EKSISTENSI BIMA DALAM PELAYARAN DAN PERDAGANGAN ANTAR PULAU

Bima is a region in eastern Sumbawa Island. It has been a port town docked by many merchant ship from many region for centuries. It cannot be denied that trading activity in Bima Port is dominated by merchants from Bugis-Makassar and Malay who played up their trade widely into another island such as Flores and other eastern region, because Islamization and its closely relationship between South Sulawesi and Malay merchants. Since 16th century, Bima considered as one of the most important trade town, with the result that VOC endeavour to make a monopoly trade with ruler of Bima. The number of sailors and merchants from any direction makes Bima more crowdly. The great commodity of Bima is Kayu Sapan.