SCHOUTEN ISLANDS

Indonesian Kepulauan Schouten, formerly Misore Islands archipelago in the Pacific Ocean across the entrance to Cenderawasih Bay, off the northern coast of Irian Jaya provinsi (province), Indonesia. The first European sighting of the group was by the Dutch navigator Willem Corneliszoon Schouten. The chief islands are Biak, Supiori, and Numfoor. The town of Biak, on the southern coast of Biak, is the main settlement and administrative centre. The islands, particularly Numfoor and Biak, are among the most densely populated areas of Irian Jaya. This group should not be confused with another island group of the same name, also off the northern coast of New Guinea but belonging to Papua New Guinea.