GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY
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).

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.