Buton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Buton | |
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Geography | |
Location | South East Asia |
Coordinates | |
Administration | |
Indonesia |
Buton (also Butung or Boeton), is an island in Indonesia just off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi. Its major town is Baubau.
The island is largely covered by rainforest and is known for its wildlife. It is one of only two habitats of the anoa, a type of buffalo.
The island is a major producer of asphalt.
In the precolonial era, the island, then usually known as Butung, was within the sphere of influence of Ternate. Especially in the sixteenth century it served as an important secondary regional center within the Ternaten empire, controlling regional trade and collecting tribute to be sent to Ternate.
Sultan Murhum, the first Islamic monarch on the island, is remembered in the name of the island's major harbor, Murhum Harbor, in Baubau.