Semau, also known as ''Pusmau'' and ''Pasar Pusmau,'' is an island in the

Lesser Sunda Islands The Lesser Sunda Islands (, , ), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali pro ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. It is located 20 miles off the harbor of

Kupang Kupang (, ), formerly known as Koepang, is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara. At the 2020 Indonesian census, 2020 Census, it had a population of 442,758;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as o ...

. The inhabitants of Samau are the

Helong people Helong people are one of the indigenous inhabitants of Timor Island in Indonesia. Most of them live in Kupang Regency, namely in West Kupang and Central Kupang; and some also settled in Flores Island and Semau Island. Their livelihoods are mainl ...

, who some believe are the original inhabitants of the

area. It is a supplier of firewood and charcoal and grows corn, watermelon, and mango. Semau is also used as a holiday village where snorkeling, swimming, and other water sports are popular.

References

Outer Banda Arc Important Bird Areas of Timor {{island-stub