MISOOL ISLAND

Indonesian Pulau Misool island in the Raja Ampat group in the Ceram Sea, Irian Jaya provinsi (province), Indonesia. Misool is located about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of the Doberai (Vogelkop) Peninsula on Irian Jaya. Flat lowlands cover the coastal regions except in the south, which is hilly and mountainous; the hills in the central part of the island reach an elevation of 3,250 feet (991 m). The climate is hot, with heavy rainfall; seasonal streams flow seaward from the central highlands, where there are dense hardwood forests. The island is sparsely populated by Papuans, who engage in seminomadic hunting and gathering. Some produce sago and fish, which are exported to the Irian Jaya ports of Inanwatan and Taminabuan. The chief settlements are Adua on the western tip of the island and Lelintah on the southeastern part of the island.