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Komodo National Park



 
 
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Old August 5th, 2008, 02:31 PM posted to rec.travel.asia
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Default Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park lies in the Wallacea Region of Indonesia,
identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global
conservation priority area. The Park is located between the islands of
Sumbawa and Flores at the border of the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) and
Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTP) provinces. It includes three major islands,
Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and numerous smaller islands together
totaling 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is
presently 1,817 km2. Proposed extensions of 25 km2 of land (Banta
Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface
area up to 2,321 km2.

HISTORY :

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and was declared a World
Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. The
park was initially established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon
(Varanus komodoensis), first discovered by the scientific world in
1911 by J.K.H. Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals have expanded
to protecting its entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.

The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen
originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South
Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi are from the Suku Bajau or Bugis
ethnic groups. The Suku Bajau were originally nomadic and moved from
location to location in the region of Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and
Maluku, to make their livelihoods. Descendents of the original people
of Komodo, the Ata Modo, still live in Komodo, but there are no pure
blood people left and their culture and language is slowly being
integrated with the recent migrants.

Little is known of the early history of the Komodo islanders. They
were subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the island's
remoteness from Bima meant its affairs were probably little troubled
by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

DEMOGRAPHICS :

There are presently almost 4,000 inhabitants living within the park
spread out over four settlements (Komodo, Rinca, Kerora, and
Papagaran). All villages existed prior to 1980 before the area was
declared a national park. In 1928 there were only 30 people living in
Komodo Village, and approximately 250 people on Rinca Island in 1930.
The population increased rapidly, and by 1999, there were 281 families
numbering 1,169 people on Komodo, meaning that the local population
had increased exponentially. Komodo Village has had the highest
population increase of the villages within the Park, mostly due to
migration by people from Sape, Manggarai, Madura, and South Sulawesi.
The number of buildings in Kampung Komodo has increased rapidly from
30 houses in 1958, to 194 houses in 1994, and 270 houses in 2000.
Papagaran village is similar in size, with 258 families totaling 1,078
people. As of 1999, Rinca's population was 835, and Kerora's
population was 185 people. The total population currently living in
the Park is 3,267 people, while 16,816 people live in the area
immediately surrounding the Park.

Topography: The topography is varied, with slopes from 0 - 80%. There
is little flat ground, and that is generally located near the beach.
The altitude varies from sea level to 735 m above sea level. The
highest peak is Gunung Satalibo on Komodo Island.

Geology: The islands in Komodo National Park are volcanic in origin.
The area is at the juncture of two continental plates: Sahul and
Sunda. The friction of these two plates has led to large volcanic
eruptions and caused the up-thrusting of coral reefs. Although there
are no active volcanoes in the park, tremors from Gili Banta (last
eruption 1957) and Gunung Sangeang Api (last eruption 1996) are
common. West Komodo probably formed during the Jurasic era
approximately 130 million years ago. East Komodo, Rinca, and Padar
probably formed approximately 49 million years ago during the Eocene
era.

Climate: Komodo National Park has little or no rainfall for
approximately 8 months of the year, and is strongly impacted by
monsoonal rains. High humidity levels year round are only found in the
quasi-cloud forests on mountain tops and ridges. Temperatures
generally range from 170C to 340C, with an average humidity level of
36%. From November through March the wind is from the west and causes
large waves that hit the entire length of Komodo island's west beach.
From April through October the wind is dry and large waves hit the
south beaches of Rinca and Komodo islands.
 




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