Mentawai Islands

Island chain off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, situated in the Indian Ocean 100 km/62 mi west of Padang; area 6,475 sq km/2,500 sq mi. The Mentawai chain includes the islands of Siberut (the largest), Sipora, Pagai Utara, and Pagai Selatan. The main town and port is Muarasiberut, on Siberut Island. Densely wooded and mountainous, the islands support an economy of shifting cultivation, and hunting, fishing, and gathering for their indigenous, non-Malay population. The main products are coconuts, sago, and trepang (edible sea cucumber), and timber is exported.

The Mentawai island chain is formed from part of the folded outer rim of the Sunda continental shelf. Most of the islands' population live on Siberut; the other islands are sparsely populated. Since 1970 logging operations and tourism have seriously undermined the island peoples' livelihood and social organization.