Banda Islands, island group, propinsi (province), . The islands lie in the , southeast of Ambon Island and south of . The largest of the nine islands, which have a total land area of 17 square miles (44 square km), is (Banda Besar) Island. An inland sea, formed by three of the group, provides an outstanding harbour; the coral gardens beneath the sea are virtually unrivaled. Great Banda has coral rock to a height of 400 feet (120 metres), with lava and basalt up to 1,758 feet (536 metres). , one of the island group, is an active volcano 2,200 feet (670 metres) in elevation; it caused extensive destruction in 1820 and 1852.The islands’ volcanic soils are well adapted to the growth of , which is indigenous. Other products are cloves, coconuts, tapioca, fish, and tropical fruits and vegetables. Half the population of the islands lives in Bandanaira, the capital and port city of Bandanaira Island. The inhabitants are mostly descendants of , Makassarese, and people from neighbouring islands brought in as labourers to work the Dutch nutmeg plantations., The Banda Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Banda) are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about 140 km (87 mi) south of Seram Island and about 2,000 km (1,243 mi) east of Java, and constitute an administrative district (kecamatan) within the Central Maluku Regency in the Indonesian province of Maluku., Banda Islands, island group, Maluku propinsi (province), Indonesia. The islands lie in the Banda Sea, southeast of Ambon Island and south of Ceram. The largest of the nine islands, which have a total land area of 17 square miles (44 square km), is Great Banda (Banda Besar) Island..