Komodo Island

Komodo Island is an island located in the Nusa Tenggara Islands. Komodo Island is known as a habitat for native animals dragons. This island is also the Komodo National Park which is managed by the Central Government. Komodo Island in the eastern island of Sumbawa, which are separated by the Sape Strait.

LOCATION:

Komodo National Park is located in the subdistrict of Komodo, West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. Komodo Island is the most western tip of Nusa Tenggara Timur province, bordering the province of West Nusa Tenggara.

Komodo Island identified by WWF and Conservation International as a global conservation priority. The park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores at the border of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) and Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTP) includes three major islands, Komodo, Rinca and Padar, and many small islands of 603 km2 of land. The total size of Komodo National Park is 1817 km2. Proposed extension of 25 km2 of land (Banta Island) and 479 km2 of marine waters would bring the total surface area up to 2321 km2. (Click on map to enlarge - 70kB)

HISTORY:

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 and declared a World Heritage Site and the Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1986. Park was originally established to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), was first discovered by the scientific world in 1911 by JKH Van Steyn. Since then conservation goals must be extended to protect the entire biodiversity, both marine and terrestrial.

The majority of people in and around the Park are fishermen come from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Those from South Sulawesi from the tribe Bajau or Bugis ethnic group. The Bajau Tribe originally nomadic and moved from location to location in Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, to make their livelihood. Descendants 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 gradually integrated with the new arrivals.

Little is known about the early history of the island of Komodo. They are the subjects of the Sultanate of Bima, although the remoteness of the island from Bima meant affairs of the company is probably a little disturbed by the Sultanate other than by occasional demand for tribute.

DEMOGRAPHICS:

There are currently nearly 4,000 residents who live in the park spread 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 about 250 people on Rinca Island in 1930. The population increased rapidly, and in 1999, there were 281 families numbering 1169 people on the island of Komodo, which means that the local population has increased exponentially. Komodo Village has had the highest population increase of the villages within the Park, mainly because of 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 homes in 1994, and 270 homes in 2000. Papagaran village similar in size, with 258 families as many as 1078 people. In 1999, Rinca population is 835, and Kerora population is 185 people. The total population currently living in the park is 3267 people, while 16,816 people live in the area surrounding the Park

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