The
island of Sumba lies towards the eastern end of the Nusa Tenggara
chain, which stretches from Bali in the west to Timor in the east. It is
relatively small, undeveloped, island about 210 km in length with a
population of about 510,000. Sumba lies to the south of Flores and
the belt of volcanoes that runs through most of Indonesia. Its soil
is based on coral and limestone and is not particularly fertile. The
north and east of the island tends to be very dry, while the south
and west is much wetter and more fertile. The rainy season lasts from
December to March although it tends to be longer in the west and
along the south coast. Because of the long dry season in many parts
of the island access to water both for drinking and for agriculture
is a big problem. Maximum temperatures throughout Sumba are uniformly
in the low thirties centigrade although it can be slightly cooler
along the central ridge of the low mountains.
