Pulaupulau

Pulaupulau, usually written as pulau-pulau or pulau pulau, is a term in the Malay and Indonesian languages that means “islands” or “an archipelago.” The form pulau-pulau is produced by reduplication of the base word pulau (island), a common linguistic pattern in Austronesian languages used to indicate plurality, repetition, or a collection of items. When used in place names or descriptions, pulau-pulau denotes a cluster of islands rather than a single landmass.

Geographically, the concept is relevant to archipelagic regions in Southeast Asia, such as the Indonesian and Malaysian archipelagos. Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelagic state, contains thousands of islands, many of which are grouped into provinces, regencies, or special-purpose zones. The term is also used in local languages to refer to island groups within a larger country or sea, for example groups of islands off a coast.

Ecologically, island clusters exhibit high biodiversity and endemism but face challenges such as limited freshwater, habitat loss, and climate-related sea-level rise. Administratively, pulau-pulau may be organized into island districts or municipalities, affecting governance, infrastructure, and disaster management. The concept underlines the importance of coastal and maritime policy in archipelagic states.