An Ambonese becak

Maluku and the Banda Islands

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February 21st 2007
Maluku is a delightful group of islands in the eastern part of Indonesia. They straddle the equator directly right of Sulawesi. This part of the world is said to have been the spark that ignited European colonialism. Nutmeg, in the 16th century, was worth its weight in gold in Europe, but here it cost next to nothing. The Banda islands in the south of Maluku province had nutmeg in abundance, growi ... read more

Asia » Indonesia » Maluku

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The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hos... ... read more