Island in the Indian Ocean, 125 km/78 mi off the W coast of Sumatra, Indonesia; 240 km/159 mi long by 80 km/50 mi wide; airfield; chief town, Gunungsitoli; populated by the agricultural Niah tribe; headhunting and human sacrifice recorded here as late as 1935; notable prehistoric stone sculptures; severely damaged by earthquake, Mar 2005.
Nias (Indonesian: Pulau Nias, Nias language: Tanö Niha) is an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.
It is located in a chain of islands parallel to the coast that are separated from Sumatra by the Mentawai Strait; At Nias the oceanic plate is being obliquely subducted under the Asian Plate at the rapid rate of 52 mm a year (Milsom).
Nias Island is located near 1°30′N 97°98′E, and covers an area of 4, 771 km² which is mostly lowland area of ± 800 m above sea level.
Administration
Nias is the largest of the islands off Sumatra that are part of North Sumatra province. This area consists of 131 islands and Nias Island is the biggest.
Until 2003 Nias was an administrative regency (kabupaten), part of the province of North Sumatra. In 2003 it was split into two regencies, Nias and Nias Selatan (Southern Nias). Teluk Dalam is the capital of Nias Selatan.
Gunungsitoli is the capital city of Nias and it is the center of administration and business affairs of the regency.
Surfing
Nias is an internationally famous surfing destination.
Nias was part of the famous Hippie trail of the 1960s, particularly travelled by surfers, which lead to Bali.
Despite the storied history of surfing in Nias, international surfing in Nias has slowed down especially (but not specifically) due to the recent earthquakes.
Culture
Isolated yet worldy, the Nias Island chain has been trading with other cultures, other islands, and even mainland Asia since prehistory. While this point of view is hotly debated, there is no doubt that Nias relative geographic isolation has created a unique culture. As a culture of traders, the people of Nias find tourists to be a welcome - and historically familiar - phenomenon.
Nias best known for its remarkable diversity of festivals and celebration. The music of Nias, performed mostly by women, is noted worldwide for its haunting beauty.
Nias is also a hotspot on the world surfing circuit, and certain times of the year will see the beaches filled with Westerners seeking 6meter thrill rides.
Gunung Sitoli is home to Nias' only museum, the Museum Pusaka Nias, which houses over 6000 objects related to Nias' cultural heritage. Nias continues into current day celebrating its own indigenous culture and traditions as the primary form of spiritual expression.
The 1,000 rupiah Indonesian bank note in the 1990s featured a Nias stone-jumper performing the traditional activity of jumping a stone wall.
Nias is home not only to a unique human culture but also endemic fauna which differ from other areas of North Sumatra because of the island's remote location separate from Sumatra.
Transportation
To reach Nias, there is a weekly ship from Jakarta to Gunung Sitoli;
Since the 1998 Reformation, however, transport links on and to the island have become poor.
Tsunami and earthquakes of 2004 and 2005
On December 26, 2004 the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake struck a few kilometers north of the island, creating tsunamis as high as 10 meters.
On March 28, 2005, the island was again hit by the 2005 Sumatran earthquake, initially presumed to be an aftershock following the 2004 quake, but now regarded as the second-most powerful earthquake in the world since 1965 and twelfth-most powerful ever recorded.
Nias humanitarian associations and foundations:
Association Faomasi (Indonesia - France) Howu-Howu.org| Indonesia Portal |
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