| Where are the Asmat? The Asmat area is situated in the South of Irian Jaya. Since 1963 it has been part of the Rebublic of Indonesia. Covering an area of 422 square kilometers, it is about the size of Belgium. The name ‘Asmat’ not only refers to the land but also to its approximately 80,000 inhabitants. In 1770, Captain James Cook discovered the Torres Street and first caught sight of the Asmat coast. After several brief contacts with the Asmat of the coastal region by military excursions, traders, explorers and missonaries, a Roman Catholic settlement was founded in 1953, followed by a Dutch government post one year later. |
|
|
18.06.2001 |
|
