Great Banda Island

Great Banda Island is the largest island in the Banda Islands group, located in Indonesia's Maluku province. These islands lie in the Banda Sea and are known for their volcanic soils, which are ideal for growing nutmeg, a crop indigenous to the region. Other products include cloves, coconuts, and fish. Great Banda Island itself features coral rock formations and volcanic rock, with Mount Api being an active volcano within the island group. The capital and largest city, Bandanaira, is situated on Bandanaira Island, and its population is largely composed of descendants of laborers brought in for Dutch nutmeg plantations. The Banda Islands have a history of changing hands between Portuguese and Dutch control, eventually being restored to the Dutch in 1814.1