West Manggarai district

Regency capital
Labuhanbajo

Population
188 724

West Manggarai is the westernmost district of Flores. The district contains the Komodo National Park, which represents one of Indonesia’s most promising tourism potentials. Still, foreign visitors are few, but a daily propel air flight is recently set in operation between Bali and Labuhan Bajo, the district capital.

People in West Manggarai are still dominantly traditional farmers and fishermen. Climatic changes may have caused more agricultural problems of drought recently. The Manggarai people still practice swidden agriculture, growing mostly rice and corn. Permanent rice terraces became more common after 1960. They also grow coffee, onions, and beans for export and raise horses and water buffalo. Water supply to households is also scarce in parts of the districts during long periods of the year.

The Manggarai people were historically ruled alternately by the Bimanese of Sumbawa and the Makassarese of Celebes. Their own political system is based on clans, led by the chief of the Todo clan. Manggarai descent is patrilineal, and the fundamental settlement pattern is the village, which is composed of at least two clans. Each clan traditionally existed in relationship with two others; a group of three clans had complementary roles in providing and receiving marriage partners, but today marriage rules are more flexible. As a result of the Dutch influx in the 20th century, most of the Manggarai are Roman Catholic.

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