Geography of Bali

Bali is one of the 13,677 islands that make up the nation of Indonesia. It is the last of the Greater Sunda Archipelago, the main geological spine of the Indonesian Republic. Between Bali and the Lesser Sunda islands is the Lombok Strait, which defines the Wallace line (the boundary between Asiatic and Austronesian flora and fauna).

Roughly diamond shaped, with a girth of 120 kilometers at its widest point, the island is dominated by three volcanic peaks. The central mountain, Mount Batur, is a highly active caldera volcano, and features one of the most beautiful volcanic lakes in the world. Lake Batur is the source of many of Bali’s rivers, and river valleys radiate from the volcano. Thousands of hot springs help to irrigate the relatively dry mountain region.

Bali’s predominant agriculture is rice production, and the Balinese hillsides are famous for picturesque terraced rice paddies. Corn, wheat, sugar-cane, coffee, and cocoa beans are also cultivated around the island. Coconuts and fruits such as mango, papaya, and rambutan (sort of like a furry lychee) grow abundantly in the lush tropical climate.

The province of Bali includes three small islands off the eastern coast. The largest and closest of the three islands is Nusa Penida, which is neighbored by the two smaller islands, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan.