THE CORAL TRIANGLE

Get to know the richest marine habitats on this planet

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People & Cultures in the Coral Triangle

Besides being one of the most biologically diverse places in the world, the Coral Triangle is also one of the most culturally rich regions. Papua New Guinea alone boasts more than 800 distinct languages. Throughout the region, coastal peoples have a history of long sea journeys and living off the sea. The remaining Bajau Laut, sea nomads, of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines maintain many of their traditional practices of living an entire life on the sea. In Papua New Guinea there are communities that revere, and are known to call, sharks. The fishermen of Setiu Lagoon in Peninsular Malaysia are so in-tuned with the fish that they can submerge their heads and identify which species is nearby by listening to the sounds they make underwater.

Islam and Christianity are the dominant religions in the region, but many communities combine them with aspects of native and animist beliefs. While Christianity is the dominant religion in the Solomon Islands, many people continue to revere ancestors and believe that they are always around, sometimes in the form of marine animals including octopi, sharks and stingrays.

Tufi, Papua New Guinea

tufi, papua new guinea, old woman, eric madeja

Dili, Timor-Leste

dili, timor-leste, old man, eric madeja

Banggi Island, Malaysia

village, banggi island, eric madeja

Alor, Indonesia

alor, indonesia, fisherman, eric madeja

10 most populous islands in the Coral Triangle

We are, at almost every point of our day, immersed in cultural diversity: faces, clothes, smells, attitudes, values, traditions, behaviours, beliefs, rituals.
Randa Abdel-Fattah
1. Java, Indonesia
  • Estimated population 145 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #1
  • Global largest islands ranking #13

2. Luzon, Philippines
  • Estimated population 52 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #4
  • Global largest islands ranking #15

3. Sumatra, Indonesia
  • Estimated population 50 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #5
  • Global largest islands ranking #6

4. Borneo, Brunei & Malaysia & Indonesia
  • Estimated population 20 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #7
  • Global largest islands ranking #3

5. Mindanao, Philippines
  • Estimated population 20 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #10
  • Global largest islands ranking #19

6. Sulawesi, Indonesia
  • Estimated population 18 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #12
  • Global largest islands ranking #11

7. New Guinea, Papua New Guinea & Indonesia
  • Estimated population 11 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #16
  • Global largest islands ranking #2

8. Bali, Indonesia
  • Estimated population 4,2 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #23
  • Global largest islands ranking #108

9. Negros, Philippines
  • Estimated population 4,2 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #24
  • Global largest islands ranking #62

10. Panay, Philippines
  • Estimated population 4 millions
  • Global most populated islands ranking #25
  • Global largest islands ranking #65

Honiara, Solomon Islands

children, poverty, honiara, solomon islands, eric madeja

Semporna, Malaysia

children, village, semporna, eric madeja

Kavieng, Papua New Guinea

children, papua new guinea, eric madeja

Com, Timor-Leste

children, poverty, timor leste, eric madeja

Coral Triangle - Islands and population

1. Indonesia
18307 Islands - 253 million people

2. Philippines
7107 Islands - 100 million people

3. Solomon Islands
992 Islands - 560'000 people

4. Malaysia
878 Islands - 30 million people

5. Papua New Guinea
600 Islands - 7,5 million people

6. Timor-Leste
3 Islands - 1,2 million people

Alor, Indonesia

coral reef, alor, indonesia, eric madeja