Adonara
Adonara is an island in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, located east of the larger island of Flores in the Solor Archipelago. Further to the east lies Lembata, formerly known as Lomblen, while to the south is Solor Island. Adonara is the highest of the islands of the archipelago, reaching an altitude of 1,659 metres, and it has an area of 529.75 km2. It is situated administratively in the East Flores Regency of East Nusa Tenggara province.
Administration
The island is divided into eight districts, tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2024.| Kode Wilayah | Name | Area in km2 | Population Census 2010 | Population Census 2020 | Population Estimate mid 2024 | Admin centre | No. of villages | Post codes |
| 53.06.08 | Adonara Barat | 79.71 | 11,743 | 13,529 | 14,101 | Waiwadan | 18 | 86263 |
| 53.06.09 | Wotan Ulu Mado | 86.31 | 7,871 | 9,968 | 10,777 | Baniona | 12 | 86260 |
| 53.06.18 | Adonara Tengah | 42.73 | 10,686 | 13,312 | 14,301 | Lewobele | 13 | 86264 |
| 53.06.10 | Adonara Timur | 91.06 | 26,161 | 30,299 | 31,645 | Waiwerang | 21 | 86261 |
| 53.06.13 | Ile Boleng | 49.30 | 13,948 | 17,416 | 18,727 | Senadan | 21 | 86253 |
| 63.06.12 | Witihama | 79.43 | 14,140 | 17,460 | 18,694 | Oringbele | 16 | 86266 |
| 53.06.11 | Kelubagolit | 44.41 | 10,210 | 12,650 | 13,561 | Pepak Kelu | 12 | 86265 |
| 53.06.17 | Adonara | 56.80 | 9,745 | 11,835 | 12,590 | Sagu | 8 | 86262 |
| Totals on Adonara Island | 529.75 | 104,504 | 126,469 | 134,396 | 121 | - |
Note: Adonara Timur District, notwithstanding its name, actually occupies the south-central part of Adonara Island, with Wotan Ulu Mado District to the southwest and Ile Boleng District to the southeast.
including the two kelurahan of Lamatewelu and Waiwerang Kota.
Adonara District covers only the north-central part of Adonara Island, with Kelubagolit and Witihama Districts to the east and Adonara Barat and Adonara Tengah Districts to the west.
History
on Adonara is documented from the sixteenth century, when Portuguese traders and missionaries established a post on the nearby island of Solor. By that time Adonara and the surrounding islands were ritually divided between a population of coastal dwellers known as Paji, and a population mainly settling the mountainous inland called Demon. The Paji were susceptible to Islam, while the Demon tended to fall under Portuguese influence. The Paji areas on Adonara contained three principalities, namely Adonara proper, and Terong and Lamahala. Together with two principalities on Solor, they constituted a league called Watan Lema. The Watan Lema allied with the Dutch East India Company in 1613, confirmed in 1646. The Adonara principalities had frequent feuds with the Portuguese in Larantuka on Flores, and were not always obedient to the Dutch authorities.In the course of the nineteenth century, the ruler of Adonara in the north strengthened his position in the Solor Archipelago; by then, he was also the overlord of parts of eastern Flores and Lembata. The Demon areas stood under the suzerainty of the principality of Larantuka, which in turn was under Portuguese rule until 1859, when it was ceded to the Netherlands. The principalities of Larantuka and Adonara were abolished by the Indonesian government in 1962. Some post-independence local officials trace their roots to past rulers, called raja, of Adonara. These include:
- Foramma, c. 1650
- Boli I, c. 1671–1684
- Eke 1684–1688
- Gogok, c. 1702
- Wuring, 1688–1719
- Boli II, 1719-after 1756
- unknown rulers
- Jou, c. 1815
- Lakabella Jou, c. 1832
- Begu, d. July 28, 1850
- , 1850–1857
- Jou, 1857–1868
- Kamba Begu, 1868–1893
- Bapa Tuan, temporary Raja in 1893 for 6 months
- Arkiang Kamba, 1893 or 1894 – abdicated December 18, 1930
- Bapa Ana, Regent with the title of Kapitan 1930 – December 1, 1935, condemned to life imprisonment 1935 and sent to Kupang
- Bapa Nuhur,, 1941–1947
- Bapa Kaya,, Regent 1947–1951
- Mohamad Eke, 1951–1962, first referred as Government Asst during Bapa Kaya's rule and also Kapitan of Adonara
Geography
The town of Waiwerang and its neighbouring desa of Lamahala Jaya and Terong to the west and Waiburak to the east form the only urban area on Adonara. There is no single administrative centre on the island, as each district has its own centre, all subservient to the regency administration at Larantuka on Flores island.