Halmahera

Halmahera, formerly known as Jilolo, Gilolo, or Jailolo, is the largest island in the Maluku Islands. It is part of the North Maluku province of Indonesia and Sofifi, the capital of the province, is located on the west coast of the island.

Halmahera has a land area of 17,780 km² (6,865 sq mi) and a population in 1995 of 162,728, it has increased to 449,938 for the island itself (excluding the tip which is considered Joronga Islands, but including Gebe and Ju islands) and 667,161 for the island group. (including all of Halmahera Selatan and Tidore but not Ternate). Approximately half of the island's inhabitants are Muslim and half are Christian.

History

Sparsely-populated Halmahera's fortunes have long been closely tied to those of the smaller islands of Ternate and Tidore, both off its west coast. These islands were both the sites of major kingdoms in the era before Dutch East India Company colonized the entire archipelago.

During World War II, Halmahera was the site of a Japanese naval base at Kao Bay.