View source for Maluku Islands

{{Short description|Region and archipelago in eastern Indonesia}}
{{Redirect|Spice Islands}}
{{For|the Indonesian provinces administering the archipelago|North Maluku|Maluku (province)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}{{Infobox islands
| name               = Maluku Islands
| image_name         = Maluku Islands en.png
| image_caption      = Map of the Maluku Islands
| image_map          = Maluku Locator Topography.png
| native_name        = 
| native_name_link   = 
| location           = [[Oceania]], [[Melanesia]] or [[Southeast Asia]]
| coordinates        = {{Coord|03|S|129|E|region:ID_type:isle|display=inline,title}}
| archipelago        = 
| total_islands      = ~1000
| major_islands      = [[Halmahera]], [[Seram Island|Seram]], [[Buru]], [[Ambon Island|Ambon]], [[Ternate]], [[Tidore]], [[Aru Islands Regency|Aru Islands]], [[Kai Islands]], [[Lucipara Islands]]
| area_km2           = 78897<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Moluccas {{!}} islands, Indonesia | url= https://www.britannica.com/place/Moluccas | access-date= 2022-10-04 | encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] | language= en}}</ref>
| highest_mount      = [[Mount Binaiya|Binaiya]]
| elevation_m        = 3027
| country            = [[Indonesia]]
| country_admin_divisions_title = Provinces
| country_admin_divisions = {{ubl|[[Maluku (province)|Maluku]]|[[North Maluku]]}}
| country_largest_city = [[Ambon, Maluku|Ambon]] (357,289; mid 2024)
| country_largest_city_area = 
| population         = 3,131,860<ref name="BPS SP2020">{{cite web |url=https://www.bps.go.id/indicator/12/2131/1/jumlah-penduduk-hasil-sp2020-menurut-wilayah-dan-jenis-kelamin.html |title=Jumlah Penduduk Hasil SP2020 menurut Wilayah dan Jenis Kelamin (Orang), 2020 |publisher=Badan Pusat Statistik |access-date=2022-01-28 |language=id |archive-date=28 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128022505/https://www.bps.go.id/indicator/12/2131/1/jumlah-penduduk-hasil-sp2020-menurut-wilayah-dan-jenis-kelamin.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_as_of   = 2020
| density_km2        = 
| ethnic_groups      = [[Ambonese people|Ambonese]], [[Alfur people|Alfur]], [[Nuaulu]], [[Bugis]], and [[Ethnic groups in Indonesia|others]]
}}
The '''Maluku Islands''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|l|ʊ|k|uː|,_|-|ˈ|l|uː|-}} {{Respell|mə|LUU|koo|,_|-|LOO|-}}; {{langx|id|Kepulauan Maluku}}, {{IPA|id|kəpuˈlawan maˈluku|IPA}}) or the '''Moluccas''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|l|ʌ|k|ə|z}} {{respell|mə|LUK|əz}}; {{langx|nl|Molukken}} {{IPA|nl|ˌmoːˈlʏkə(n)|}}) are an [[archipelago]] in the eastern part of [[Indonesia]]. [[Tectonics|Tectonically]] they are located on the [[Halmahera Plate]] within the [[Molucca Sea Collision Zone]]. Geographically located in West Melanesia, the Moluccas have been considered a geographical and cultural intersection of [[Asia]] and [[Oceania]].

The islands were known as the '''Spice Islands''' because of the [[nutmeg]], [[Nutmeg#Mace|mace]], and [[clove]]s that were exclusively found there, the presence of which sparked European colonial interests in the 16th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/maluku-moluccas |title=Welcome to Maluku |publisher=Lonely Planet |access-date=11 April 2017 |archive-date=1 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801201734/https://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/maluku-moluccas |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Maluku Islands formed a single [[Provinces of Indonesia|province]] from Indonesian independence until 1999, when they were split into two provinces. A new province, [[North Maluku]], incorporates the area between [[Morotai]] and [[Sula Islands Regency|Sula]], with the arc of islands from [[Buru]] and [[Seram Island|Seram]] to [[Wetar]] remaining within the existing [[Maluku Province]]. North Maluku is predominantly Muslim, and its capital is [[Sofifi]] on [[Halmahera]] island. Maluku province has a larger Christian population, and its capital is [[Ambon City|Ambon]]. Though originally [[Melanesians|Melanesian]],<ref>[http://www.irja.org/anthro/malmel.htm IRJA.org] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414051629/http://www.irja.org/anthro/malmel.htm |date=14 April 2009 }}</ref> many island populations, especially in the [[Banda Islands]], were massacred in the 17th century during the [[Dutch–Portuguese War]], also known as the Spice War. A second influx of immigrants primarily from Java began in the early 20th century under the [[Dutch East Indies|Dutch]] and continues in the Indonesian era, which has also caused a lot of controversy as the transmigrant programs are thought to be a contributing factor to the [[Maluku sectarian conflict|Maluku Riots]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=IV. THE CONFLICT|journal=Indonesia:The Violence in Ambon|date=March 1999|series=Human Rights Watch|url=https://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1999/ambon/amron-03.htm#P162_35087|access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref>

==Etymology==
The etymology of the word ''Maluku'' is unclear and has been a matter of debate for many experts.<ref>Leonard Andaya 1993 ''The world of Maluku''. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, pg. 47.</ref>

The first recorded word that can be identified with ''Maluku'' comes from [[Nagarakertagama]], an [[Old Javanese]] eulogy of 1365. Canto 14 stanza 5 mentioned ''Maloko'', which Pigeaud identified with [[Ternate]] or Moluccas.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pigeaud |first=Theodoor Gautier Thomas |title=Java in the 14th Century: A Study in Cultural History, Volume III: Translations |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff |year=1960c |isbn=978-94-011-8772-5 |edition=3rd revised |location=The Hague}}</ref>{{rp|17}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Pigeaud |first=Theodoor Gautier Thomas |title=Java in the 14th Century: A Study in Cultural History, Volume IV: Commentaries and Recapitulations |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff |year=1962 |isbn=978-94-017-7133-7 |edition=3rd revised |location=The Hague}}</ref>{{rp|34}}

A theory holds that ''Maluku'' comes from the phrase ''Moloko Kie Raha'' or ''Moloku Kie Raha''. In [[Ternate language|the Ternate language]], ''raha'' means "four", while ''kie'' here means "mountain". ''Kie raha'' or "four mountains" refers to [[Ternate]], [[Tidore]], [[Bacan Islands|Bacan]], and [[Jailolo]] (the name ''Jailolo'' has been used in the past to refer to [[Halmahera]] island), all of which have their ''kolano'' (a local title for kings rooted in [[Panji tales]]).<ref>Leonard Andaya (1993), ''The world of Maluku''. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, p. 59.</ref>

It is unclear what the meaning of ''Moloko'' or ''Moloku'' is. One possible meaning is in [[Ternate language]], it meant "to hold or grasp", in which case ''Moloko Kie Raha'' could be understood to mean "'''''Confederation of the Four Mountains'''''". Another possibility is that the word originates from the word ''maloko'', which is a combination of the [[grammatical particle|particle]] ''ma-'' and the [[root (linguistics)|root]] ''loko'' in [[North Halmahera languages]] means the variety of words relating to the location of mountains, in which case "Maloko Kie Raha" in the phrase "Ternate se Tidore, Moti se Mara ''Maloko Kie Raha''" means "Ternate, Tidore, Moti, and Mara '''''the place of the four mountains'''''" or with the shifting of pronunciation of ''loko'' towards ''luku'', means "Ternate, Tidore, Moti, and Mara '''''the world of the four mountains'''''".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Amal |first1=Muhammad A. |title=Kepulauan Rempah-rempah |date=2016 |publisher=Gramedia |location=Jakarta |isbn=978-6024241667}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Willem Blaeu00.jpg|thumb|Map by [[Willem Blaeu]] (1630)]]

===Early history===

Australo-Melanesians were the first people to inhabit the islands at least 40,000 years ago. A later migration of Austronesian speakers arrived around 2000 BC.

Archaeological finds in Ternate include a [[Parvati]] statue with lotus flowers on the bottom, which indicate the statue is from the [[Majapahit]] era and indicate the early period of [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhism]].<ref name="Alaidrus Anggoro 2021">{{cite web |last1=Alaidrus |first1=Shariva |last2=Anggoro |first2=Febrianto Budi |title=Pameran Cagar Budaya di Ambon pamerkan arca Majapahit ditemukan di Ternate |website=Antara News |location=Ambon, Maluku |date=2021-06-14 |url=https://ambon.antaranews.com/berita/99094/pameran-cagar-budaya-di-ambon-pamerkan-arca-majapahit-ditemukan-di-ternate |language=id |access-date=2022-01-18 |archive-date=18 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118183255/https://ambon.antaranews.com/berita/99094/pameran-cagar-budaya-di-ambon-pamerkan-arca-majapahit-ditemukan-di-ternate |url-status=live }}</ref> Other archaeological finds showed possible{{Clarify|date=February 2025}} Arab merchants began to arrive in the fourteenth century, bringing [[Islam]]. The [[religious conversion|conversion]] to Islam occurred in many islands,{{citation needed|date=November 2018}} especially in the centres of trade, while aboriginal [[animism]] persisted in the hinterlands and more isolated islands. [[Archaeological]] evidence here relies largely on the occurrence of pigs' teeth, as evidence of pork eating or abstinence therefrom.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://ejournal.anu.edu.au/index.php/bippa/article/viewFile/237/227 |last=Lape |first=P. V. |year=2000 |title=Contact and Colonialism in the Banda Islands, Maluku, Indonesia |journal=Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association Bulletin |number=20 |series=Maluku Papers |volume=4 |access-date=2010-02-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923093746/https://ejournal.anu.edu.au/index.php/bippa/article/viewFile/237/227 |archive-date=23 September 2009 |pages=2–3}}</ref>

Remnants of [[Majapahit]] expeditions were also found in oral as well as archaeological sites. A story from Letvuan on the island of [[Kai Kecil]] tells of a Balinese envoy of Gajah Mada by the name of Kasdev, his wife Dit Ratngil, and eight of their children. Archaeological sites of ancient tombs found in Sorbay Bay, south of Letvuan, seem to support the story, as well as some cultural practices of Kei of Balinese origin.<ref name="Riyani 2017">{{cite web |last=Riyani |first=Utami Evi |title=TERUNGKAP! Sejarah Hubungan Bali dan Kepulauan Kei yang Tak Banyak Diketahui Orang : Okezone Travel |website=travel.okezone.com/ |date=2017-07-21 |url=https://travel.okezone.com/read/2017/07/21/406/1741197/terungkap-sejarah-hubungan-bali-dan-kepulauan-kei-yang-tak-banyak-diketahui-orang |language=id |access-date=2022-01-18 |archive-date=18 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118080555/https://travel.okezone.com/read/2017/07/21/406/1741197/terungkap-sejarah-hubungan-bali-dan-kepulauan-kei-yang-tak-banyak-diketahui-orang |url-status=live }}</ref> Other archaeological finds in the [[Kai Islands|Kei Islands]] include a [[Shiva]] statue from the island of [[Kai Besar|Kei Besar]].

An oral story reports of a 14th-century Majapahit expedition to Negeri Ema, [[Ambon Island]], by an envoy named Nyi Mas Kenang Eko Sutarmi alongside 22 people among her retinue and a spear-bearer trying to form an alliance and trading relationship with Negeri Ema's leader by the name of ''Kapitan'' Ading Adang Anaan Tanahatuila. The meeting was facilitated by ''Malessy'' Soa Lisa Maitimu; however, it failed to reach an agreement. As Sutarmi failed, she decided to stay in exile while her retinues settled and married locals of Ema, and her spear bearer settled on the coast but was killed later by Gunung Maut troops. Archaeological finds relating to this expedition include a water source with [[Surya Majapahit|Sun]] symbols with nine rays, and heirlooms of spears and [[Kulintang|Totobuang]] kept by the Maitimu family and village office of Negeri Ema, alongside many potteries.<ref name="Purbawidya 2018 pp. 53–70">{{cite journal |last=Al Mujabuddawat |first=Muhammad |title=Jejak Kedatangan Utusan Majapahit di Pulau Ambon |journal=PURBAWIDYA: Jurnal Penelitian Dan Pengembangan Arkeologi |volume=7 |issue=1 |date=2018-08-01 |issn=2528-3618 |doi=10.24164/pw.v7i1.254 |pages=53–70 |doi-broken-date=1 July 2025 |s2cid=135373280 |url=https://purbawidya.kemdikbud.go.id/index.php/jurnal/article/view/P7%281%292018-4 |access-date=2022-07-25 |archive-date=29 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729132000/http://purbawidya.kemdikbud.go.id/index.php/jurnal/article/view/P7%281%292018-4 |url-status=live |doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Portuguese===
[[File:Ternate.JPG|thumb|right|Drawing of [[Ternate]] by a presumably Dutch artist. Inset shows Saint John Baptist Portuguese-built fort on the island]]
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Orembai in de baai van Elpapoetih Zuid-Ceram TMnr 10010563.jpg|thumb|An [[orembai]], a common traditional sailing vessel of the Maluku Islands]]

In August 1511 the [[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] [[Capture of Malacca (1511)|conquered the city-state of Malacca]]. The most significant lasting effects of the Portuguese presence were the disruption and reorganization of the Southeast Asian trade, and in eastern Indonesia—including Maluku—the introduction of Christianity.<ref name="RICKLEFSp26">{{cite book |last=Ricklefs |first=M. C. |title=A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300 |edition=2nd |publisher=MacMillan |year=1991 |location=London |page=26 |isbn=0-333-57689-6}}</ref>

One Portuguese diary noted, "It is over thirty years since they became [[Moors]]".<ref>{{cite book |last=Lach |first=D. F. |year=1994 |title=Asia in the Making of Europe: The Century of Discovery |volume=1 |publisher=Chicago University Press}}</ref>

[[Afonso de Albuquerque]] learned of the route to the [[Banda Islands]] and other 'Spice Islands', and sent an exploratory expedition of three vessels under the command of [[António de Abreu]], Simão Afonso Bisigudo, and [[Francisco Serrão]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=Missing Links in the Development of the Ancient Portuguese Cartography of the Netherlands East Indian Archipelago |first1=E. C. |last1=Abendanon |first2=E. |last2=Heawood |author-link2=Edward Heawood |journal=The Geographical Journal |volume=54 |issue=6 |pages=347–355 |doi=10.2307/1779411 |date=December 1919 |jstor=1779411 |publisher=Blackwell Publishing |bibcode=1919GeogJ..54..347A |url=https://zenodo.org/record/1449308 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728185005/https://zenodo.org/record/1449308 |url-status=live }}</ref> On the return trip, Serrão was shipwrecked at [[Hitu]] island (northern [[Ambon Island|Ambon]]) in 1512. There he established ties with the local ruler who was impressed with his martial skills. The rulers of the competing island states of [[Sultanate of Ternate|Ternate]] and [[Sultanate of Tidore|Tidore]] also sought Portuguese assistance and the newcomers were welcomed in the area as buyers of supplies and spices during a lull in the regional trade due to the temporary disruption of [[Javanese people|Javanese]] and [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malay]] sailings to the area following the 1511 conflict in Malacca. The spice trade soon revived but the Portuguese would not be able to fully monopolize or disrupt this trade.<ref name="RICKLEFSp24">{{cite book |last=Ricklefs |first=M. C. |title=A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300 |edition=2nd |publisher=MacMillan |year=1991 |location=London |page=24 |isbn=0-333-57689-6}}</ref>

Allying himself with Ternate's ruler, Serrão constructed a fortress on that tiny island and served as the head of a [[mercenary]] band of Portuguese seamen under the service of one of the two local feuding sultans who controlled most of the [[spices|spice]] trade. Both Serrão and [[Ferdinand Magellan]], however, perished before they could meet one another.<ref name="RICKLEFSp24"/> The Portuguese first landed in Ambon in 1513, but it only became the new centre for their activities in Maluku following the expulsion from Ternate. European power in the region was weak and Ternate became an expanding, fiercely Islamic, and anti-European state; the [[Portuguese-Ternate wars]] raged throughout the reigns of Sultan [[Babullah of Ternate|Baab Ullah]] (r. 1570–1583) and his son Sultan [[Saidi Berkat]] (r. 1583–1606).<ref name="RICKLEFSp25">{{cite book |last=Ricklefs |first=M. C. |title=A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300 |edition=2nd |publisher=MacMillan |year=1991 |location=London |page=25 |isbn=0-333-57689-6}}</ref>

Following Portuguese missionary work, there have been large Christian communities in eastern Indonesia through to contemporary times, which has contributed to a sense of shared interest with Europeans, particularly among the Ambonese.<ref name="RICKLEFSp25"/>
[[File:Fort te Saparoea.jpg|thumb|[[Fort Duurstede]] in [[Saparua]], 1846]]

===Dutch===
{{main|Dutch East India Company|Dutch East Indies|Dutch–Portuguese War}}
The Dutch arrived in 1599 and competed with the Portuguese in the area for trade.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maluku {{!}} province, Indonesia {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Maluku |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[Dutch East India Company]] in the course of [[Dutch–Portuguese War]] allied with the [[Sultanate of Ternate|Sultan of Ternate]] and conquered [[Ambon Island|Ambon]] and [[Tidore Island|Tidore]] in 1605, expelling the Portuguese. A Spanish counterattack from the [[Philippines]] restored Iberian rule in parts of [[North Maluku]] up to 1663. However, the Dutch monopolized the production and trade of spices through a ruthless policy. This included the [[Dutch conquest of the Banda Islands|genocidal conquest of the nutmeg-producing Banda Islands]] in 1621, the [[Amboyna massacre|elimination of the English in Ambon]] in 1623, and the subordination of Ternate and Tidore in the 1650s. An anticolonial resistance movement led by a Tidore prince, the [[Nuku Rebellion]], engulfed large parts of Maluku and [[Western New Guinea|Papua]] in 1780–1810 and co-opted the British. During the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] and again in the [[Napoleonic Wars]], British forces [[Invasion of the Spice Islands|captured the islands]] in 1796–1801 and 1810, respectively, and held them until 1817. In that time they uprooted many of the spice trees for [[Transplanting|transplantation]] throughout the [[British Empire]].<ref name="Milne">{{cite news |title=Banda, the nutmeg treasure islands |first=Peter |last=Milne |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/01/16/banda-nutmeg-treasure-islands.html |newspaper=Jakarta Post |location=Jakarta |date=16 Jan 2011 |pages=10–11 |access-date=22 Dec 2011 |quote=But the economic importance of the Bandas was only fleeting. With the Napoleonic wars raging across Europe, the British returned to the Bandas in the early 19th century, temporarily taking over control from the Dutch. The English uprooted hundreds of valuable nutmeg seedlings and transport them to their own colonies in Ceylon and Singapore, breaking the Dutch monopoly and consigning the Bandas to economic decline. |archive-date=22 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022221657/https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/01/16/banda-nutmeg-treasure-islands.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Drie jonge Molukers van de Tanimbar-eilanden met hoofdtooien speren en klewangs TMnr 10005682.jpg|thumb|[[Tanimbar Islands|Tanimbar]] warriors]]

===After Indonesian independence===
With the declaration of a single republic of [[Indonesia]] in 1950 to replace the federal state, a [[Republic of South Maluku]] (Republik Maluku Selatan, RMS) was declared and attempted to secede,{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}} led by [[Chris Soumokil]] (former Supreme Prosecutor of the Eastern Indonesia state) and supported by the Moluccan members of the Netherlands [[KNIL]] special troops. This movement was defeated by the Indonesian army and by special agreement with the Netherlands the Moluccan troops were ordered to move to the Netherlands.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}} Decades later, descendants of these Moluccan KNIL soldiers participated in the [[1975 Dutch train hostage crisis]], the [[1977 Dutch train hijacking]], and the [[1977 Dutch school hostage crisis]] to bring attention to their plight for an independent Republic of South Maluku.

Maluku is one of the first provinces of Indonesia, proclaimed in 1945 and lasting until 1999 when the Maluku Utara and Halmahera Tengah Regencies were split off as a separate province of [[North Maluku]]. Its capital used to be [[Ternate]], on a small island to the west of the large island of [[Halmahera]], but has been moved to [[Sofifi]] on Halmahera itself. The capital of the remaining part of Maluku province remains at [[Ambon, Maluku|Ambon]].{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}

===1999–2003 inter-communal conflict===
{{main|Maluku sectarian conflict}}
Religious and ethnic conflict erupted across the islands in January 1999. The subsequent 18 months were characterized by fighting between local groups of Muslims and Christians against jihadist groups from Java and the Indonesian military backing them leading to the destruction of thousands of houses, the displacement of approximately 500,000 people, the loss of thousands of lives, and the segregation of Muslims and Christians.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/806862.stm |title=Troubled history of the Moluccas |work=BBC News |access-date=2007-05-17 |date=26 June 2000 |archive-date=25 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225075042/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/806862.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Geography==
The Maluku Islands have a total area of {{cvt|850,000|km2|sqmi}}, 90% of which is sea.<ref name="MONK_9">{{cite book |last1=Monk |first1=K. A. |last2=de Fretes |first2=Y. |last3=Reksodiharjo-Lilley |first3=G. |title=The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku |publisher=Periplus Editions Ltd. |year=1996 |page=9 |location=Hong Kong |isbn=962-593-076-0}}</ref> There are an estimated 1027 islands.<ref name=LP818-819>{{Cite book |last=Witton |first=Patrick |title=Indonesia |publisher=Lonely Planet |year=2003 |location=Melbourne |page=818 |isbn=1-74059-154-2}}</ref> The largest two islands, [[Halmahera]] and [[Seram]], are sparsely populated, while the most developed, [[Ambon Island|Ambon]] and [[Ternate]], are small.<ref name=LP818-819/>

The majority of the islands are forested and mountainous. The [[Tanimbar Islands]] are dry and hilly, while the [[Aru Islands Regency|Aru Islands]] are flat and swampy. [[Mount Binaiya]] ({{cvt|3027|m|ft|disp=semicolon}}) on Seram is the highest mountain. Several islands, such as Ternate ({{cvt|1721|m|ft|disp=semicolon}}) and the TNS islands, are volcanoes emerging from the sea with villages sited around their coasts. There have been over 70 serious volcanic eruptions in the last 500 years and earthquakes are common.<ref name=LP818-819/>

<gallery widths="200" heights="160" class="center">
File:Ternate Island.jpg|[[Ternate]] Island, as seen from Halmahera
</gallery>

===Geology===
The geology of the Maluku Islands shares much similar history, characteristics, and processes with the neighbouring Nusa Tenggara region. There is a long history of geological study of these regions since [[Dutch East Indies|Indonesian colonial times]]; however, the geological formation and progression are not fully understood, and theories of the island's geological evolution have changed extensively in recent decades.<ref name="Monk 1996, page 9">Monk (1996), page 9</ref> The Maluku Islands comprise some of the most geologically complex and active regions in the world,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Monk |first1=K. A. |last2=Fretes |first2=Y. |last3=Reksodiharjo-Lilley |first3=G. |title=The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku |publisher=Periplus Editions Ltd. |year=1996 |page=9 |location=Hong Kong |isbn=962-593-076-0}}</ref> resulting from their position at the meeting point of four geological plates and two continental blocks.

===Ecology===
[[File:Malay Archipelago King and Twelve-wired Birds of Paradise.jpg|thumb|upright|From ''[[The Malay Archipelago]]'' by [[Alfred Wallace]] (1869): illustration of [[king bird-of-paradise|king]] and [[Twelve-wired bird-of-paradise|twelve-wired]] birds-of-paradise by [[John Gerrard Keulemans]].]]

[[Biogeography|Biogeographically]], all of the islands apart from the Aru group lie in [[Wallacea]], the region between the [[Sunda Shelf]] (part of the Asia block), and the [[Arafura Sea|Arafura Shelf]] (part of the Australian block). More specifically, they lie between [[Max Carl Wilhelm Weber|Weber's Line]] and [[Lydekker's Line]] and thus have a fauna that is rather more Australasian than Asian. Malukan biodiversity and its distribution are affected by various tectonic activities; most of the islands are geologically young, being from 1 million to 15 million years old, and have never been attached to the larger landmasses. The Maluku islands differ from other areas in Indonesia; they contain some of the country's smallest islands, coral island reefs scattered through some of the deepest seas in the world, and no large islands such as [[Java]] or [[Sumatra]]. Flora and fauna immigration between islands is thus restricted, leading to a high rate of endemic biota evolving.<ref name="Monk 1996, page 9"/>

The ecology of the Maluku Islands has fascinated naturalists for centuries; [[Alfred Wallace]]'s book, ''[[The Malay Archipelago]]'', was the first significant study of the area's natural history and remains an important resource for studying Indonesian biodiversity. Maluku is the subject of two major historical works of natural history by [[Georg Eberhard Rumphius]]: the ''Herbarium Amboinense'' and the ''Amboinsche Rariteitkamer''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Monk |first1=K. A. |last2=Fretes |first2=Y. |last3=Reksodiharjo-Lilley |first3=G. |title=The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku |publisher=Periplus Editions Ltd. |year=1996 |page=4 |location=Hong Kong |isbn=962-593-076-0}}</ref>

Rainforest covered most of northern and central Maluku, which, on the smaller islands has been replaced by plantations, including the region's endemic [[cloves]] and [[nutmeg]]. The [[Tanimbar Islands]] and other southeastern islands are arid and sparsely vegetated, much like nearby [[Timor]].<ref name=LP818-819/> In 1997 the [[Manusela National Park]], and in 2004, the [[Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park]], were established, for the protection of endangered species.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}

Nocturnal [[marsupials]], such as [[cuscus]] and [[bandicoots]], make up the majority of the mammal species and introduced mammals include [[Malayan civet]]s and feral pigs.<ref name=LP818-819/> Bird species include approximately 100 endemics with the greatest variety on the large islands of Halmahera and Seram. North Maluku has two species of endemic birds of paradise.<ref name=LP818-819/> Uniquely among the Maluku Islands, the [[Aru Islands Regency|Aru Islands]] have a purely Papuan fauna including kangaroos, cassowaries, and birds of paradise.<ref name=LP818-819/>

While many ecological problems affect both small islands and large landmasses, small islands suffer their particular problems. Development pressures on small islands are increasing, although their effects are not always anticipated. Although Indonesia is richly endowed with natural resources, the resources of the small islands of Maluku are limited and specialised; furthermore, human resources, in particular, are limited.<ref name="Monk, 1996 1">{{cite book |last1=Monk |first1=K. A. |last2=Fretes |first2=Y. |last3=Reksodiharjo-Lilley |first3=G. |title=The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku |publisher=Periplus Editions Ltd. |year=1996 |page=1 |location=Hong Kong |isbn=962-593-076-0}}</ref>

General observations<ref>Beller, W., P. d'Ayala, and P. Hein. 1990. ''Sustainable development and environmental management of small islands''. Paris and New Jersey: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation and Parthenon Publishing Group Inc. (cited in Monk)</ref><ref>Hess, A. (1990). "Overview: sustainable development and environmental management of small islands". In ''Sustainable development and environmental management of small islands''. eds W. Beller, P. d'Ayala, and P. Hein, Paris and New Jersey: United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation and Parthenon Publishing Group Inc. (cited in Monk)</ref> about small islands that can be applied to the Maluku Islands include:<ref name="Monk, 1996 1"/>

*A higher proportion of the landmass will be affected by [[List of volcanoes in Indonesia|volcanic activity]], earthquakes, landslips, and cyclone damage;
*Climates are more likely to be [[maritime climate|maritime]] influenced;
*[[drainage basin|Catchment area]]s are smaller and the degree of [[erosion]] higher;
*A higher proportion of the landmass is made up of coastal areas;
*A higher degree of environmental specialisation, including a higher proportion of [[Endemism|endemic]] species in an overall [[depauperate]] community;
*Societies may retain a strong sense of culture having developed in relative isolation;
*Small island populations are more likely to be affected by economic migration.

===Climate===
Central and southern Maluku Islands experience the dry monsoon between October and March and the wet monsoon from May to August, which is the reverse of the rest of Indonesia. The dry monsoon's average maximum temperature is {{cvt|30|C|F}} while the wet's average maximum is {{cvt|23|C|F}}. Northern Maluku has its wet monsoon from December to March in line with the rest of Indonesia. Each island group has its climatic variations, and the larger islands tend to have drier coastal lowlands and their mountainous hinterlands are wetter.<ref name=LP818-819/>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Moluccans}}
[[File:US Navy 100720-N-4044H-209 Capt. Lisa M. Franchetti, commander of Pacific Partnership 2010, embarked aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).jpg|thumb|People of [[Tidore]] during visit by hospital ship [[USNS Mercy (T-AH-19)|USNS ''Mercy'' (T-AH-19)]]]]

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
|thumb = right
|radius = 75
|caption = Religion in Maluku Islands (December 2023)<ref name="RELIGION">{{cite web|url=https://satudata.kemenag.go.id/dataset/detail/jumlah-penduduk-menurut-agama|title=Jumlah Penduduk Menurut Agama|publisher=[[Ministry of Religious Affairs (Indonesia)|Ministry of Religious Affairs]]|date=31 August 2022|access-date=29 October 2023|language=id|quote=Muslim 241 Million (87), Christianity 29.1 Million (10.5), Hindu 4.69 million (1.7), Buddhist 2.02 million (0.7), Folk, Confucianism, and others 192.311 (0.1), Total 277.749.673 Million}}</ref>
|label1 = [[Islam]]
|value1 = 61.87
|color1 = DarkGreen
|label2 = [[Protestantism]]
|value2 = 33.40
|color2 = DarkBlue
|label3 = [[Roman Catholic]]
|value3 = 4.23
|color3 = Purple
|label5 = [[Hinduism]]
|value5 = 0.23
|color5 = DarkOrange
|label4 = [[Folk religion]]
|value4 = 0.26
|color4 = Black
|label6 = [[Buddhism]]
|value6 = 0.02
|color6 = Yellow
|label7 = [[Confucianism]]
|value7 = 0.005
|color7 = Red
}}

===Population===
The population of Maluku Province in 2020 was 1,848,923 and that of North Maluku Province was 1,282,937.<ref name="BPS SP2020"/> Hence the total population of the Maluku Islands as a region in 2020 was 3,131,860.

===Ethnic groups===
A long history of trade and seafaring has resulted in a high degree of mixed ancestry in Malukans.<ref name=LP818-819/> [[Austronesian peoples]] added to the native [[Melanesians|Melanesian population]] around 2000&nbsp;BCE.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Taylor |first=Jean Gelman |title=Indonesia: Peoples and Histories |url=https://archive.org/details/indonesiapeoples00tayl |url-access=limited |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2003 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/indonesiapeoples00tayl/page/n27 5]–7 |location=New Haven and London |isbn=0-300-10518-5}}</ref> Melanesian features are strongest in the islands of [[Kei Islands|Kei]] and [[Aru Islands Regency|Aru]] and amongst the interior people of the islands [[Seram]] and [[Buru]]. Later added to this Austronesian-Melanesian mix were some Indian and Arab strain. More recent arrivals include [[Bugis]] trader settlers from Sulawesi and [[Javanese people|Javanese]] [[Transmigration program|transmigrants]].<ref name=LP818-819/>

===Languages===
Over 130 languages were once spoken across the islands; however, many have now switched to the [[Creole language|creoles]] of Ternate and [[Ambonese Malay|Ambonese]], the [[lingua franca]] of northern and southern Maluku, respectively.<ref name=LP818-819/>

==Government and politics==

===Administrative divisions===
The Maluku Islands are divided into two [[Provinces of Indonesia|provinces]]: [[Maluku province|Maluku]] and [[North Maluku]].

==Economy==
Cloves and nutmeg are still cultivated, as are cocoa, coffee and fruit. Fishing is a big industry across the islands but particularly around Halmahera and [[Bacan]]. The Aru Islands produce pearls, and Seram exports [[lobster]]s. Logging is a significant industry on the larger islands with Seram producing ironwood and [[teak]] and ebony are produced on Buru.<ref name=LP818-819/>

==See also==
{{Portal|Indonesia|Islands}}
* [[Folklore of the Moluccas]]
* [[Governor of Maluku]]
* [[List of Moluccan people]]
* [[Maluku culture]]
* [[Republic of South Maluku]]
** [[Maluku Sovereignty Front]]

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== General and cited references ===
* Andaya, Leonard Y. (1993). ''The World of Maluku: Eastern Indonesia in the Early Modern Period''. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. {{ISBN|0-8248-1490-8}}.
* Bellwood, Peter (1997). ''Prehistory of the Indo-Malaysian archipelago''. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. {{ISBN|0-8248-1883-0}}.
* Donkin, R. A. (1997). ''Between East and West: The Moluccas and the Traffic in Spices Up to the Arrival of Europeans''. American Philosophical Society. {{ISBN|0-87169-248-1}}.
* Milton, Giles (1999). ''Nathaniel's Nutmeg''. London: Sceptre. {{ISBN|978-0-340-69676-7}}.
* Monk, Kathryn A., Yance De Fretes, Gayatri Reksodiharjo-Lilley (1997). ''The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku''. Singapore: Periplus Press. {{ISBN|962-593-076-0}}.
* Van Oosterzee, Penny (1997). ''Where Worlds Collide: The Wallace Line''. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. {{ISBN|0-8014-8497-9}}.
* Wallace, Alfred Russel (2000) [1869]. ''The Malay Archipelago''. Singapore: Periplus Press. {{ISBN|962-593-645-9}}.

==Further reading==
* Bergreen, Laurence (2003). ''Over the Edge of the World''. Morrow.
* Campo, Antonio; Juan Carlos Rey y Marco Ramerini (2022). ''The Fortresses of the Molucas Islands'' {{In lang|en|es}}. Belagua Ediciones. {{ISBN|978-84-124434-2-4}}.
* Miller, George, ed. (1996). ''To the Spice Islands and Beyond: Travels in Eastern Indonesia''. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|967-65-3099-9}}.
* Muller, Dr. Kal (1990). ''Spice Islands: The Moluccas''. Periplus Editions. {{ISBN|0-945971-07-9}}.
* Salonia, Matteo (November 2022). "[https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/08438714221123468 Encompassing the Earth: Magellan's Voyage from Its Political Context to Its Expansion of Knowledge]". ''[[International Journal of Maritime History]]'' '''34'''(4). {{doi|10.1177/08438714221123468}}.
* Severin, Tim (1997). ''The Spice Island Voyage: In Search of Wallace''. Abacus. {{ISBN|0-349-11040-9}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Moluccas}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Moluccas}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175557/http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/Rainforest/mol_Intro.html Deforestation in the Moluccas] (archived 3 March 2016)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210250/http://www.colonialvoyage.com/spainmoluccas.html The Spanish presence in the Moluccas: Ternate and Tidore] (archived 3 March 2016)
* [https://open.lnu.se/index.php/hn/article/view/389/336 Trajectories of the early-modern kingdoms in eastern Indonesia]
* [http://www.redlandsfortnightly.org/papers/Moersch01.htm "Spices of  Life, Death and History"]—An interesting article linking British possession of Run, a Banda Island, with the history of New York]
* [https://www.colonialvoyage.com/documentary-about-moluccas-the-spice-odyssey-the-moluccas-islands/ Documentary About Moluccas: The Spice Odyssey – The Moluccas Islands]—An interesting article about the Iberian presence in the Moluccas with a documentary
* [http://www.wdl.org/en/item/460 Map of a Part of China, the Philippine Islands, the Isles of Sunda, the Moluccas, the Papuans] from 1760 {{in lang|en|fr}}

{{Maluku-islands}}
{{Provinces of Indonesia}}
{{Portuguese overseas empire}}
{{Dutch colonies}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Maluku Islands| ]]
[[Category:Molucca Sea]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Southeast Asia]]
[[Category:Maritime Southeast Asia]]
[[Category:Geography of Melanesia]]
[[Category:Dutch East India Company]]
[[Category:Former Portuguese colonies]]
[[Category:Former Spanish colonies]]
[[Category:Portuguese colonialism in Indonesia]]
[[Category:Spanish East Indies]]
[[Category:Wallacea]]