Facts about Komodo Island
There are 17,508 islands in the Republic of Indonesia. Komodo Island is one of these islands, famous for one of its inhabitants, the Komodo dragon. Komodo National Park includes Komodo Island. The island is popular among tourists who want to see the dragon and divers who want to see the coral reefs in the area. The island is one of the New and Wonders of Nature.
Those who live on this island are descended from former convicts who were sent there after their convictions.
The Komodo dragons that live on this island and a few others nearby are the world’s largest lizards.
Komodo Island is 390 square kilometers in size. It is 15 kilometers wide and 30 kilometers long.
Permanent residents number around 2000 people on the island.
The people who live on the island practice Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.
Komodo Island is part of the Lesser Sunda Chain, a group of islands.
The dry season on Komodo Island lasts from April to December. July and August are the coldest months. The average temperature during these months is 30 degrees Celsius.
The rainy season on Komodo Island lasts from January to March. Despite the fact that it is rainy season, Komodo Island does not receive the torrential rain that the rest of Indonesia does.
Dive trips to Komodo Island are available all year.
Komodo Island has less than 4000 wild birds and is home to many endangered species. Komodo Island is home to approximately 25 endangered species.
Komodo Island is thought to have formed around 1 million years ago.
There are approximately 1000 species of fish and 253 reef-building coral species in the coral reefs beneath the sea around Komodo Island.
Only seven beaches in the world have pink sand. One of these pink sand beaches can be found on Komodo Island. Pink sand is a combination of red and white sand.
Despite the fact that there had been stories about the Komodo dragon for many years, no one went to Komodo Island to investigate until the early 1910s.
In the mid-nineteenth century, fossils resembling Komodo dragons were discovered in Australia. These fossils were discovered between 30 and 60 million years ago.
The dragons were originally described by Dutch sailors as being seven meters long and capable of breathing fire. The results of a Dutch official’s expedition were published in 1912. The Komodo dragon was not a dragon, but rather a monitor lizard.
Satalibo, the highest mountain on Komodo Island, rises 735 meters to its peak.
Komodo Island has remnants of rainforest as well as bamboo forests.
Deer are a favorite food of the Komodo dragon, and in order to increase their population, the government began prohibiting islanders from hunting deer.
UNESCO designated Komodo National Park as a World Heritage Site in 1991.
On November 11, 2011, Komodo Island was named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.