|
 |
| |
|
a home of the unique culture, nature beauties and
more.. It lies between
Sumbawa and Timor islands is an abbreviation of
Cabo da Flores which was used by Portuguese sailor
in the 17th century to identify the cape on the
eastern end of the islands because of its
underwater gardens.
There are many languages spoken on
the island of Flores, all of them
belonging to the Austronesian
family. In the centre of the
island in the districts of Ngada
and Ende there is what is
variously called the Central
Flores Dialect Chain or the
Central Flores Linkage.
Within this area there are slight
linguistic differences in almost
every village. At least six
separate languages are
identifiable.
These are from west to east:
Ngadha, Nage, Keo, Ende, Lio and
Palu'e, which is spoken on the
island with the same name of the
north coast of Flores. Locals
would probably also add So'a and
Bajawa to this list, which
anthropologists have labeled
dialects of Ngadha.
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
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).
|
Mt.
Kelimutu, 1.690m fifty years ago, had three lakes,
one lake was blue green, one fiery green and one
red. Thirty years later, the colors had changed to
blue, red brown and cafe au lait. Now, Ata Bupu
(Lake) is a dramatic
dark-brown. Ata Polo are dark
red-brown, and only Nuwa Muri remains aquamarine
or turquoise as it apparently always was. |
 |
Geologically, East Nusa Tenggara
can be regarded as being divided
into two zones:
-
a volcanic inner curve formed by
the islands of Rinca, Komodo,
Flores, Alor, Pantar, Adonara,
Lembata and Solor, which have
fertile soils; and
-
an outer curve of limestone and
other rock formations, made up
up of Sumba, Sabu, Rote, Semau
and Timor.
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
