Seram Island

Seram is a large island in Indonesia’s Maluku Islands, north of Ambon. Its mountainous interior includes Mount Binaiya, the highest peak in Maluku.

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Maluku Islands: An Indonesian archipelago between Sulawesi and New Guinea, historically known as the Spice Islands. Seram is one of the archipelago’s largest islands.
Manusela spotted cuscus: A tree-dwelling marsupial native to Seram and nearby islands in Indonesia. This endemic mammal is among the species tied to Seram’s forest habitats.
Alfur people: A historical collective name used for Indigenous peoples of the eastern Indonesian islands, including parts of Seram. The label appears in accounts of Seram’s inland communities, though its meaning varies by source.
Portuguese colonization of the Moluccas: The Portuguese expansion into the Moluccas beginning in the early sixteenth century to control the spice trade. Portuguese influence reached the region around Seram during the era of European spice competition.
Ambon Island: An Indonesian island in the Maluku Islands, south of Seram and home to the provincial capital, Ambon. Ambon lies across a strait south of Seram and anchors regional transport and administration.
Seram bandicoot: A small marsupial known from Seram in Indonesia. Its restricted range makes the island central to its conservation status.
Nuaulu people: An Indigenous people of Seram, Indonesia, with communities traditionally concentrated in the island’s south-central interior. Nuaulu communities are among the island’s culturally distinct peoples.
Dutch East India Company: A Dutch chartered company founded in 1602 that controlled trade and exercised colonial power in Asia. Its expansion in the Moluccas affected the political order surrounding Seram.
Mount Binaiya: A mountain in central Seram and the highest peak in the Maluku Islands. Its summit rises above Seram’s forested mountain interior.
Salmon-crested cockatoo: A large white cockatoo with a salmon-colored crest, native to the southern Moluccas. Seram’s forests are a major habitat for this threatened parrot.