Haruku Island is an island in Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, Indonesia - lying east of Ambon Island, off the southern coast of Seram and just west of Saparua. It is administered as a single district, Haruku Island District (Kecamatan Pulau Haruku), with a land area of 150 km2 and a population of 24,207 at the 2010 census and 27,390 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 26,551.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Maluku Tengah Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8101) The inhabitants of Haruku speak the Haruku language, as well as Indonesian and Ambonese Malay.
There are six Christian (Aboru, Haruku, Hulaliu, Kariu, Oma and Wassu) and five Muslim (Kabauw, Kailolo, Pelauw, Rohomoni and Sameth) villages (desa) on the island. The areas (in km2) and 2020 Census populationsBadan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. of each of these, together with the official estimates as at mid 2022,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023, Kecamatan Pulau Haruku Dalam Angka 2023 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8103090) are as follows: Kode Wilayah NameofdesaArea inkm2 Pop'nCensus2020 Pop'nEstimatemid 2022 81.01.13.2001 Aboru 17.00 1,953 2,040 81.01.13.2002 Wassu 7.00 820 753 81.01.13.2003 Oma 10.00 2,469 2,482 81.01.13.2004 Haruku (village) 13.00 2,335 2,319 81.01.13.2005 Sameth 8.00 460 557 81.01.13.2006 Rohomoni 15.00 2,668 2,692 81.01.13.2007 Kabauw 12.00 1,288 1,647 81.01.13.2008 Kailolo 13.00 3,410 4,156 81.01.13.2009 Pelauw 35.00 6,850 7,520 81.01.13.2010 Kariu 8.00 1,017 1,136 81.01.13.2011 Hulaliu 12.00 1,606 1,757 As on most of the islands of the Moluccas, spices such as nutmeg, cloves, cumin and ginger are grown as cash crops.
In 1527, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach the island. The Dutch followed in 1590 and established Fort New Zealand, whose ruins are now a tourist attraction. During World War II, the Japanese established a Prisoner-of-war camp for captive British and Dutch forces on the island, who were used as forced labour to build an airstrip.
References
External links
Old map of Manipa, Haruku, Saparua and Nusalaut