Kangean Islands

There are 38 Kangean Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Kangean) altogether with 6 inhabited, forming an archipelago that is part of Indonesia covering a total space of 668 square km.[1] They are located in the Java Sea approximately 120 km (75 mi) north of Bali[2] and 120 km east of Madura Island.[3] The islands are administratively a part of Sumenep Regency within East Java province.

Kangean islands appear on this map as one island northeast of 'a' in Surabaya.

Layout

The largest island, at about 490 km², is Kangean Island. Other islands include Paliat, Sepanjang, and several smaller islands. The towns of Arjasa and Kalikatak, both on Kangean Island, are the area's largest population centres. The Kangean islands have strong historic and ethnic ties with Madura, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, Sumbawa, South Borneo, and also South Sulawesi. The majority religion at Kangean is Islam.

The highest elevation point on the islands is in the northeast at 1,192 feet (364 m.), while overall the islands are low in elevation.[1] The weather tends to rain regularly.

Saltwater crocodiles are reported to be present within the island's coastal mangroves.

They are administered as three districts (kecamatan) of Sumenep Regency - Arjasa, Kangayan, and Sapêken. Together, their population was 108,264 in the 2000 census, increasing to 123,367 in the 2010 count[4]

Languages

The Kangean language is mainly spoken in Kangean areas.

Exports and reserves

Since 1993 the islands have been the site of substantial natural gas mining. The natural gas fields were first discovered and developed by the United States corporation ARCO, which became a subsidiary of BP in 2000. In mid-2004, BP sold its Kangean holdings to an Indonesian corporation, PT Energi Mega Persada. The islands are connected to East Java via a 430 km pipeline,[5] most of which runs underwater.

Other economic activities on the islands include teak, coconut, and salt production.[1]

Airstrip

In 2014, the local government agreed to reactivate an old airstrip on Kangean Island. The airstrip is 1,000 meters long and 30 meters wide.[6]

References
  1. "Kangean Islands". britannica. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  2. "Y E 3 K". www.mdxc.org. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  3. "KANGEAN ISLANDS". en.voi.co.id. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  4. Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  5. "Kangean People Group". www.frontiersusa.org. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  6. "Pemkab Buka Lapter Eks Belanda di Pulau Kangean". May 7, 2014.

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