Ambon, Ambon

The city of Ambon is the largest city on the island of Ambon.  Ambon has been the gateway to the Spice Islands or Moluccas since 1521.  The Dutch set up a fort in this important port town.  The port was overtaken by the Japanese during WWII and led to the destruction of a large part of the city.  It has been controlled by the Portuguese, English and Dutch.  As a result, it is a rare predominantly Christian area in the world's largest Muslim country.  This has caused a great deal of civil war between the Muslim and Christian populations, which has died down since 2002.  The Leimena's come from the island of Ambon.