Kangean Islands

Kangean Islands
Kangean
Kangean Islands
Coordinates: 6°59′S 115°39′E / 6.983°S 115.650°E / -6.983; 115.650
Capital	Arjasa
Divisions	3 districts, 37 villages[1]
Government
• Body	Sumenep Regencial Government
Area
• Total	648.56 km2 (250.41 sq mi)
Elevation	364 m (1,194 ft)
Population  (mid 2022 estimate)[2]
• Total	166,742
• Density	260/km2 (670/sq mi)
Demographics
• Ethnic groups	Kangeanese, Bajo/Bajau, Bugis, Mandarese, Chinese, Arabs, Madurese and Others
• Religion	Islam (predominantly) Folk Islam
• Languages	Indonesian (official) Kangeanese (regional) Other languages: Bajo/Bajau, Mandarese, Buginese, Madurese
Time zone	UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time)

The Kangean Islands or simply Kangean (Indonesian: Kepulauan Kangean) is a collective name for a group of islands lying to the east of Madura. Kangean (the main island) and its surrounding islands lie to the north of Bali in the northern Bali Sea, to the northwest of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara),^[3] and administratively they form three districts within Sumenep Regency, East Java Province. The group comprises a total of 91 islands including 27 inhabited islands. Kangean is located approximately 120 km (75 mi) in the north of Bali,^[4] the northwest of Lombok, and 120 km east of Madura.^[5] The biggest and most populous district is Arjasa, which includes the town of that name located in the west of the island. The Kangean Islands have a large potential for natural resources, such as natural gas, teak, coconut, and salt production.^[3]

Kangean Islands

class=notpageimage|

Location of Kangean Islands in the north of Bali in the northern Bali Sea, and northwest of Lombok.

The largest island, at about 490 km², is Kangean Island. Other islands include Paliat, Sepanjang, and several smaller ones. The towns of Arjasa and Kalikatak, both on Kangean Island, are the area's largest population centres. The Kangean islands have strong historical and ethnic ties with Madura, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, Sumbawa, South Borneo, and also South Sulawesi. The majority religion in Kangean is Islam.

The highest elevation point on the islands is in the northeast at 1,192 feet (364 m.), while overall the islands are low in elevation.^[3] The weather tends to rain regularly.

Saltwater crocodiles are reported to be present within the island's coastal mangroves.^{[citation needed]}

They are administered as three districts (kecamatan) of Sumenep Regency - Arjasa, Kangayan, and Sapêken. Arjasa District forms the west part of the main island, Kangayan District forms the east part of that island, and Sapêken District comprises several separate islands to the east and southeast of Kangean, of which Paliat and Sepanjang are the largest. Together, their population was 108,264 in the 2000 census, increasing to 123,367 in the 2010 census^[6] and to 161,056 at the 2020 census,^[7] while the official estimate as of mid-2022 was 166,742.^[2]

The Kangeanese (Kangeanese: Oréng Kangéan, Indonesian: Orang Kangean or Suku Kangean) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Indonesian island of Kangean and its surrounding islands.^{[citation needed]} The Kangeanese population lives mostly on the Kangean Islands, making up c.90% of the island group's population of 166,742.^[2]

The Kangean language is mainly spoken in Kangean areas.

Since 1993 the islands have been the site of substantial natural gas mining. The natural gas fields were first discovered and developed by the United States corporation ARCO, which became a subsidiary of BP in 2000. In mid-2004, BP sold its Kangean holdings to an Indonesian corporation, PT Energi Mega Persada. The islands are connected to East Java via a 430 km pipeline,^[8] most of which runs underwater.

Other economic activities on the islands include teak, coconut, and salt production.^[3]

In 2014, the local government agreed to reactivate an old airstrip on Kangean Island. The airstrip is 1,000 meters long and 30 meters wide.^[9]

• Map including the Kangean Islands