Nias
Native name: Tanö Niha | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | South East Asia |
Coordinates | 1°6′N 97°32′E / 1.100°N 97.533°E |
Area | 4,372.17 km2 (1,688.10 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 2,815 ft (858 m) |
Highest point | Lölömatua |
Administration | |
Indonesia | |
Province | North Sumatra |
Regencies | Nias, South Nias, North Nias, West Nias |
Largest settlement | Gunungsitoli (pop. 142,890) |
Demographics | |
Population | 895,533 (mid 2023 estimate) |
Pop. density | 204.83/km2 (530.51/sq mi) |
Ethnic groups | Predominantly Nias Others: |
Nias (Indonesian: Pulau Nias, Nias: Tanö Niha) is an island located off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago (Kepulauan Nias) of which the island is the centre, but also includes the Batu Islands to the southeast and the small Hinako Islands to the west. Nias Island covers an area of 5,573.27 km2 (2,151.85 sq mi) (including the Batu Islands to the south and minor offshore islands). It is mostly a lowland area rising to around 800 m (2,600 ft) above sea level. There were 756,338 inhabitants on the island (including the Batu Islands and minor offshore islands) at the 2010 Census;[1] at the 2015 Intermediate Census this had risen to 798,506[2] and the 2020 Census resulted in a total of 880,550.[3] The official estimate as of mid-2023 was 930,294.[4]
Geography and history
It is located in a chain of islands parallel to the west coast of
At Nias, the oceanic plate is being obliquely subducted under the Sunda Plate at the rapid rate of 52 mm (2.0 in) a year (Milsom).
History
The first inhabitants of Nias were Australomelanesoid people which can be traced back as early as 10,000 BC. They were later superseded by the Austronesian people which ultimately originated from Taiwan.[5] The name of the island derives from the word used by the islanders to refer to themselves, niha ("human").[6] In the local language (Li Niha), the island is called Tanö Niha (literally the land of humans).
World War II
During World War II, Nias was briefly occupied by an unrecognized Nazi state proclaimed by a group of escaped German prisoners calling themselves the Free Republic of Nias.[7]
Tsunami and earthquakes of 2004 and 2005
On 26 December 2004, the
On 28 March 2005, the island was again hit by the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake, initially presumed to be an aftershock of the 2004 quake, but now regarded as the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Indonesia and among the top 10 most powerful recorded worldwide since 1900.[8] At least 800 people were reported dead, with the possibility of more than 2,000 casualties. Hundreds of buildings were toppled and many thousands of people were made homeless. In 2007, almost two years after the earthquake, there were still tens of thousands of internally displaced persons living in camps throughout Nias.
Nias's coastline has changed markedly with the tsunami and earthquake.[9] In some areas, the coast moved over 50 m (160 ft) inland. In other areas, as much as a further 100 m (330 ft) of land is exposed. Uplift of land as much as 2.9 m (9.5 ft) has been recorded.
Following the earthquake, many international aid agencies moved in to assist in rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
Administration
Nias is the largest of the islands off Sumatra that are part of
All parties in the North Sumatra Legislative Council have agreed to the formation of a Nias Province (comprising Nias, Nias Selatan, Nias Utara and Nias Barat regencies, and Gunungsitoli municipality). It was approved at a regional plenary session on 2 May 2011 but still awaits approval from the Central government, which has not yet enacted the grand design for additional provinces. The new province will thus cover an area identical to the original Nias Regency before the latter's division in 2003. Apart from
Kode Wilayah |
Name of City or Regency |
Area in km2 |
Pop'n census 2010[1] |
Pop'n census 2020[3] |
Pop'n estimate mid 2023[4] |
Capital | HDI[15] 2022 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12.78 | Gunungsitoli City | 469.36 | 126,202 | 136,017 | 142,890 | Gunungsitoli | 0.702 (High) |
12.04 | Nias Regency | 853.44 | 131,377 | 146,672 | 153,658 | Gidö | 0.639 (Medium) |
12.14 | South Nias Regency (Nias Selatan) |
2,487.99 | 289,708 | 360,531 | 382,539 | Teluk Dalam | 0.631 (Medium) |
12.24 | North Nias Regency (Nias Utara) |
1,242.14 | 127,244 | 147,274 | 155,873 | Lotu | 0.637 (Medium) |
12.25 | West Nias Regency (Nias Barat) |
520.34 | 81,807 | 89,994 | 95,334 | Lahomi | 0.629 (Medium) |
Totals | 5,573.27 | 756,338 | 880,550 | 930,294 |
- # South Nias Regency includes the Batu Islands.
Culture
The isolated Nias Island chain has been trading since prehistory with other cultures, other islands, and even mainland Asia. Some historians and archaeologists have cited the local culture as one of the few remaining
Gunungsitoli is home to Nias's only museum, the Museum Pusaka Nias (Nias Heritage Foundation),[16] which houses over 6000 objects related to Nias's cultural heritage. The museum had recently built a new building and had improved its storage and exhibitions when the 2004 earthquake and tsunami occurred. The museum suffered some damage to the grounds and collections, but museum staff are working to recover from this devastating event[17]
The predominant religion is Protestant Christianity. Six out of seven Niasans are Protestant; the remainder are about evenly divided between Muslims (mostly immigrants from elsewhere in Indonesia) and Catholics. However, adherence to either Christian or Muslim religions is still largely symbolic; Nias continues into the current day celebrating its own indigenous culture and traditions as the primary form of spiritual expression.
The people of Nias build Omo Hada houses on massive ironwood pillars with towering roofs. Not only were they almost impregnable to attack in former tribal warfare, but their flexible nail-less construction provided proven earthquake durability.
Nias is home not only to a unique human culture but also endemic fauna which differ from other areas of North Sumatra because of the island's remote location separate from Sumatra.
Transportation
To reach Nias, there is a weekly ship from Jakarta to Gunungsitoli; there were ferries from Sibolga to Gunungsitoli, Teluk Dalam, or Lahewa every day; before the Asian financial crisis hit Indonesia, there was a daily flight from Medan to Gunungsitoli. This became less frequent following the crisis.
Since the 1998 Reformation, however, transport links on and to the island have become poor. Internally, the road system is in very bad condition. Externally the air and ferry links are unreliable. There are two ferry terminals (Gunungsitoli and Teluk Dalam) and an airport (Binaka, near Gunungsitoli[18]) on the island, serviced mainly from Sibolga and Medan respectively. However, local ferry companies regularly go out of business (or their boats sink), so only one terminal may be active at any given time. Since the 2005 earthquake, transportation has improved to cope with the increase in travel needs for reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. Wings Air and Manunggal Air are the airlines that fly to Gunungsitoli.
National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia was set to operate a new service from Jakarta to Nias in North Sumatra starting 15 November 2018. This direct flight allows travelers to visit the regency's capital Gunungsitoli. Using the CRJ Bombardier 1000 Next-Gen that can accommodate 96 passengers, the route operates three times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.[19]
Surfing
Nias is an internationally famous surfing destination. The best-known surfing area is Sorake Bay, close to the town of Teluk Dalam, on the southern tip. Enclosed by the beaches of Lagundri and Sorake, the bay has both left and right-hand breaks. As they wait for waves, surfers can often see sea turtles swimming below. There are also two consistent, world-class waves in the nearby Hinako Islands, Asu and Bawa. Many lesser-known, high-quality surf spots with low crowds await adventurous travelers.
Nias was part of the famous
Despite the storied history of surfing in Nias, international surfing in Nias has slowed down especially (but not specifically) due to the earthquakes of December 2004 and January 2005.[20][21] The situation has since been gradually improving, however.[22][23]
Gallery
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Family portrait of an older Nias princess with her daughters and granddaughters
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Nias warrior
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Nias house
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Nias wedding
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Map of Nias and the westcoast of Sumatra between 1690 and 1743
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Nias ancestor statue
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A band of Nias headhunters submitting to the Dutch
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Nias family
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Nias place of sacrifice
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Nias armour
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Nias war dance
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Dancers with traditional Nias shields
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A man speaking Li Niha
See also
References
- ^ a b c Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
- ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2018.
- ^ a b c Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
- ^ a b c Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Provinsi Sumatera Utara Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.12)
- ^ "The First True Inhabitants of Nias". March 15, 2014.
- S2CID 161207803.
- ^ Oktorino 2019, p. 55-61
- ^ "Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900". U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original on November 7, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
- Caltech. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- ^ "UU No. 9 Tahun 2003 tentang Pembentukan Kabupaten Nias Selatan, Kabupaten Pakpak Bharat, dan Kabupaten Humbang Hasundutan di Provinsi Sumatera Utara [JDIH BPK RI]". peraturan.bpk.go.id. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ "UU No. 46 Tahun 2008 tentang Pembentukan Kabupaten Nias Barat di Provinsi Sumatera Utara [JDIH BPK RI]". peraturan.bpk.go.id. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ "UU No. 45 Tahun 2008 tentang Pembentukan Kabupaten Nias Utara di Provinsi Sumatera Utara [JDIH BPK RI]". peraturan.bpk.go.id. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ "UU No. 47 Tahun 2008 tentang Pembentukan Kota Gunungsitoli di Provinsi Sumatera Utara [JDIH BPK RI]". peraturan.bpk.go.id. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ Post, The Jakarta. "N. Sumatra to have two new provinces". thejakartapost.com.
- ^ "Metode Baru Indeks Pembangunan Manusia". www.bps.go.id. Badan Pusat Statistik. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "Museum Pusaka Nias". Archived from the original on 2007-10-09. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
- ^ "Nias Artifacts Damaged in Powerful Earthquake". channelnewsasia.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics. Airport BINAKA
- ^ "Garuda Indonesia to operate direct route from Jakarta to Nias". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
- ^ Suwastoyo, Bhimanto (28 March 2006) Mail & Guardian Online. Indonesia's quake-hit surfers' paradise hopes for a break
- ^ Rinaldo, Rachel (February 15, 2004) Boots n' All Travel. Strange Days in Nias
- ^ (2006) Bali Advertiser. Surf Season
- ^ (2009) Indo Surf: Nias Surf Archived 2009-01-25 at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
- Oktorino, Nino (2019), Seri Nusantara Membara: Invasi ke Sumatra (in Indonesian), ISBN 978-602-04-8798-4
External links
- Media related to Nias at Wikimedia Commons
- Nias Island Website Archived 2020-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
- Nias Online
- Nias Bangkit