719 islands in NTT nameless

JAKARTA: East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Governor Frans Lebu Raya on Monday said 719 of the 1,192 islands in his province were unnamed, adding that naming them was important for the islands to gain attention from concerned parties.

“We have officially named 472 islands, but the rest remain nameless,” Frans said during a meeting with 290 district heads on Monday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

The governor also called for support from the local military and National Land Agency (BPN) to help to identify the islands and update records of them.

The naming of islands has been a distinct problem for the province because of its geographical characteristics, comprised largely of water and small islets.— JP