Sumbawa is roughly circular island, with a "tail" to the southwest, about 70 km across and a total area of about 4,725 km² (1,825 sq mi). The island's inhabitants are 85% Sasak, a people, closely related to the Balinese, but mostly practising Islam. The population is about half a million.
The main island of Sumbawa is larger than Bali and Lombok combined. Sumbawa lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is a volcanic island, including Mount Tambora - which exploded in 1815. The volcano, and its sacred crater lake, are protected by a National Park established in 1997. Sumbawa Besar and Bima are the two largest towns on the island, and are the centres of distinct cultural groups that share the island. The island of Sumbawa is particularly know for great conditions for surfing. The two main surfing areas are West Sumbawa and the Lakey area. There is an old palace of sultan from southern Celebes used to celebrate golden times thanks to aroma sandalwood and wild horse business. Sumbawa is also known for production of traditional wooden ships and very interesting little seaport called Sape.
Bali has been inhabited since early prehistoric times firstly by descendants of a prehistoric race who migrated through mainland Asia to the Indonesian archipelago, thought to have first settled in Bali around 3000 BC. Stone tools dating from this time have been found near the village of Cekik in the island's west.
The First European contact with Bali is thought to have been when Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman arrived in 1597, though a Portuguese ship had foundered off the Bukit Peninsula as early as 1585. Dutch rule over Bali came later, was more aggressively fought for, and was never as well established as in other parts of Indonesia such as Java and Maluku.
Bali & Around 
