The Banda Islands are an archipelago located in the waters of the Banda Sea, Central Maluku Regency. The archipelago consists of 11 islands situated along the Banda Volcanic Arc.
Among the 11 islands, there are seven main inhabited islands, namely Neira Island, Gunung Api Banda Island, Banda Besar Island, Syahrir Island, Run Island, Ai Island, and Hatta Island. Meanwhile, four other islands are uninhabited, including Keraka Island, Batu Kapal Island, Nailakka Island, and Suanggi Island.
The Inner Islands of Banda
In the central part of the archipelago lies Neira Island. The land area of the island is approximately 3 square kilometers. The area serves as the administrative center of Banda District and the hub of local community life.
Neira Island is also the main transportation hub in the Banda Islands. The land features the Port of Banda and Bandanaira Airport as the primary entry points to the island.
Just west of Neira Island stands an uninhabited island named Keraka Island. The island is located at the mouth of the northern bay that separates Neira Island and Gunung Api Banda Island. Coastal mangrove vegetation grows along the shores of Keraka Island.
Moving further west of Neira Island, there is Gunung Api Banda Island, which covers an area of approximately 7.4 square kilometers. As a volcanic island, the peak of Gunung Api Banda rises 658 meters above sea level. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) sets the status of the volcano at Level II (Alert).
The eruption of Gunung Api Banda in May 1988 left solidified lava flows along the northern coast. The site of the former lava flows is now known as the Lava Flow site. In that area, basaltic rocks on the seabed serve as a substrate for coral larvae (planula) to settle and form thriving table coral colonies (Acropora palifera).
Directly south of Neira Island lies Banda Besar Island, also known as Lonthoir Island. Its landmass covers an area of 26.37 square kilometers. The island size makes Banda Besar the largest island in the Banda Islands.
The land area of Banda Besar Island is home to nutmeg plantations (Myristica fragrans) and canary nut trees (Canarium indicum). According to historical records, nutmeg from Banda Besar Island was once a prime target for Dutch and British colonial powers in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Shifting to the northern side of Banda Besar Island stands Syahrir Island. The inhabited island was formerly known as Pisang Island. The naming of Syahrir Island refers to the first Prime Minister of Indonesia, Sutan Syahrir. He underwent political exile by the Dutch East Indies colonial government on Neira Island in 1936. During his period of exile, Syahrir frequently visited the island.
A short distance north of Syahrir Island lies an uninhabited island named Batu Kapal Island. The shape of the landmass consists of rocky cliffs resembling the hull of a large ship. The surrounding waters of the island serve as one of the diving locations in the Banda Islands.
The Outer Ring of the Banda Archipelago
On the westernmost side of the Banda Islands stands Run Island. The land area of Run Island covers 1.5 square kilometers. Its topography is dominated by gentle hills, with the highest point reaching 203 meters above sea level.
Heading northeast from Run Island lies the uninhabited Nailakka Island. The island consists of a small landmass surrounded by white sandbars. At low tide, the sandspit of Nailakka Island appears directly connected to the northern coast of Run Island.
Meanwhile, east of Run Island lies Ai Island. The island covers an area of 4.7 square kilometers. The coast of Ai Island is surrounded by a fringing reef with a flat width ranging between 50 and 100 meters from the shoreline.
Far off to the northwest outer edge of the Banda Islands stands Suanggi Island. The uninhabited island stands isolated in the middle of sea waters. The landmass is surrounded by rock cliffs that serve as nesting sites for seabird colonies.
Toward the easternmost end of the Banda Islands, Hatta Island occupies the outermost position on that side. The island covers a land area of 4.2 square kilometers. Hatta Island was formerly named Rosengain. The coastal waters feature a vertical reef drop-off that descends directly into the open ocean
The naming of Hatta Island refers to the Indonesian proclaimer of independence, Mohammad Hatta. He underwent political exile alongside Sutan Syahrir on Neira Island by the Dutch East Indies colonial government in 1936.
