Banda Islands Today
Banda is within the administrative province of Maluku, Indonesia, a part of Eastern Indonesia also known as the Moluccas. Most people in Banda are farmers and/or fisherman, and are of varying ethnic backgrounds, descended from original Bandanese and immigrants from all over the world, especially Java, the Malay Peninsula, Bay of Bengal and Europe. The people speak Indonesian, and approximately 95% are Muslim and 5% Christian. Nutmeg remains an important export crop, along with fish (particularly tuna), cloves, and bananas. Tourism was also an important part of the economy, with several thousand domestic and foreign visitors arriving per year prior to the 1999 conflict. There are hopes of reviving this soon.
The Banda Islands have spectacular scenery, and many visual reminders of the past, like crumbling, overgrown fortresses and colonial-style houses. The surrounding coral reefs are some of the most beautiful and unspoiled in the world, with steep drop offs to the deep Banda Sea basin. (sources)