Duarte Barbosa’s Description of Timor, the Island of Sandalwood

<p>This landscape and its accompanying dry climate haven&rsquo;t allowed for the kind of dense human settlement that characterises Java and other islands of western Indo-Malaysia. Parts of Timor register lower annual precipitation than Alice Springs, and much of the landscape has the appearance of arid parkland, particularly in the west (Figure 1). The island&rsquo;s mountainous interior is profoundly affected by the cycle of the monsoon winds, resulting in a decisive split between wet and dry seasons, and this extreme seasonality has had a significant impact on human habitation and social life: Timor was once well known in the region for its regular famines and their accompanying strife.</p> <p><a href="https://indomedieval.medium.com/duarte-barbosas-description-of-timor-the-island-of-sandalwood-9828fd0a285a"><strong>Visit Now</strong></a></p>