<sod>  [[Image:BandaBesarIslandSeenFromFortBelgica.JPG|thumb|right|280px|Banda Besar island seen from [[Fort Belgica]].]]
The '''Banda Islands''' ([[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]: ''Kepulauan Banda'') are a 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]]n 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 km². 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 (spice)|mace]], produced from the nutmeg tree. The islands are also popular destinations for [[scuba diving]] and [[snorkeling]].
 
 == History ==
 The Portuguese navigator [[António de Abreu]] was the first [[Europe]]an to encounter the islands, in [[1512]]. Controlling production of [[nutmeg]] and [[Mace (spice)|mace]] was a major motivation for the Dutch conquest of the islands in the 1621, led by [[Jan Pieterszoon Coen]]. At the time nutmeg was one of the "fine spices" kept expensive in Europe by disciplined manipulation of the market, but a desirable commodity for Dutch traders in the ports of India as well; economic historian [[Fernand Braudel]] notes that India consumed twice as much as Europe (Braudel 1984, p. 219). The lucrative monopoly over supply was ruthlessly enforced,: the Dutch decimated and displaced the indigenous Bandanese and the islands were subsequently settled by imported slaves, convicts and indentured labourers (to work the nutmeg plantations), as well as in-migrants from elsewhere in Indonesia.
 <eod> <sod> [[Image:BandaBesarIslandSeenFromFortBelgica.JPG|thumb|right|280px|Banda Besar island seen from [[Fort Belgica]].]]
The '''Banda Islands''' ([[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]: ''Kepulauan Banda'') are a 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]]n province of [[Maluku (Indonesian province)|Maluku]]. The main town and administration centre 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 km². 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 (spice)|mace]], produced from the nutmeg tree. The islands are also popular destinations for [[scuba diving]] and [[snorkeling]].
 
 == History ==
 The Portuguese navigator [[António de Abreu]] was the first [[Europe]]an to encounter the islands, in [[1512]]. Controlling production of [[nutmeg]] and [[Mace (spice)|mace]] was a major motivation for the Dutch conquest of the islands in the 1621, led by [[Jan Pieterszoon Coen]]. At the time nutmeg was one of the "fine spices" kept expensive in Europe by disciplined manipulation of the market, but a desirable commodity for Dutch traders in the ports of India as well; economic historian [[Fernand Braudel]] notes that India consumed twice as much as Europe (Braudel 1984, p. 219). The lucrative monopoly over supply was ruthlessly enforced,: the Dutch decimated and displaced the indigenous Bandanese and the islands were subsequently settled by imported slaves, convicts and indentured labourers (to work the nutmeg plantations), as well as in-migrants from elsewhere in Indonesia.
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