ampat

Ampat, commonly known as Raja Ampat, is an Indonesian archipelago and regency in the northwest of the Bird's Head Peninsula in West Papua. The group includes four main islands—Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo—and hundreds of smaller islands and reefs, with an archipelago of roughly 1,500 islands overall. Administratively, it forms the Raja Ampat Regency within West Papua Province.

Raja Ampat is renowned for its biodiversity. It lies within the Coral Triangle and has one of the richest marine environments on Earth, hosting a vast diversity of corals, fish, mollusks, and other marine life. The area is a popular diving destination, featuring notable sites such as Dampier Strait and Manta Sandy, and is the focus of ongoing biodiversity and conservation research. The archipelago also contains terrestrial habitats, including tropical rainforests on several larger islands, and supports a variety of bird and land species.

Conservation and economy: The region is governed as a regency and includes a network of marine protected areas and community-based conservation programs, aimed at preserving reefs and fish stocks while sustaining local livelihoods. Tourism, especially ecotourism and scuba diving, is a major economic activity, with visitors accessing the area primarily via Sorong, a gateway city, followed by boat transfers to the islands. The term Ampat is often used interchangeably with Raja Ampat to refer to the archipelago and its protected marine areas, which are among the most studied and protected in Indonesia.