Moluccas

American  

[muh-luhk-uhz] / məˈlʌk əz /

plural noun

1. a group of islands in Indonesia, between Sulawesi (Celebes) and New Guinea. About 30,000 sq. mi. (78,000 sq. km).

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Moluccas British  

/ məʊˈlʌkəz, mə- /

plural noun

1. Former name: Spice Islands.  Indonesian name: Maluku.  a group of islands in the Malay Archipelago, between Sulawesi (Celebes) and New Guinea. Capital: Amboina. Pop: 1 990 598 (2000). Area: about 74 505 sq km (28 766 sq miles)

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Other Word Forms

• Moluccan adjective

Example Sentences

Toward the end of the second century BC, merchants traveled along the Silk Road, transporting noodles from Xi’an, grapes from Dayuanand nutmeg from the Moluccas Islandsto eager buyers along its 4,000-mile network.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2018

The new rodent also provides clues to how mammals evolved and spread across the "stepping stones" of the Moluccas - known as one of the birthplaces of evolutionary theory.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2013

Seizing this waterway gave them control of the Moluccas.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

The lawsuit was brought by a group that calls itself the Republic of the South Moluccas which has been seeking independence struggle from Indonesia since the 1950s.

From New York Times • Oct. 5, 2010

The Moluccas, like the Philippines, contain many volcanos, which are, probably, only different mouths of the same furnace.

From An Historical View of the Philippine Islands, Vol II (of 2) Exhibiting their discovery, population, language, government, manners, customs, productions and commerce. by Zuniga, Martinez de