Maluku Island

The Maluku Islands (also known as the Moluccas, Moluccan Islands, the Spice Islands) are an archipelago in Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located east of Sulawesi (Celebes), west of New Guinea, and north of Timor. The islands were also historically known as the "Spice Islands" by the Chinese and Europeans, but this term has also been applied to other islands outside Indonesia. Spice Islands most commonly refers to the Maluku Islands and often also to the small volcanic Banda Islands, once the only source of mace and nutmeg.

Since ancient times, Maluku has recognized the natural attraction other than spices. Consisting of hundreds of islands make Maluku has a unique panorama on each island and invited many foreign tourists come to visit and even settle in these islands. In addition to natural attractions, a few relics of the colonial era is also a special attraction because it still can be maintained well until now.

Politically, the Maluku Islands formed a single province from 1950 until 1999. In 1999 the North Maluku (Maluku Utara) and Halmahera Tengah (Central Halmahera) regencies were split off as a separate province, so the islands are now divided between two provinces, Maluku and North Maluku. [wikipedia]