Misool
Misool, formerly spelled Mysol or Misol, is one of the four major islands in the Raja Ampat Islands in Southwest Papua, Indonesia. Its area is 2,034 km2. The highest point is 561 m and the main towns are Waigama, located on the island's northwest coast, and Lilinta on the island's southeast coast.
The inhabitants speak the Ma'ya, Biga, and Matbat languages, as well as Indonesian and a variety of the Malay-based creole, namely Papuan Malay.
Other main islands of this group off the western end of Southwest Papua are Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and there are numerous smaller islands such as Kofiau.
Etymology
The name Misool is from Ma'ya language which meant port or harbour relating to when the first king from Waigeo arrived on the island. Original inhabitants called the island with the name Batan Mee.Ecology
Terrestrial
Misool is part of the Vogelkop–Aru lowland rain forests ecoregion, which includes the other Raja Ampat Islands and the Bird's Head Peninsula on mainland New Guinea. Plant communities include alluvial, or lowland alluvial rain forest and lowland hill rain forest. Native animals include marsupials, murid rodents, bats, and many birds, including several endemic species. Some native animals include:- Echymipera kalubu, common spiny bandicoot
- Echymipera rufescens
- Dorcopsis muelleri
- Phalanger orientalis
- Spilocuscus maculatus
- Petaurus breviceps
- Macroglossus minimus
- Nyctimene aello
- Pteropus conspicillatus
- Aselliscus tricuspidatus
- Pipistrellus papuanus
- Lesser bird-of-paradise
Marine
History
first arrived in the Raja Ampat Islands in the 15th century due to political and economic contacts with the Bacan Sultanate. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Tidore had close economic ties with the island of Misool, which was ruled by king in Lilinta descended from Gurabesi of Waigeo, while Tidore appointed another king in Waigama. During this period, Islam became firmly established and local chiefs had begun adopting Islam.Misool was a part of the Dutch colonial empire under the Netherlands East Indies administration. The Japanese occupied the island in 1942, became the base of Imperial Japanese Navy until 1945.