Lesser Sunda Islands

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Lesser Sunda Islands

islands, Indonesia

Also known as: Nusa Tenggara

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June 30, 2026

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Lombok — Lombok Gili Island off the coast of Lombok Island, Lesser Sunda Islands, southern Indonesia.

The Lesser Sunda Islands are an archipelago in Indonesia, part of the larger Sunda Islands group that extends southeast from the Malay Peninsula. This chain of islands, including Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, and Timor, is geologically unstable and volcanically active, situated between Asia and Australia. The islands are bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and west, and various seas to the north and east. Most of the land area of Indonesia is comprised of the Sunda Islands. Sumba, for example, is known for its grasslands, unique horse breed, and woven cloth. Lomblen Island, the largest of the Solor Islands, is mountainous with fertile volcanic soil, supporting crops like corn and rice.123

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Asia
Southeast Asia
Java, and the Lesser Sunda Islands—consist of fragments of Alpine folds that constitute a complex assemblage of rock types of different ages. Vigorous Cenozoic volcanic activity, continuing up to the present, has formed volcanic mountains, and their steady erosion has filled the adjacent alluvial lowlands with sediment.
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Java, and the Lesser Sunda Islands—consist of fragments of Alpine folds that constitute a complex assemblage of rock types of different ages. Vigorous Cenozoic volcanic activity, continuing up to the present, has formed volcanic mountains, and their steady erosion has filled the adjacent alluvial lowlands with sediment.
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Indonesia
Islands of the Sunda Shelf
The many islands of the Lesser Sundas to the east of Java are much smaller, less densely populated, and less developed than Java. The physiography of Bali and Lombok is similar to that of eastern Java. The Lesser Sunda Islands continue through Sumbawa and Flores, narrowing progressively until they appear…
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The many islands of the Lesser Sundas to the east of Java are much smaller, less densely populated, and less developed than Java. The physiography of Bali and Lombok is similar to that of eastern Java. The Lesser Sunda Islands continue through Sumbawa and Flores, narrowing progressively until they appear…
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Solorese
Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia, specifically Solor, Adonara, Lomblen, and eastern Flores. The Solorese speak three Malayo-Polynesian dialects in the Ambon-Timor language group. They are divided into two opposing groups, the Demon and the Padzi, who have different political and religious beliefs.
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Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia, specifically Solor, Adonara, Lomblen, and eastern Flores. The Solorese speak three Malayo-Polynesian dialects in the Ambon-Timor language group. They are divided into two opposing groups, the Demon and the Padzi, who have different political and religious beliefs.
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biogeographic region
Components of species diversity: species richness and relative abundance
The Lesser Sunda Islands are similar to eastern Java in climate and vegetation, but they have far fewer strictly terrestrial animals. This situation is attributed to the fact that, whereas Java has been connected to a larger landmass in the past, the Lesser Sundas have not.…
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The Lesser Sunda Islands are similar to eastern Java in climate and vegetation, but they have far fewer strictly terrestrial animals. This situation is attributed to the fact that, whereas Java has been connected to a larger landmass in the past, the Lesser Sundas have not.…
Read More