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Tidore

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Tidore is a city and an archipelago in the Maluku Islands. It is located in eastern Indonesia. The area is part of the North Maluku Province.

Indonesia 2000 1000r r
Indonesia 2000 1000r r

The city includes the main island of Tidore and three smaller islands. These smaller islands are named Mare, Maitara, and Filonga. A large part of the nearby Halmahera Island is also part of the city. The provincial capital, Sofifi, sits on the mainland of Halmahera. This place is a very important part of the region.

The geography of Tidore is shaped by volcanoes. The main island is a large stratovolcano. This means it is a volcano built up by many layers of ash and lava. A peak called Kie Matubu sits at the south end. It rises high above the sea. The northern side of the island has a large crater called Sabale. Inside this crater, you can see two smaller volcanic cones. To the south, three more small islands sit in a line. These are the summits of separate volcanoes named Mare, Moti, and Makian.

History shows that Tidore was once a very strong power. In the 15th century, it became a center for the spice trade. A ruling group called the Sultanate of Tidore grew very wealthy from spices. They were fierce rivals with the nearby Sultanate of Ternate. The sultans ruled many islands, including parts of Halmahera and even islands near New Guinea. Islam began to spread to the area in the late 14th and 15th centuries. This history made the islands a major political and economic center.

Many different groups arrived in Tidore over the centuries. In the 16th century, the Tidorese made an alliance with the Spanish. The Spanish even built several forts on the island. This helped Tidore resist the Ternateans and the Dutch. Later, the Dutch tried to control the spice trade through a program called extirpatie. This program limited spice production and made life hard for the people. A leader named Prince Nuku even led a long war to fight back against Dutch control. He eventually helped the British take control of Ternate in 1801.

Today, Tidore is a busy and growing place. The capital of the island is Soasio. It is located on the eastern edge of the island. Soasio has a port called Goto, a market, and a bus terminal. The sultan's palace was even rebuilt recently in 2010. The population has grown steadily over the years. In 2010, there were about 90,530 people. By mid-2024, the official estimate was 121,952 people. You can even see Tidore featured on the Indonesian 1,000-rupiah banknote.

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File:Indonesia 2000 1000r r.jpg
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