<sod>  [[Image:BandaVolcano.JPG|thumb|right|150px|A volcano in the Banda Islands]]
 [[Image:BandaBesarIslandSeenFromFortBelgica.JPG|thumb|right|150px|A volcano in the Banda Islands]]
 
The '''Banda Islands''' ('''Kepulauan Banda''' in [[Bahasa Indonesia]]) are are group of ten small volcanic [[island]]s in the [[Banda Sea]], about 140km south of [[Seram]] island and about 2000km east of [[Java island|Java]], and are part of the [[Indonesia|Indonesian]] province of [[Maluku (Indonesian province)|Maluku]]. The capital city is [[Bandanaira]], located on the island of the same name. They rise out of 4-6 km deep ocean and have a total land area of approximately 180 sq km. They have a population of about 15,000.  Until the mid 19th century the Banda Islands were the only source of the spices [[nutmeg]] and [[mace]], produced from the nutmeg tree. The islands are also popular destinations for [[scuba diving]] and [[snorkeling]].
 
 The Portuguese were the first [[Europe]]ans to discover the islands in [[1512]]. Controlling production of [[nutmeg]] and [[mace]] was a major motivation for the Dutch conquest of the islands in the [[17th century|17th]] and [[18th century|18th centuries]]. At the time nutmeg was enormously expensive in Europe, and was an ingredient in quack cures for [[Black Death]] etc. and a monopoly over supply would be quite lucrative. [[Fort Belgica]], one of many forts built by the [[Dutch East India Company]], is the largest European fort in Indonesia. The Dutch decimated and displaced the indigenous Bandanese, who were of Melanesian origin, and the islands were subsequently settled by migrants from elsewhere in indonesia.
 
 <eod> <sod> [[Image:BandaVolcano.JPG|thumb|right|150px|A volcano in the Banda Islands]]
 [[Image:BandaBesarIslandSeenFromFortBelgica.JPG|thumb|right|150px|A volcano in the Banda Islands]]
 
The '''Banda Islands''' ('''Kepulauan Banda''' in [[Bahasa Indonesia]]) are are group of ten small volcanic [[island]]s in the [[Banda Sea]], about 140km south of [[Seram]] island and about 2000km east of [[Java island|Java]], and are part of the [[Indonesia|Indonesian]] province of [[Maluku (Indonesian province)|Maluku]]. The capital city is [[Bandanaira]], located on the island of the same name. They rise out of 4-6 km deep ocean and have a total land area of approximately 180 km&sup2;. They have a population of about 15,000.  Until the mid 19th century the Banda Islands were the only source of the spices [[nutmeg]] and [[mace]], produced from the nutmeg tree. The islands are also popular destinations for [[scuba diving]] and [[snorkeling]].
 
 The Portuguese were the first [[Europe]]ans to discover the islands in [[1512]]. Controlling production of [[nutmeg]] and [[mace]] was a major motivation for the Dutch conquest of the islands in the [[17th century|17th]] and [[18th century|18th centuries]]. At the time nutmeg was enormously expensive in Europe, and was an ingredient in quack cures for [[Black Death]] etc. and a monopoly over supply would be quite lucrative. [[Fort Belgica]], one of many forts built by the [[Dutch East India Company]], is the largest European fort in Indonesia. The Dutch decimated and displaced the indigenous Bandanese, who were of Melanesian origin, and the islands were subsequently settled by migrants from elsewhere in indonesia.
 
 <eod>