Maps and Nature
In the north of Sumba are the islands of Sumbawa, Komodo and Flores, Timor and Sabu in the east and south is the Indian Ocean. The island is crossed from west to east direction through an approximately 150 km long and up to 40 km wide region with mountains; the climate is divided into two regions. In the southwestern part gets more rain (up to 1600 mm / year) and the country has favourable areas for rice cultivation. In the very dry north-east (particularly under 600 mm) year, maize and peanuts, mainly for subsistence, cultivation and grazing grows, especially for cattle and horses. Regular burning of land has led to degradation of vegetation in many parts of Sumba, so today is often only a savanna landscape left, eroded karst areas. The forest area Sumba’s now is less than 10% of the total area of the island.
The Citron-crested cockatoo, a subspecies of the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, is found only on Sumba.