Waigeo is an island in the Southwest Papua province of eastern Indonesia. The island is also known as Amberi or Waigiu. It is the largest of the four main islands in the Raja Ampat Islands archipelago, between Halmahera and New Guinea, and about from the northwest coast of the latter. The Dampier Strait (a.k.a. Augusta's Strait) separates it from Batanta, and the Bougainville Strait (not to be confused with the similarly-named Bougainville Strait in the Solomon Islands) from the Kawe islands (Kawe, Wayag and Sayang) to its northwest. The "inner sea" that nearly cleaves the island in two is Mayalibit Bay (Teluk Mayalibit), also known as the Majoli Gulf.
The land area of the island is , although with the many hundreds of outlying islands ond islets the total becomes ; the highest elevations are the Buffalo Horn (Gunung Nok) and Serodjil.Pub164, 2004 Sailing Directions (Enroute): New Guinea From west to east, the island measures approximately , north–south about .
The town of Waisai in the south of the island is the capital of the Raja Ampat Regency, and holds more than half of the population of the island.
History Waigeo was physically connected to Gam and Batanta during most of the Pleistocene period, forming an island called Waitanta. Waitanta was first inhabited by humans over 50,000 years ago and excavations at Mololo Cave indicate people were making tree resin artefacts and hunting native animals. The first pottery-making communities were present around Waigeo about 3500–3000 years ago and may have brought Austronesian languages to the area.
Jorge de Menezes, a Portuguese explorer, may have landed on Waigeo Island in 1526–27.
Islam first arrived in the Raja Ampat archipelago in the 15th century due to political and economic contacts with the Bacan Sultanate, coinciding with Biak migrations to the region.Wanggai, Toni V. M. (2008). Rekonstruki sejarah umat Islam di tanna Papua [Reconstruction of the History of lslam in Papua]. Syariff Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2022-03-13. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Tidore had close economic and familial ties with the island as Gurabesi, the Biak ruler of the island married Tidore Sultan's daughter. His descendant then migrated out of Mayalibit Bay, becoming the Ma'ya kings of the other Raja Ampat Islands.Slama, Martin (2015), "Papua as an Islamic Frontier: Preaching in 'the Jungle' and the Multiplicity of Spatio-Temporal Hierarchisations", From 'Stone-Age' to 'Real-Time': Exploring Papuan Temporalities, Mobilities and Religiosities, ANU Press, pp. 243–270, During this period, Islam became firmly established, as local chiefs began adopting Islam.
Alfred Russel Wallace spent some time on the island and studied the flora and fauna during the late 1850s while on his scientific exploration trip.
Since 1997, the island has been the site of a substantial pearl farming operation owned by the Australian company Atlas Pacific.
Administrative districts The island is surrounded by numerous smaller islands and islets, of which the largest are Pulau Gaman to the south, Pulau Gag and Pulau Munsung to the west (in West Waigeo Islands District), and Pulau Kawe, Pulau Wayag and Pulau Sayang forming a chain to the northwest (in West Waigeo District). Altogether there are 165 islands included in West Waigeo District, 21 in West Waigeo Islands District, 157 in South Waigeo District and 22 in East Waigeo District. The Ayau Islands to the north of Waigeo add amother 32 named islands. Including these, the area and 2025 populations of the districts comprising northern Raja Ampat is as follows: Kode Kemendagri Name ofDistrict(distrik) Landareain km2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus2020 Pop'nEstimatemid 2025AdmincentreNo. ofvillagesNo. ofislandsPostcodeVillages 92.05.03 Waigeo Selatan (South Waigeo) 240.121,7152,1732,599Saonek519798475Friwen, Saonek, Saporkren, Wawiyai, Yenbeser 92.05.09 Teluk Mayalibit (Mayalibit Bay) 621.938461,2971,604Yenanas43498473Kalitoko, Lopintol, Mumes, Warsamdin 92.05.11 Meos Mansar 218.87 1,6252,2212,769Yinbekwan9 98472Arborek, Kabuy, Kapisawar, Kurkapa, Sawandarek, Sawinggrai, Yenbekwan, Yenbuba, Yenwaupnor 92.05.18 Kota Waisai (Waisai Town) 121.876,97621,79723,798Waisai4 98471Bonwakir, Sapordanco, Waisai, Warmasen (all kelurahan) 92.05.19 Tiplol Mayalibit 200.519301,1711,356Go6 98474Arway, Beo, Go, Kabilol, Waifoi, Warimak 92.05.07 Waigeo Barat (West Waigeo)763.64 1,4091,7862,123Waisilip532798464Bianci, Mutus, Saleo, Selpele, Waisilip 92.05.15 Waigeo Barat Kepulauan (West Waigeo Islands)103.30 2,0842,7683,216Manyaifun62298465Gag, Manyaifun, Meosmanggara, Pam, Saukabu, Saupapir 92.05.02 Waigeo Utara (North Waigeo)149.57 1,4771,8002,300Kabare6 98466Andey, Asukweri, Bonsayor, Darumbab, Kabare, Kalisade 92.05.14 Warwarbomi 297.33 1,0451,3891,538Warwanai4 98467Boni, Mnier, Warkori, Warmanai 92.05.23 Supnin 223.82 9081,1171,283Rauki4 98463Duber, Kapadiri, Rauki, Urai 92.05.05 Kepulauan Ayau (a) (Ayau Islands)12.66 1,2301,0921,468Abidon5 98462Boiseran, Dorehkar, Runi, Yenkanfan, Yenkawir 92.05.24 Ayau (a) 5.83 9891,1031,552Dorehkar44598461Abidon, Meosbekwan, Reni, Rutum 92.05.08 Waigeo Timur (East Waigeo)555.40 1,3861,6091,987Urbinasopen42798476Puper, Urbinasopen, Yenbekaki, Yensner Total Raja Ampat Utara 3,514.8522,62041,32347,593 63652
Note: (a) the Ayau Islands (including Ayau District) lie some distance to the north of Waigeo.
Since 2010, the new Waisai district has been created from part of Waigeo Selatan District, the new Tiplol Mayalibit District has been created from part of Teluk Mayalibit District, the new Supnin District has been created from part of Waigeo Utara District, and the new Ayau District has been created from part of Kepulauan Ayau District.
Languages Languages spoken on Waigeo include Papuan Malay, Biak, Ma'ya, and Ambel.Remijsen, Bert, 2001. Word Prosodic systems of the Raja Ampat languages. Utrecht: LOT Publications. Their distributions within the island are given below.
Ambel is spoken in central Waigeo, along the coast of Mayalibit Bay. Ma'ya is spoken in northwest Waigeo. Biak is spoken in the southwest and eastern parts of Waigeo.
Fauna and flora Waigeo brushturkey (Aepypodius bruijnii) Waigeou cuscus (Spilocuscus papuensis) Waigeo rainbowfish (Melanotaenia catherinae) Waigeo seaperch (Psammoperca waigiensis) Wilson's bird-of-paradise (Diphyllodes respublica) Golden-spotted tree monitor (Varanus boehmei) Achaea simplex Hypochlorosis ancharia Hypolycaena phorbas Karstarma waigeo Nepenthes danseri
Villages Urbinasopen
Protected Areas Waigeo Barat Timur Nature Reserve protects much of the island's interior. Raja Ampat Marine Park covers Mayalibit Bay in central Waigeo and parts of the southern and southwestern shores.
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