Solor

{{Short description|Island in the Lesser Sunda Islands}}

{{About||the traditional district of Hedmark, Norway|Solør|the principal male ballet role|La Bayadère}}

File:Solorarchipel.png in yellow]]

Solor is a volcanic island located off the eastern tip of Flores island in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, in the Solor Archipelago. The island supports a small population that has been whaling for hundreds of years. They speak the languages of Adonara and Lamaholot. There are at least five volcanoes on this island which measures only {{convert|40|km|mi|abbr=off}} by {{convert|6|km|mi|abbr=off}}. The island's area is {{convert|226.34|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}},{{cite book |last=Monk |first=K.A. |author2=Fretes, Y. |author3=Reksodiharjo-Lilley, G. |title=The Ecology of Nusa Tenggara and Maluku |publisher=Periplus Editions Ltd. |date=1996 |page=8|location=Hong Kong |isbn=962-593-076-0}} and it had a population of 34,029 at the 2020 Census.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. The official estimate as at mid 2024 was 36,739.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kecamatan Solor Barat Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309)

Administrative districts

The island is divided into three districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas (in km2) and their populations at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 2020 Census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Barat Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309040)Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Selatan Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309041)Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Timur Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309050) The entire island is administered by the East Flores Regency.

class="sortable wikitable"
Kode
Wilayah || Name || Area
in km2|| Population
Census
2010 || Population
Census
2020 || Population
Estimate
mid 2024 ||Admin
centre ||No.
of
villages||Post
codes
53.06.06Solor Barat Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Barat Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309040)
(West Solor)
align="right"|128.20align="right"|9,321align="right"|11,180align="right"|11,836Ritaebangalign="center"|15 (a)86272
53.06.19Solor Selatan Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Selatan Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309041)
(South Solor)
align="right"|31.58align="right"|4,841align="right"|6,874align="right"|7,769Kalikealign="center"|786273
53.06.07Solor Timur Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Timur Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309050)
(East Solor)
align="right"|66.56align="right"|12,879align="right"|15,975align="right"|17,134Menangaalign="center"|1786271
Totals on Solor Islandalign="right"|226.34align="right"|27,041align="right"|34,029align="right"|36,739align="center"|39

Note: (a) including the town (kelurahan) of Ritaebang, with 1,516 inhabitants in mid 2023.

Villages

West Solor District (kecamatan Solor Barat) is sub-divided into the town (kelurahan) of Ritaebang and fourteen rural villages (desa), as listed below with their areas and populations as at mid 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Barat Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309040)
South Solor District (kecamatan Solor Selatan) is sub-divided into seven rural villages (desa), as listed below with their areas and populations as at mid 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Selatan Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309041)
East Solor District (kecamatan Solor Timur) is sub-divided into seventeen rural villages (desa), as listed below with their areas and populations as at mid 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Solor Timur Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5309050)

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable"
Kode
Wilayah
Name of
desa
Area
in
km2
Pop'n
mid 2023
estimate
53.06.06.1001Ritaebangalign="right"| 17.99align="right"| 1,516
53.06.06.2002Tanah Leinalign="right"| 24.74align="right"| 988
53.06.06.2003Lamaolealign="right"| 17.24align="right"| 445
53.06.06.2004Kalelualign="right"| 2.88align="right"| 744
53.06.06.2005Nuhalolongalign="right"| 3.25align="right"| 591
53.06.06.2007Balaweling IIalign="right"| 6.75align="right"| 818
53.06.06.2008Balaweling Ialign="right"| 6.75align="right"| 730
53.06.06.2009Pamakayoalign="right"| 9.98align="right"| 765
53.06.06.2012Ongalerengalign="right"| 4.50align="right"| 1,333
53.06.06.2013Karawatungalign="right"| 4.50align="right"| 818
53.06.06.2014Lamawohongalign="right"| 3.24align="right"| 451
53.06.06.2015Daniwatoalign="right"| 3.50align="right"| 751
53.06.06.2017Lewotawah Olealign="right"| 12.00align="right"| 436
53.06.06.2019Titehenaalign="right"| 2.87align="right"| 4,869
53.06.06.2020Lewonamaalign="right"| 8.90align="right"| 3,589
TotalsWest Soloralign="right"| 128.11align="right"| 11,583
53.06.19.2001Kalikealign="right"| 4.99align="right"| 1,048
53.06.19.2002Kalike Aimatanalign="right"| 4.00align="right"| 1,132
53.06.19.2003Sulengwasengalign="right"| 4.50align="right"| 915
53.06.19.2004Kenerealign="right"| 3.01align="right"| 694
53.06.19.2005Lemanualign="right"| 5.98align="right"| 1,236
53.06.19.2006Lewograranalign="right"| 5.69align="right"| 959
53.06.17.2007Bubu Atagamualign="right"| 3.41align="right"| 1,296
TotalsSouth Soloralign="right"| 31.58align="right"| 7,280

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable"
Kode
Wilayah
Name of
desa
Area
in
km2
Pop'n
mid 2023
estimate
53.06.07.2002Watanhuraalign="right"| 1.43align="right"| 704
53.06.07.2003Lebaoalign="right"| 2.71align="right"| 879
53.06.07.2004Watoharialign="right"| 6.85align="right"| 753
53.06.07.2005Moton Wutunalign="right"| 0.39align="right"| 1,382
53.06.07.2006Watobukualign="right"| 1.45align="right"| 1,233
53.06.07.2007Labelenalign="right"| 4.69align="right"| 773
53.06.07.2008Menangaalign="right"| 12.49align="right"| 664
53.06.07.2009Lohayong Ialign="right"| 3.01align="right"| 694
53.06.07.2010Wulublolongalign="right"| 5.98align="right"| 1,236
53.06.07.2011Liwoalign="right"| 5.69align="right"| 959
53.06.07.2012Tanah Werangalign="right"| 0.85align="right"| 1,743
53.06.07.2013Lewohedoalign="right"| 4.50align="right"| 915
53.06.07.2014Lohayong IIalign="right"| 1.88align="right"| 731
53.06.07.2016Watanhura IIalign="right"| 8.91align="right"| 390
53.06.07.2017Lewogekaalign="right"| 7.35align="right"| 1,981
53.06.07.2018Lamawaialign="right"| 5.41align="right"| 1,713
53.06.07.2019Kawutaalign="right"| 1.10align="right"| 708
TotalsEast Soloralign="right"| 66.56align="right"| 17,066

{{col-end}}

History

= Pre-colonial period =

In the 14th century, Solor was said to have been conquered by the Majapahit empire, and the island is mentioned in the Negarakertagama as a possession of Majapahit.{{Cite book |last=Weekes |first=Richard V. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dQ3FEAAAQBAJ&q=Muslim+Peoples:+A+World+Ethnographic+Survey |title=Muslim Peoples [2 Volumes]: A World Ethnographic Survey |date=1984 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-0-313-23392-0 |pages=437 |language=en}} In the 16th century, parts of the island were under the influence of the Sultanate of Ternate. Since at least the 16th century, Solor played an important role in the trade of sandalwood by acting as a popular safe harbor for ships engaged in the trade. This made Solor a relevant part of the mercantile networks of the wider region, a situation that would be reversed with the arrival of the Portuguese.

= Colonial period =

In 1520, the Portuguese established a trading post in the village of Lamakera on the eastern side of the island as a transit harbor between Maluku and Portuguese Malacca. In 1562, Dominican priests built a palm-trunk fortress which Javanese Muslims burned down the following year. The fort was rebuilt from more durable materials and the Dominicans commenced the Christianisation of the local population.{{cite book |last=Heuken |first=Adolf |editor-last1=Aritonang |editor-first1=Jan Sihar |editor-last2=Steenbrink |editor-first2=Karel |title=A History of Christianity in Indonesia |publisher=Brill |date=2008 |pages=73–97 |chapter=Chapter 4: The Solor-Timor mission of the Dominicans, 1562–1800 |volume=35 |jstor=10.1163/j.ctv4cbgb1.9 |chapter-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/10.1163/j.ctv4cbgb1.9.pdf |isbn=978-90-04-17026-1}} By 1590 the Portuguese and Christian population numbered about 25,000. There were, however, repeated displays of resistance against both the Portuguese and their religion; in 1598–1599, for example, the Portuguese required an armada of 90 ships to put down a Solorese uprising.{{cite book|last =Ricklefs | first =M.C. | title =A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300, 2nd Edition | publisher =MacMillan | date =1991 | location =London | isbn = 0-333-57689-6 | page =25 }}

At this time, there was a conflict between the traders and the priests, so the traders left Solor and settled in Larantuka at Flores island. When the Dutch came in 1613, the priests surrendered at the first attack and were brought to Larantuka, too.

The Dutch kept the fort, but did not make a profit close to the Portuguese port. After two commanders defected to the Portuguese, they gave up Solor. In 1636 the Portuguese were attacked by the Dutch and had to abandon the fort. In 1646 the Dutch occupied the fort again. The first of the new commanders was suspended, because he married an indigenous woman. The second commander challenged the Portuguese commander to a duel and was slain. In 1648 the Dutch left and the Dominican priests returned.{{cite book|last =Daus|first =Ronald|title =Die Erfindung des Kolonialismus|publisher =Hammer|date =1983|location =Wuppertal|pages =325–327| isbn = 3-87294-202-6 }}

In 1851 the Portuguese governor José Joaquim Lopes de Lima sold Solor and other areas of the Lesser Sunda Islands, which had been under Portuguese sovereignty, to the Netherlands for 200,000 florins without authorization from Lisbon. Lisbon did not recognise the sale and had Lopes arrested. He died on the way back to Europe. From 1854 the agreements were renegotiated. The sale was finally confirmed in the Lisbon Treaty and was ratified in 1859. Although the Dutch occupied the fort with a small force, the occupation was withdrawn again in 1869 for economic reasons but the official affiliation to the Netherlands remained.M. C. Ricklefs: A History of Modern Indonesia Since c.1300. 2. MacMillan, London 1991, ISBN 0-333-57689-6, p.25 It was under Japanese occupation between 1942 and 1945, but along with the state of East Indonesia was later annexed into the United States of Indonesia with independence in 1949.

File:Fortaleza de Solor.jpg|Portuguese Fortress of Solor

File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Gezicht uit het fort van Solor op Tedoenara TMnr 60033462.jpg|Ruins of a fort in Solor in the 1930s

File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Portret van een groep mannen van Poelau Solor in krijgskleding TMnr 60007331.jpg|Solor warriors, 1915.

Towns and villages

{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}

  • Amakebo
  • Apelame
  • Aplame
  • Balawelin
  • Balawelin I – Riangtaliha and Lamalewo
  • Balawelin II – Riangmuda and Rianglaka
  • Buwu-Atagamu
  • Daniwato
  • Enatukan
  • Karawatung
  • Kelike
  • Kelike – Lewolo and lamagohan
  • Kenere
  • Kukuwerang
  • Lamakera, Indonesia
  • Lamawolo
  • Lamboleng
  • Lebao
  • Lemanu
  • Lewograran
  • Lewograran
  • Lewohedo
  • Liko
  • Liwo
  • Lohayong
  • Menanga
  • Ongalereng
  • Pamakayo
  • Sulengwaseng
  • Wulublolong

{{Div col end}}

See also

  • {{Portal inline|Islands}}

References

{{Reflist}}