Here are 7 Indonesia's Biggest Islands

TheIndonesia.id - Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world. It stretches along the equator, over one-eighth of the earth's circumference.

The number of islands in Indonesia is estimated to reach 17,504 islands. This is based on the Military Survey and Mapping Center (Pussurta ABRI) in 1987.

In 2004, there were reports from governors, regents, and mayors about the islands of Indonesia. Based on the report, there are 9,634 unnamed islands.

Of the many islands, only about 6,000 islands are inhabited by humans. Then, where is the largest island in Indonesia located? Are all inhabited? Check out the following article.

1. Papua Island
Papua is the largest island in Indonesia. With an area of about 786,000 sq km, Papua is the largest island among the other islands in the archipelago. Papua Island has the highest peak reaching 4,884 above sea level, namely Puncak Jaya Wijaya.

Papua Island is divided into two parts. The western part is of the Republic of Indonesia and the eastern part is of the State of Papua New Guinea.

2. Borneo Island
Kalimantan is one of the largest islands in Indonesia with an area of 743,330 sq km. Known internationally as Borneo, it belongs to three countries. The south is part of Indonesia, the north is part of Malaysia, and a small part on the north is of the state of Brunei Darussalam.

The Indonesian part is divided into five provinces. The five provinces are West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and North Kalimantan. The population in Kalimantan is around 13,787,831 people.

3. Sumatra Island
With an area of about 443,065 sq km, the island of Sumatra ranks as the third largest island in Indonesia. The island of Sumatra itself is divided into several provinces. Starting from Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, Jambi, Bengkulu, South Sumatra, Bangka Belitung Islands and Lampung.

The Riau Archipelago has the largest number of islands or almost half of the total islands in Sumatra. The total population of the province is around 50,630,931 people.

4. Sulawesi Island
Sulawesi Island has an area of about 174,600 square km and is the fourth largest island in the archipelago. The island is divided into six provinces, namely North Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and Gorontalo Province. Of these six provinces, the total population is around 17,371,782 people.

5. Java Island
Java Island is the fifth-largest island in Indonesia. With an area of about 126,700 sq km, the population on the island of Java is estimated at more than 136 million people or the most populous in the archipelago. The island is divided into six provinces, namely Banten Province, Jakarta Special Capital, West Java Province, Central Java Province, East Java Province, and Yogyakarta Special Region.

6. Timor Island
The island of Timor is divided into two parts. The western part belongs to Indonesia and the eastern part belongs to the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. The total area of Timor Island itself is about 30,777 sq km.

Timor Island is bordered by Australia to the south and southeast, Sulawesi Island to the northwest, and Sumba to the west. To the northwest of Timor are the Flores and Alor Islands and to the east are the Southwest Islands, including the Wetar area.

The name Timor comes from the Malay language, referring to its location in the easternmost part of the Lesser Sunda archipelago in Indonesia. This island has a legend, that once the island of Timor was a giant crocodile which later turned into stone. The legend comes from the mountains on the island of Timor shaped like a crocodile's back.

7. Halmahera Island
Halmahera Island is the largest island in the Maluku Islands and part of the North Maluku Province. It is located in a chain of active volcanoes, covering the Raja Ampat Islands. Because it is located in a chain of active volcanoes, Halmahera Island is also surrounded by volcanic islands in the west, including Tidore, Ternate, Moti, Makian, Mare, and Sangihe.

Halmahera Island has a total area of about 17,780 sq km and is the 50th largest island in the world. Halmahera is also known as Gilolo which means the island inhabited by the Gilolo tribe. The Gilolo tribe itself is the oldest kingdom on Halmahera Island and the name is used to refer to the island.

Those are the seven largest islands in Indonesia along with their area and location. This row of islands illustrates the natural wealth and diversity of the archipelago.