Ceram

Ceram, island, Indonesia: see Seram.

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Ceram

 or Seram

Island of the central Moluccas, Indonesia. It has an area of 6,621 sq mi (17,148 sq km). The terrain is mountainous and covered with tropical forests; seismic activity is common. Portuguese missionaries arriving in the 15th century found Hindu and Islamic influences present; the island came under nominal Dutch control c. 1650. During World War II the Japanese occupied it; after the war it became part of Indonesia.

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Seram, Ceram

an island in Indonesia, in the Moluccas, separated from New Guinea by the Ceram Sea: mountainous and densely forested. Area: 17 150 sq. km (6622 sq. miles)

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Ceram 

an island in the eastern part of the Malay Archipelago, in the Molucca island group. Part of Indonesia. Area, 17,100 sq km; with adjacent islands, about 18,700 sq km. Population, about 100,000(1971).

Ceram has predominantly mountainous relief, with elevations to 3,019 m (Mount Binaija). Lowlands occupy a narrow strip along the coast. In places there are coral reefs along the shores. The island has a humid equatorial climate. The temperature throughout the year is 25°–27°C, and annual precipitation is about 2,000 mm on the plains and up to 4,000 mm in the mountains. There are dense tropical rain forests, with tracts of summer-green monsoon forests in the south. Slash-and-burn agriculture is widespread. Sago and coconut palms, pepper, sugarcane, clove and nutmeg trees, coffee, cacao, and mangoes are grown on plantation. Fishing is also important. The port of Wahai is located on the island’s northern coast.

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Ceram 

an interisland sea in the Malay Archipelago, bounded by the islands of Ceram, Buru, and Misool, and the Obi and Sula island groups, and New Guinea. The Ceram Sea has an area of 161,000 sq km and a volume of 173,000 cu km. The average depth is 1,074 m, and the maximum depth, 5,319 m. The bottom is covered with sandy silt. There are numerous coral reefs along the shores. The average surface water temperature is 27°–28°C; the salinity is approximately 34 parts per thousand. Tides are irregular and semidiurnal and range from 1.7 to 2.3 m.