Ambon (Insel) 5.03

Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of 775km2 and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories. The main city and seaport is Ambon (with a 2009 population of 284,809), which is also the capital of Maluku province and Maluku Tengah (with a 2009 population of 370,931). Ambon has an airport and is home to the Pattimura University and Open University (Universitas Terbuka), state universities, and a few private universities, which include Darussalam University (Universitas Darussalam, UNDAR) and Universitas Kristen Indonesia Maluku (UKIM).GeographyAmbon Island lies off the southwest coast of the much larger Seram island. It is on the north side of the Banda Sea, part of a chain of volcanic islands that encircle the sea. It is 51km long and is of very irregular shape, being almost divided in two. The southeastern and smaller portion, a peninsula (called Leitimor) is united to the northern (Hitoe) by a narrow neck of land. Ambon city is on the northwest of Leitimor, facing Hitoe, and has a safe harbor on Amboina Bay.