Banda Islands


Banda Islands,

group of 10 volcanic islands, c.70 sq mi (180 sq km), E Indonesia, in the Banda Sea, in the MoluccasMoluccas
or Spice Islands,
Bahasa Indonesia Maluku, Du. Molukken, island group and prov. (1990 pop. 1,856,075), c.32,300 sq mi (83,660 sq km), E Indonesia, between Sulawesi and New Guinea. The capital of the province is Ambon, on Ambon island.
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. The capital and commercial center is Bandanaira, a seaport on Bandanaira island. The largest island in the group is Bandalontar. Nutmeg and mace are the chief products. The islands were discovered and claimed by the Portuguese in 1512. The Dutch ousted the Portuguese in the early 1600s, and the Dutch East India Company assumed control in 1619. The Dutch killed or enslaved most of the islands' inhabitants in 1621. Many inhabitants are Christian.