[2][3] The Moluccas have been known as the Spice Islands due to regionally specific plants such as nutmeg, mace, and cloves that originally intrigued the European nations of the 16th century.

[4] The coastal zone of the islands are identified as a site of highest marine biodiversity importance in the Coral Triangle.

A report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified an acceleration in the rate of sea level rising, potentially causing the Indonesian islands to sink.

Though it is geographically in the Kai Islands, the city of Tual forms a separate regency-level administration and is not part of the Southeast Maluku Regency.

As a result, Ohoi-Ewur became a seat of government, where the local law (Larvul Ngabal) – Red Blood and Balinese Spear – was developed at the initiative of the royal princess Dit Sakmas.

[citation needed] All of the islands depend on 22 ratshcaap, or traditional local leaders called Rat or Raja, as kings of customary law.

[16] A primary minority in the region consists of Muslims (28%) and half of the people who live on the small island of Tanimbarkei practice a variant of the Hindu religion, which involves a form of ancestor worship.

The object proved to be the long-lost hook, which the friendly fish delivered to Parpara, who thus was able to restore it to its owner.Parpara, however, determined to have his revenge upon his brother, and so he secretly fastened a bamboo vessel full of palm liquor above Hian's bed in such a way that when the latter rose, he would be almost certain to upset it.

Hian endeavoured, of course fruitlessly, to gather it up, and in his efforts dug so deeply into the ground that he made an opening clear through the sky-world.Wondering what might lie below, the brothers determined to tie one of their dogs to a long rope and lower him through the aperture; and when they had done this, and the dog had been drawn up again, they found white sand sticking to his feet, whereupon they resolved to go down themselves, although the other inhabitants of the heaven-world refused to accompany them thither.

In this way the three brothers with their sister were the first occupants of the world and became the ancestors of the human race.The soil on Kai Kecil is of poor quality; slash-and-burn agriculture is common.

[citation needed] Meti Kei is an annual natural phenomenon occurring for a few weeks, and celebrated with a festival between October 22 and 23, where the ocean recedes up to 6 km, allowing for one to walk to other islands normally separated by water.