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Timur-West |
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Timor Leste |
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Golf Courses |
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Kupang Timor |
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Padang Golf Eltari |
Address:
Eltari Air Force Base
Kupang - East Nusa Tenggara |
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Tribes |
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W-Timor |
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Amarasi -W-Timur-57.000 |
ROYAL TIMORA website on the Kings , Rajas and
Dynasties of Timor |
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Bunak-Timur West-82.000 |
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Central interior Timor Island, south coast. Alternate names: Buna’,
Bunake, Bunaq. |
The Bunak of Indonesia are located in the central interior of Timor
Island in the province of Nusa Tenggara. They are one of the major people
groups on the island. Their language, which is also called Bunak, is not
closely related to any other language.
There is little information concerning the specific lifestyle and culture of
the Bunak; however, it is assumed that they are very similar to other
aboriginal groups living in Timor.
The island of Timor is about 280 miles long and up to 65 miles wide. At 9,679
feet, Mount Ramelau is the highest point. Almost all of the island's
precipitation falls during the monsoon season, which occurs from December to
March. The soil is generally poor, and natural vegetation is sparse. There
are, however, valuable forests of eucalyptus, sandalwood, rosewood, bamboo,
and teak.
The Portuguese settled on Timor in the early 1500's, and Dutch traders first
landed on the island in 1613. The Portuguese and Dutch competed for influence
until a series of agreements established boundaries between their holdings.
Dutch Timor, centered in the west, became part of the Republic of Indonesia in
1950. Portuguese Timor, centered in the east, was forcibly annexed by
Indonesia in late 1975.
The economy of Timor is dominated by agriculture. Cultivation is by
traditional methods, and the chief products are maize, rice, coffee, fruit,
and copra (dried coconut meat yielding oil). The coastal inhabitants of Timor
are largely of Indonesian-Malay descent. They have driven the predominantly
Melanesian aborigines (such as the Bunak) to the mountains.
Bunak villages often consist of individual settlements. In the mountains, the
people live on swiddens (land that has been cleared by "slash and burn"
agriculture) for part of the year. After harvesting the crops, however, they
return to their home villages. Each village has a sacred house, with a
custodian priest and a surrounding taboo area. Because of former coastal
warfare, villages and isolated houses are surrounded by stockades.
Bunak descent is traced through both the males and females, and the circle of
kinship is divided into various sub-groups. The center, however, is the
nuclear family, composed of a man, woman, and their children.
Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia today and is practiced by much of
the population. Before the 1300's, Hinduism was widespread in the area but is
now practiced by only a small number of people. About 13% of the country's
population is Christian, primarily Protestant; and many of the Chinese follow
Buddhist-Taoist teachings. Animistic religions (belief that | |
