Numfoor
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Numfor in Schouten Islands
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| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Melanesia; Maritime South East Asia |
| Archipelago | Schouten Islands |
| Area | 335 km2 (129 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
| Province | Papua |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 9,336 (2010) |
Numfor (also Numfoor, Noemfoor, Noemfoer) is one of the Schouten Islands (also known as the Biak Islands) in Papua province, Western New Guinea, northeastern Indonesia.
It was the site of conflict between Japanese and the Allied forces during World War II, and was major airbase for both sides.
The island is located on the northern side of large Cenderawasih Bay (formerly Geelvink Bay) of New Guinea island. Approximately oval shaped, it has an area of 335 square kilometres (129 sq mi). It is mostly surrounded by coral reefs, with the exception of some points on the southeastern coast. Also found on the southeastern coast are low, steep cliffs. Most of the interior is composed of forest.
The island is jurisdictionally within the Biak Numfor Regency of Papua province.
It has a population of 9,336 people in 2010 census covering 5 kecamatan.
The first sighting by Europeans was by the Spanish navigator Álvaro de Saavedra on 24 June 1528 when he was trying to return from Tidore to New Spain. Another sighting was later reported in 1545 by Spanish navigator Íñigo Ortiz de Retes on board of galleon San Juan when also attempting the return to New Spain
During World War II, Numfor was occupied by Japanese military forces in December 1943. The indigenous population at the time numbered about 5,000 people, most of whom lived a subsistence lifestyle in coastal villages.
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Wikipedia