Which archipelago in Indonesia is home to the Komodo dragon?

The Indonesian archipelago home to the Komodo dragon is the Lesser Sunda Islands.

This island chain stretches eastward from Bali through Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Timor, and many smaller islands. Komodo Island lies between Sumbawa and Flores and is part of Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province. The dragon also occurs on nearby islands, including Rinca, Gili Motang, and parts of Flores.

The region’s geography helped produce its unusual wildlife. Deep ocean channels separated the islands even when sea levels were lower, limiting the movement of plants and animals. This isolation encouraged localized evolution, a pattern associated with Wallacea, the biogeographic zone between Asian and Australasian ecosystems.

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 to protect the species and its habitat. It includes Komodo, Rinca, Padar, and numerous smaller islands, along with surrounding marine waters. A common mistake is choosing the Greater Sunda Islands, which include larger western islands such as Java, Sumatra, and Borneo; the Komodo dragon’s native range is in the smaller, more easterly chain.