Maluku Islands
archipelago in eastern Indonesia, also called the Spice Islands
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The Maluku Islands, also known as the Spice Islands, are an archipelago located in eastern Indonesia. Historically, they were important centers of spice production that attracted traders and colonial powers from around the world.
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The Maluku Islands (/məˈlʊkuː, -ˈluː-/ mə-LUU-koo, -LOO-; Indonesian: Kepulauan Maluku, IPA: [kəpuˈlawan maˈluku]) or the Moluccas (/məˈlʌkəz/ mə-LUK-əz; Dutch: Molukken [ˌmoːˈlʏkə(n)]) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically located in West Melanesia, the Moluccas have been considered a geographical and cultural intersection of Asia and Oceania.
The islands were known as the Spice Islands because of the nutmeg, mace, and cloves that were exclusively found there, the presence of which sparked European colonial interests in the 16th century.