Previous Year Question
Which of the following is the correct sequence of the Islands of Indonesia from West to East?
Java, Sumatra, Lombok, Bali
Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok
Sumatra, Java, Lombok, Bali
Bali, Sumatra, Java, Lombok
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Indonesia is a vast archipelagic country whose islands extend from west to east between the Indian and Pacific oceans. The correct geographical sequence of the four given islands is Sumatra → Java → Bali → Lombok.
Sumatra lies to the west of Java, and the two are separated by the Sunda Strait. Moving eastward, the next island is Java. Java and Bali are separated by the Bali Strait.
Bali lies immediately east of Java, while the Lombok Strait separates Bali from Lombok. Thus, Lombok is the easternmost of the four islands listed in the question.
The Lombok Strait is also associated with an important biogeographical boundary. The famous Wallace Line passes between Bali and Lombok and broadly marks an important division in the distribution of Asian and Australasian fauna.