Coordinates 1°23'S 98°54'E? / ?1.383°S 98.9°E? / -1.383; 98.9 Siberut is the largest and northernmost of the
Mentawai Islands, lying 150 Kilometres west of
Sumatra in the
Indian Ocean. A part of
Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the
Mentawai people.
[citation needed] The western half of the island was set aside as the
Siberut National Park in 1993. Much of the island is covered with
rainforest, but is subject to commercial
logging.
Smaller islands adjacent to Siberut include Karamajet and Masokut which lie in the Bungalaut strait at the south of the island.
The island is known for its range of primates, including the Kloss Gibbon (Hylobates klossii), pig-tailed langur (Simias concolor), Mentawai Langur (Presbytis potenziani) and Mentawai Macaque (Macaca pagensis).
Siberut was affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami, but without any known loss of human life. One report stated that the island may have been raised up to two metres by the earthquake.
