Bunaka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- this article is about the island; for the sleeper goby genus, see Bunaka
| Bunaka | |
|---|---|
| Geography | |
| Location | South East Asia |
| Coordinates | |
| Archipelago | Derawan Islands |
| Area | 348 km² |
| Highest point | Mount Kalabali (560 m) |
| Administration | |
 Indonesia |
|
| Province | East Kalimantan |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 6,750 (as of 2005) |
| Density | 19/km² |
Bunaka island is a volcanic island part of the Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is part of the Pombato chain east of Kalimantan, and sustains a mainly fishing, shellfish gathering population of 6,750 as of 2005.
The economy is mainly based upon the fisheries and is completely dependent on mainland Indonesia for food and other supplies. Bunaka is a small island of 348 km². It's significance is that it marks the boundary between the islands to the west, the East Kalimantan province, and the region to the east that is mainly under the jurisdiction of Central Sulawesi.
The island of Bunaka is mainly populated by the ethnic group, the Balinese, who is said to have fished in the surrounding waters since the 9th century.
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[edit] Location
Bunaka lies within the chain of the Derawan Islands between the larger neighboring islands of Kakaban to the west and Tarimun to the east. Not only is the island famous for its heritage of fishing and pearl collecting but also for the exotic, rare birds that make their nests on the island, particularly on Mount Kalabali, giant birds such as the Javanese Lapwing migrate annually to this island and generates much interest from foreign environmental scientists.
[edit] History
Bunaka was not settled well into the 17th century, though fishing throughout the region had been going on for centuries prior. Bunaka was settled by a group of Balinese fishermen and oyster gatherers until a permanent settlement formed. Bunaka is also mentioned in several Arab trading texts and records as a source for fresh water and fruit, which helped combat scurvy, an illness brought on by a lack of Vitamin C. During three centuries of Dutch influence, administration of the islands was generally ignored and the people were mostly exempt from the colonial taxes the Dutch imposed on the larger Indonesian islands. In spring 1846, Captain Bradley, an English whaler setting out from India to New Zealand was forced to make anchor on the island for repairs of damages suffered on his schooner from a seasonal spring storm. He and his crew were able to live upon the hospitality of the natives, which he called the males "Jerries" and the females "Juns", until help arrived from the ships of the Dutch East India Company. This incident was mentioned in the 1847 publication of the Queen's Naval Journals, though the credit of the natives were greatly diminished. During World War Two, and subsequent Japanese occupation, Bunaka was a frequent destination for Japanese deep sea fishing vessels. A Japanese transport ship was sunk off the coast by Gato class submarine USS Hake (SS-256) on January 11, 1944. After independence, Bunaka was made part of the Kalimantan province, administered directly from Samarinda, capital of East Kalimantan. Bunaka suffered heavily from the 1997 East Asian financial crisis, and as a result a number of fishermen left the islands for better conditions during this period.
[edit] Climate
Due to its location and extremely small size, Bunaka sometimes has harsh weather. At times, ships are unable to dock because of strong northwestern winds in winter. The climate is warm and humid, and heavily influenced by warm sea currents. Precipitation is high throughout most of the year (annual average - 1532 mm), with occasional typhoon during the summer due to dominating southernly winds. The water around the island is about 15 degrees Celsius in winter, when the water is coolest. It warms to about 35 degrees Celsius in August, at its peak.
