bacan

Bacan, also spelled Bacan, refers to Bacan Island, the principal island of the Bacan Archipelago in North Maluku Province, Indonesia. It lies in the Halmahera Sea in the eastern Maluku Islands, between Halmahera and Obi Islands. Administratively, Bacan is part of the regency Pulau Bacan, with Labuha on Bacan Island serving as its administrative center; the archipelago includes several smaller islands.

Demographics and language: The island is inhabited by the Bacanese people, who speak the Bacanese language, a Malayo-Polynesian language. Islam is the majority religion.

History: Bacan was the center of the historic Sultanate of Bacan, a maritime polity involved in the spice trade and relations with regional powers and European traders during the early modern era. The sultanate existed for centuries before being incorporated into Dutch colonial rule and, after Indonesian independence, into the modern state.

Geography and environment: The island has a tropical rainforest climate with volcanic terrain and surrounding waters featuring coral reefs and diverse marine life.

Economy: Agriculture (including spices and coconuts), fishing, and small-scale trade form the main local economy. Tourism is limited but has potential.