Taka Bone Rate National Park
Encyclopedia
Taka Bone Rate National Park is a marine park
which includes the Takabonerate
atoll
islands, located in the Flores Sea
, south of Sulawesi island
of Indonesia
.
The area, which consists of the atoll islands and surrounding marine area was granted national park protection status in 1992.
, South Sulawesi
province
. The atoll is located in Flores Sea
, southeast off the coast from the southern "arms" of Sulawesi Island and to the east of Selayar
island. It is located west of Wakatobi islands
and far north of Komodo island
across the Flores Sea. The the nearest large city is Makassar
, from where it can be reached in about 16 hours by boat.
With an area of 530,765 hectares, Taka Bone Rate is the biggest atoll in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, and the third biggest in the world after Kwajalein Atoll and Suvadiva.
The atoll consists of separate table reefs enclosing a lagoon filled with massive reefs. The atoll has around 20 islands, six of which are inhabited. There are 15 islands for diving and snorkelling.
They traditionally trade for fishery sea products from the Bajau
in exchange for freshwater and other land suply. The Bonerate are predominantly Muslim
, although with strong elements of traditional beliefs.
They speak the Bonerate language, a Celebic language
, and like most languages of Indonesia
part of the greater Austronesian languages
. Their closest linguistic relations is with people in the neighbouring Buton
, Wakatobi
and Muna Island
in Southeast Sulawesi. Most also speak Indonesian
.
, 295 species of coral fish
, 244 species of mollusc and other species such as hawksbill turtle
(Eretmochelys imbricata), Pacific ridley turtle
(Lepidochelys olivacea), and green turtle (Chelonia mydas).
Marine park
A marine park is a park consisting of an area of sea sometimes protected for recreational use, but more often set aside to preserve a specific habitat and ensure the ecosystem is sustained for the organisms that exist there...
which includes the Takabonerate
Takabonerate Islands
Takabonerate Islands are in Indonesia （also Taka Bone Rata) consist of Latondu, Rajuni, Tinabo, Pasi Telu, and Taka Lumungan. It is 3 to 4 hours by boat from Benteng of Selayar Island. Together they make up the Takabonerate Subdistrict of Selayar Regency. It is part of a National Marine Park, with...
atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
islands, located in the Flores Sea
Flores Sea
The Flores Sea covers 93,000 square miles of water in Indonesia.- Geography :The seas that border the Flores Sea are the Bali Sea , Java Sea , and the Banda Sea ....
, south of Sulawesi island
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
of Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
.
The area, which consists of the atoll islands and surrounding marine area was granted national park protection status in 1992.
Geography
Taka Bone Rate is administered as part of Selayar RegencySelayar Regency
Selayar Regency is a regency of Indonesia in South Sulawesi province that covers the Selayar Islands. The Selayar Straits separate the regency from Sulawesi island.- External links :...
, South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia, located on the western southern peninsula of Sulawesi Island. The province is bordered by Central Sulawesi province to the north, South East Sulawesi province to the east and West Sulawesi province to the west...
province
Provinces of Indonesia
The province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...
. The atoll is located in Flores Sea
Flores Sea
The Flores Sea covers 93,000 square miles of water in Indonesia.- Geography :The seas that border the Flores Sea are the Bali Sea , Java Sea , and the Banda Sea ....
, southeast off the coast from the southern "arms" of Sulawesi Island and to the east of Selayar
Selayar
Selayar or Saleyer , an archipelago, part of South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. It lies in the Flores Sea, between Sulawesi and Flores. Kabupaten Selayar is the Selayar Regency, covering 903,35 km² with a population of about 100,000. There are 73 islands, the principal being Selayar Island...
island. It is located west of Wakatobi islands
Wakatobi
Wakatobi is the name of an archipelago and regency located in an area of Sulawesi Tenggara , Indonesia. The name Wakatobi is derived from the names of the main islands that form the archipelago: Wangiwangi Island, Kaledupa, Tomea, and Binongko...
and far north of Komodo island
Komodo (island)
Komodo is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia. The island has a surface area of 390 km² and over 2000 inhabitants. The inhabitants of the island are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island and who have mixed themselves with the Bugis from...
across the Flores Sea. The the nearest large city is Makassar
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
, from where it can be reached in about 16 hours by boat.
With an area of 530,765 hectares, Taka Bone Rate is the biggest atoll in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, and the third biggest in the world after Kwajalein Atoll and Suvadiva.
The atoll consists of separate table reefs enclosing a lagoon filled with massive reefs. The atoll has around 20 islands, six of which are inhabited. There are 15 islands for diving and snorkelling.
Demography
The natives of the atoll are the Bonerate people.They traditionally trade for fishery sea products from the Bajau
Bajau
The Bajau or Bajaw , also spelled Bajao, Badjau, Badjaw, or Badjao, are an indigenous ethnic group of Maritime Southeast Asia...
in exchange for freshwater and other land suply. The Bonerate are predominantly Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, although with strong elements of traditional beliefs.
They speak the Bonerate language, a Celebic language
Celebic languages
The Celebic languages are a proposed group of Malayo-Polynesian languages spoken on the island of Sulawesi, formerly spelled Celebes. It would be the largest family of languages on that island.-Classification:...
, and like most languages of Indonesia
Languages of Indonesia
More than 700 living languages are spoken in Indonesia. Most belong to the Austronesian language family, with a few Papuan languages also spoken. The official language is Indonesian , a modified version of Malay, which is used in commerce, administration, education and the media, but most...
part of the greater Austronesian languages
Austronesian languages
The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia that are spoken by about 386 million people. It is on par with Indo-European, Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic and Uralic as one of the...
. Their closest linguistic relations is with people in the neighbouring Buton
Buton
Buton , is an island in Indonesia located off the southeast peninsula of Sulawesi.-History:In the precolonial era, the island, then usually known as Butung, was within the sphere of influence of Ternate...
, Wakatobi
Wakatobi
Wakatobi is the name of an archipelago and regency located in an area of Sulawesi Tenggara , Indonesia. The name Wakatobi is derived from the names of the main islands that form the archipelago: Wangiwangi Island, Kaledupa, Tomea, and Binongko...
and Muna Island
Muna Island
Muna is an island in the South East Sulawesi province of Indonesia with an area of . It is located just southeast of the island of Sulawesi....
in Southeast Sulawesi. Most also speak Indonesian
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....
.
Ecology
The atoll is of major ecological importance, with rich marine and bird life. The national park is considered to contain some of the world's highest marine biodiversity. According to the Indonesian Department of Forestry the atoll has 261 species of coralCoral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
, 295 species of coral fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, 244 species of mollusc and other species such as hawksbill turtle
Hawksbill turtle
The hawksbill sea turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in its genus. The species has a worldwide distribution, with Atlantic and Pacific subspecies. E. imbricata imbricata is the Atlantic subspecies, while E...
(Eretmochelys imbricata), Pacific ridley turtle
Olive Ridley
The olive ridley sea turtle , also known as the Pacific ridley, is a species of sea turtle.- Description :The olive ridley is a small extant sea turtle, with an adult carapace length averaging 60 to 70 cm 1...
(Lepidochelys olivacea), and green turtle (Chelonia mydas).