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Savu
Savu (Indonesian: Sawu, also known as Sabu, Havu, and Hawu) is the largest of a group of three islands, situated midway between Sumba and Rote, west of Timor, in Indonesia's eastern province, East Nusa Tenggara. Ferries connect the islands to Waingapu on Sumba, Ende on Flores, and Kupang in West Timor. Flying to Savu through Susi Air from Kupang, Ende, and Waingapu is also possible.
The Savu Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Sawu) include Rai Hawu (or Savu), Rai Jua, and Rai Dana. The three islands are fringed by coral reefs and sandy beaches. Rai Hawu is the principal island. Rai Jua is a smaller island west of Rai Hawu. Rai Dana is a small, uninhabited island, situated 30 km southwest of Rai Jua. From April to October, deep ocean swells pound the southern coastlines.
The land is covered for the most part by grassland and palms. The climate of this island is tropical savanna (Aw) with dry months for much of the year because of the dry winds which blow from Australia. The main rains usually fall between November and March. Between 82% and 94% of all rain falls during the west monsoon and with little or no rain falling between August and October. The mean annual rainfall for Savu Island is 1,019 mm. During the dry season, many streams run dry and local inhabitants must depend on wells for their water supplies.
The Savu Islands are situated in a tectonic subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian Plate is moving northward, sliding under the Eurasian Plate. The islands lie on a ridge that was created by volcanic eruptions caused by the plate movement. Sediments carried into the Earth's crust heat up and rise in plumes of magma, which cool and solidify to form igneous rock. The Sumba Ridge is no longer volcanically active, but active volcanoes are on the island of Flores, to the north. The compression of the two tectonic plates is causing the Savu Islands to rise at a rate of about 1 mm per year. Occasionally, however, the tectonic plate suddenly slips a much greater distance, resulting in an earthquake. The 8.3 Mw Sumba earthquake struck 280 km west-southwest of Rai Jua in August 1977. The shock triggered a destructive tsunami which swept across the coastal plain at Seba, reaching as high as the airport. No one was reported missing on Savu or Rai Jua. However, on the neighbouring islands of Sumba and Sumbawa, the death toll reached 180.Interactive map showing major earthquakes in East Nusa Tenggara between 1970 and 2005 (requires Flash Player)
The population was 89,327 at the 2020 Census, and the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 94,787. Savu society still performs traditional animistic beliefs, known as Djingi Tiu. Dutch missionaries introduced Protestantism which remains on the islands today. The Savu people also inhabit the southeastern end of Sumba Island.
The Savunese have a traditional greeting, done by pressing one's nose (at the same time) to another person's nose at an encounter. It is used in all meetings among Savu's people and on major ceremonies, and serves a similar purpose to a formal handshake in modern western culture, and indeed is often used in conjunction with one, similar to the Hongi in New Zealand.
The group of three islands was formed (in 2008) into the Sabu Raijua Regency within East Nusa Tenggara province.
Savunese culture is ecologically fitting for such an arid environment. The traditional clan agreements on land control and water distribution ensure that the land is carefully managed and not overexploited. Their gardens form a well structured ecology, emulating a tropical forest with diverse species of trees and shade plants.
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Savu
Savu (Indonesian: Sawu, also known as Sabu, Havu, and Hawu) is the largest of a group of three islands, situated midway between Sumba and Rote, west of Timor, in Indonesia's eastern province, East Nusa Tenggara. Ferries connect the islands to Waingapu on Sumba, Ende on Flores, and Kupang in West Timor. Flying to Savu through Susi Air from Kupang, Ende, and Waingapu is also possible.
The Savu Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Sawu) include Rai Hawu (or Savu), Rai Jua, and Rai Dana. The three islands are fringed by coral reefs and sandy beaches. Rai Hawu is the principal island. Rai Jua is a smaller island west of Rai Hawu. Rai Dana is a small, uninhabited island, situated 30 km southwest of Rai Jua. From April to October, deep ocean swells pound the southern coastlines.
The land is covered for the most part by grassland and palms. The climate of this island is tropical savanna (Aw) with dry months for much of the year because of the dry winds which blow from Australia. The main rains usually fall between November and March. Between 82% and 94% of all rain falls during the west monsoon and with little or no rain falling between August and October. The mean annual rainfall for Savu Island is 1,019 mm. During the dry season, many streams run dry and local inhabitants must depend on wells for their water supplies.
The Savu Islands are situated in a tectonic subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian Plate is moving northward, sliding under the Eurasian Plate. The islands lie on a ridge that was created by volcanic eruptions caused by the plate movement. Sediments carried into the Earth's crust heat up and rise in plumes of magma, which cool and solidify to form igneous rock. The Sumba Ridge is no longer volcanically active, but active volcanoes are on the island of Flores, to the north. The compression of the two tectonic plates is causing the Savu Islands to rise at a rate of about 1 mm per year. Occasionally, however, the tectonic plate suddenly slips a much greater distance, resulting in an earthquake. The 8.3 Mw Sumba earthquake struck 280 km west-southwest of Rai Jua in August 1977. The shock triggered a destructive tsunami which swept across the coastal plain at Seba, reaching as high as the airport. No one was reported missing on Savu or Rai Jua. However, on the neighbouring islands of Sumba and Sumbawa, the death toll reached 180.Interactive map showing major earthquakes in East Nusa Tenggara between 1970 and 2005 (requires Flash Player)
The population was 89,327 at the 2020 Census, and the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 94,787. Savu society still performs traditional animistic beliefs, known as Djingi Tiu. Dutch missionaries introduced Protestantism which remains on the islands today. The Savu people also inhabit the southeastern end of Sumba Island.
The Savunese have a traditional greeting, done by pressing one's nose (at the same time) to another person's nose at an encounter. It is used in all meetings among Savu's people and on major ceremonies, and serves a similar purpose to a formal handshake in modern western culture, and indeed is often used in conjunction with one, similar to the Hongi in New Zealand.
The group of three islands was formed (in 2008) into the Sabu Raijua Regency within East Nusa Tenggara province.
Savunese culture is ecologically fitting for such an arid environment. The traditional clan agreements on land control and water distribution ensure that the land is carefully managed and not overexploited. Their gardens form a well structured ecology, emulating a tropical forest with diverse species of trees and shade plants.