Irian Jaya
(2000 est. pop. 2.2 million). Irian Jaya, the easternmost province of the Republic of Indonesia, covers 421,981 square kilometers on the western half of the island of New Guinea, nearly 55 percent of the total area of Indonesia. Irian Jaya is encircled by other islands (Dolak, Misool, Salawati, Waigeo, Biak, Yapen, and Kelopom) and is bordered by the Seram and Banda Seas to the west, the Pacific Ocean to the north, the Arafura Sea to the south, and Papua New Guinea to the east. New Guinea is the second largest island in the world, after Greenland; from west to east it measures almost 2,500 kilometers, the distance from London to Istanbul.
The most populated and cultivated parts of the island are the Paniai Lakes district and the Baliam Valley to the east. The population comprises migrants from Java and indigenous people from diverse suku (tribes), such as the Dani of the Baliem Valley in the central highlands, the Asmat of the southern coastal region, and the Ekari of the Wissel Lakes region. The official language is Bahasa Indonesia, but at least 250 languages are spoken by the indigenous people, reflecting the isolation and small numbers of many of the tribes.
Irian Jaya is a tropical island with primeval rain-forests, powerful rivers, beautiful beaches, lakes, and mountains. The highest mountain is Gunung Jayawijaya, with snowcaps covering its 5,000-meter-high peaks. The area is also rich in natural resources, including fish, timber, and precious metals. These, howeverever, have become a source of conflict between the central government and local peoples.
After a plebiscite in 1969, Irian Jaya became an Indonesian province, with its capital at Jayapura. However, frustrated by the exploitation of their natural resources, and poor social and economic conditions (e.g., high infant and maternal mortality rates), a growing number of Irian activists, who prefer to call themselves Papuans, consider the plebiscite illegitimate, and have demanded independence.
Andi Achdian
Further Reading
Ensiklopedi Nasional Indonesia. (1994) Vol. V. Jakarta, Indonesia: PT Cipta Adi Pustaka.
Badan Pusat Statistik. (1996) "Statistics Indonesia." Retrieved November 2001, from http://www.bps.go.id.
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