Madhukar K., Maluku: "Sukarno is my hero. He told the Americans to go packing with all their aide money. Nowadays the Indonesian government can just think of how to sell out to the US. Where is Indonesian nationalism and pride?"
Soekarno is mijn held. Hij vertelde de Amerikanen te gaan verpakking met al hun aide geld. Tegenwoordig is de Indonesische regering alleen maar kan bedenken hoe uit te verkopen aan de VS. Waar is Indonesisch nationalisme en trots?
Indonesia
Maluku / The Islands
The over
1,000 islands Maluku are sprawled across a vast expanse of ocean,
sitting astride one of the worlds most volatile volcanic belts.
Maluku is blessed with incredible sea gardens, idyllic, tropical
beaches and rugged, forest-coated volcanic mountains.
These are
the famous Spice Islands', which drew Indian, Chinese, Arab and
eventually European traders in search of clove and nutmeg . In
1511, the Portuguese built their first fort in the area on the
island of Ternate, and cornered the clove trade. The Dutch, who
arrived in 1599, mounted the first serious threat to Portuguese
control of Muluku's treasures. Armed conflicts broke out, taking
a heavy toll from the island populations as well as the rival
European powers. When the Dutch finally emerged as victors they
enforced their trade monopoly with an iron fist. Whole villages
were razed to the ground and thousands of islanders died, especially
on the island of Banda.
The British
briefly occupied Maluku during the Napoleonic Wars, but Dutch
rule was restored in 1814 and it wasn't until 1863 that the compulsory
cultivation of spices was abolished in the province. Now fish
and other sea products are Maluku's major sources of revenue,
but nickel, oil, mnganese and various kinds of timber also contribute
to the province's wealth.
The main
gateway into Maluku is through the provincial capital of Ambon,
which is served by regular flights to most part of the archipelago.
Air and sea transportation connects the islands with 79 seaports
and 25 airports. Roads on many of the islands provide access to
the more remote places of interest.
http://www.asiatour.com/indonesia/e-10malu/ei-mal10.htm
Jan Garanoz
Juhu Tara Road, Juhu,
Mumbai - 400049 India
Last updated: May 10, 2010