Buru

Buru is an island in Indonesia’s Maluku province located in the eastern part of the archipelago, with a hilly, largely forested interior and a populated coastal fringe. It is administered from the island’s principal town and serves as a centre for local fishing, agriculture and small-scale trade.

The island’s landscape includes low mountains and rainforest, with coastal bays and mangrove areas that support fishing communities. Small towns such as Namlea act as administrative and market centres, while other coastal settlements specialise in fisheries and clove or sago production.

During the mid-20th century the island was used by the Indonesian government as a detention site for political prisoners; notable cases from that period are part of Buru’s modern historical record. Over time the island’s economy has remained oriented to primary production and local services.

Buru lies in the Banda Sea region of the Maluku Islands, east of Seram and west of Ambon, and is part of Indonesia’s Maluku provincial administration.

• Landscape: Part of Indonesia's Maluku province, the island has rainforest-covered interior hills and a coastline with mangroves and bays used by local communities.
• Historical note: In the 1960s-1970s the island was used by the Indonesian government to detain political prisoners; the writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer was among those imprisoned there.

What to See #

• Namlea: Namlea, the island's main town and administrative centre, located on the northern coast and acting as the primary transport and market hub.
• Kayeli: Kayeli Bay and the associated coastal communities on the island's eastern side, known for fishing and local maritime activities.