Maluku Islands

The Maluku Islands or the Moluccas (/məˈlʌkəz/ mə-LUK-əz; <a href="/facts/Dutch_language/yIB5lbsx">Dutch</a>: Molukken [ˌmoːˈlʏkə(n)]) are an <a href="/facts/Archipelago/50BeC9tl">archipelago</a> in the eastern part of <a href="/facts/Indonesia/vQnWU3IW">Indonesia</a>. <a href="/facts/Tectonics/jPcFacFP">Tectonically</a> they are located on the <a href="/facts/Halmahera_Plate/QLdHrJGe">Halmahera Plate</a> within the <a href="/facts/Molucca_Sea_Collision_Zone/I7SB2Q7U">Molucca Sea Collision Zone</a>. Geographically they are located in West Melanesia, the Moluccas have been considered a geographical and cultural intersection of <a href="/facts/Asia/4IToYrrQ">Asia</a> and <a href="/facts/Oceania/vzTEvsfV">Oceania</a>.
The islands were known as the Spice Islands because of the <a href="/facts/Nutmeg/ufqkrJKU">nutmeg</a>, <a href="/facts/Nutmeg/ufqkrJKU">mace</a>, and <a href="/facts/Clove/gBcJmjYt">cloves</a> that were exclusively found there, the presence of which sparked European colonial interests in the 16th century.
The Maluku Islands formed a single <a href="/facts/Provinces_of_Indonesia/lb96z9A8">province</a> from Indonesian independence until 1999, when they were split into two provinces. A new province, <a href="/facts/North_Maluku/eXm6auqL">North Maluku</a>, incorporates the area between <a href="/facts/Morotai/T5YchY3w">Morotai</a> and <a href="/facts/Sula_Islands_Regency/NR18k7b3">Sula</a>, with the arc of islands from <a href="/facts/Buru/r5q4rAjd">Buru</a> and <a href="/facts/Seram_Island/PJU9qYUx">Seram</a> to <a href="/facts/Wetar/WIc6CM6r">Wetar</a> remaining within the existing <a href="/facts/Maluku_Province/4mNnfnmX">Maluku Province</a>. North Maluku is predominantly Muslim, and its capital is <a href="/facts/Sofifi/2TebdgHB">Sofifi</a> on <a href="/facts/Halmahera/KFSgC1B0">Halmahera</a> island. Maluku province has a larger Christian population, and its capital is <a href="/facts/Ambon_City/mY49kr86">Ambon</a>. Though originally <a href="/facts/Melanesians/qkzvot5a">Melanesian</a>, many island populations, especially in the <a href="/facts/Banda_Islands/Mfp64wVj">Banda Islands</a>, were massacred in the 17th century during the <a href="/facts/Dutch%25E2%2580%2593Portuguese_War/x9VuJ4Gf">Dutch–Portuguese War</a>, also known as the Spice War. A second influx of immigrants primarily from Java began in the early 20th century under the <a href="/facts/Dutch_East_Indies/1vl6kw8p">Dutch</a> 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 <a href="/facts/Maluku_sectarian_conflict/F8Pmr38r">Maluku Riots</a>.

Maluku Islands open-in-new

Maluku Islands