komodo, Rinca, Sumba, Sabu,
Raijua, Rote, Semau, Alor and Pantar.
Roughly 57 percent of the territory is hilly with
mountains rising to 2427m (Gunung Mutis) in Timor and
1792m (G. Kelimutu) in Flores. The mountains of East Nusa
Tenggara are not as high as in West Nusa Tenggara where
the highest mountain of all of Nusa Tenggara is G. Rinjani
in Lombok (3726m).
Geologically,
East Nusa Tenggara can be regarded as being divided into
two zones:
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a
volcanic inner curve formed by the islands of Rinca,
Komodo, Flores, Alor, Pantar, Adonara, Lembata and
Solor, which have fertile soils; and
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an
outer curve of limestone and other rock formations,
made up up of Sumba, Sabu, Rote, Semau and Timor.
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