Banda Sea

Banda Sea, sea off south-east Asia situated between latitudes 4° and 8° south, connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. About 966 km (600 mi) long and about 483 km (300 mi) wide, the Banda Sea connects with the small Flores Sea to the west, the Timor Sea to the south-west, the Arafura Sea to the south-east, and the Molucca Sea to the north. On the margins of the sea are the islands of Indonesia, including the Banda Islands. To the north are Celebes and the Moluccas; and to the south are the Sumbawa, Flores, Alor, Wetar, Babar, Timor, and Kepulauan Tanimbar islands. Parts of the Banda Sea are very deep, but submerged reefs and strong currents close to the islands pose dangerous conditions for ships. The deeper waters provide a route between the province Papua (formerly Irian Jaya) and the rest of Indonesia.