VII - THE MOLUCCAS ARCHIPELAGO : HALMAHERA ISLAND
Total area of the Moluccas (Maluku) is 74 505 km2,
population is 2 million, and there are over 100 languages. Administratively,
Halmahera and Morotai islands belong to the Maluku Utara Regency. Forests cover
79% of total area (MAC ANDREWS).
Halmahera alone : 20 000 km2, approximately 200 000
inhabitants (1971). The island is very mountainous in its centre (with peaks at
1500 m above sea level) and covered in luxuriant tropical rainforest ; these
areas are virtually unknown. What we do know is that there are some swidden
cultivators and a few hunter-gatherer populations living in these mountains.
Languages are divided into 2 families and 18 main dialects : -North Halmahera
(non-Austronesian) : Galela, Tobelo, Modoli, Pagu,
Loloda, Ibu, Tobaru, Woyoli, Ternate and
Tidore, -South Halmahera (Austronesian) : Buli, Maba,
Patani, Sawai, Weda, Gane, Bacan.
Linguistic map of the northern Halmahera area
(YOSHIDA, 1980)