The tropical island
Wetar belongs to the
Indonesian province
Maluku and is the largest island of the
Barat Daya Islands (literally
Southwest Islands). It lies east of the
Lesser Sunda Islands, which include nearby
Alor and
Timor, but it is politically part of the
Maluku Islands. To the south, across the
Wetar Strait, lies the island of Timor; at its closest it is 56&_160;km away. To the west, across the
Ombai Strait, lies the island of Alor. To the southwest is the very small island of
Liran and, further, the small
East Timorese island of
Atauro. To the north is the
Banda Sea and to the east lie
Romang and
Damar, the other principal islands of the Barat Daya Islands.
The principal cities on Wetar are Lioppa in the northwest, Ilwaki in the south, Wasiri in the north, Masapun in the east, and Arwala in the northeast. These are connected by roads.
Wetar is 130&_160;km wide east-to-west, and 45&_160;km north-to-south. It has an area of 3600&_160;km². It is surrounded by coral reefs and deep seas, which are suitable for diving. The highest point on the island is 1412 m.
Wetar is part of a volcanic island arc which includes the other Barat Daya Islands and the Banda Islands, created by the collision of the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate. It is not, however, principally of volcanic origin, being instead mainly oceanic crust that has been lifted by the plate collision. The stratovolcano Gunungapi Wetar (282 m high) erupted in 1512 and 1699.
