To which country do the Maluku Islands belong?

The Maluku Islands or the Moluccas are an archipelago within Indonesia. Geographically they are located east of Sulawesi, west of New Guinea, and north and east of Timor. The Maluku Islands population is about 2 million, less than 1% of Indonesia's population.

The Maluku Islands have a total area of 74,505 km2 (28,767 sq mi). There are an estimated 1027 islands. The largest two islands, Halmahera and Seram are sparsely populated, while the most developed, Ambon and Ternate are small. The majority of the islands are forested and mountainous. Mount Binaya (3027 m) on Seram is the highest mountain.

The name Maluku is thought to have been derived from the term used by Arab traders for the region, Jazirat al-Muluk ("the islands of the kings").

They have been known as the Spice Islands due to the nutmeg, mace and cloves that were originally found only there, and the presence of these sparked colonial interest from Europe in the 16th century.