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East Nusa Tenggara,
geographically, ethnically and culturally a
region whereby the transition from Asia to
Australia and Micronesia takes place, is made up
of 566 islands with Flores, Sumba and West Timor
being the main islands which are all part of Nusa
Tenggara (Lesser Sunda Islands).
The arid landscape
on eastern and southeastern region is the result
of hot and dry winds coming from the Australian
continent. There is hardly any rain in many
parts of the coastal areas. It is important to
note that the islands of East Nusa Tenggara are
formed by the protruding peaks of a mountain
chain which begins in the northern part of
Sumatra. Flores, meaning 'flowers' in Portuguese,
offers to visitors a dizzy range of volcanoes
and pristine offshore beaches with the volcanic
lakes of Kelimutu near Moni and these are the
main tourist attractions in East Sunda Tenggara.
One of the more
famous places of interest in East Nusa Tenggara
in the city of Sumba. Sumba, formerly known
as the 'Sandalwood Island', is known for its
horses and the Sumba cloth and prized for
its large, decorated stone tombs and traditional
houses. Sumba's Pasola festivals is an event not
to be missed whereby mock battles between mounted
warriors fling spears at each other. West Timor
is one of Indonesia's poorest region, made up
of dry and rocky land and most of its population
stays around the city of Kupang. For those who
like to venture into the undiscovered places,
West Timor is the place to visit.
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