Nias

Nias (nē`äs), volcanic island (1990 pop. 588,543), 1,842 sq mi (4,771 sq km), Indonesia, in the Indian Ocean, off Sumatra. Most of the population are descended from the Niah people; their economy is largely agricultural. The chief town is Gunungsitoli. Native handicraft is highly developed; megalithic shrines dot the land. The Dutch began trading there in 1669. The island is subject to severe earthquakes, that of Mar., 2005, being the most recent and especially devastating, killing more than 700 there and on neighboring islands.

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Nias

Island, western Indonesia, in the Indian Ocean. The largest island in a chain along the western coast of Sumatra, it has an area of 1,842 sq mi (4,772 sq km). Most of the people are animists (see animism) and speak dialects of the Austronesian language family. The chief village is Gunungsitoli on the northeastern coast. Megalithic monuments and wooden sculptures honouring the dead or representing fertility are common on the island. Tourism (notably surfing) has become important. Coastal areas were devastated by an earthquake-generated tsunami in 2004.