History has brought wave after wave of outside influences to West Flores

• Flores has 5 major linguistic and cultural groupings: Manggarai, Ngada, Lio, Sikka and Lamaholot;
• Wave after wave of human settlement have left Flores with cultural and racial strains brought by early settler who were Veddoids; Hindu traders from India; Melanesians; and Portuguese explorers. Adding to the mix were local influxes of Bugis, Makareese, Javanese, and Sumbawanese..
• Early Christian missionaries from Portugal, Holland and Germany have played an important role in the ‘’modernization’’ of the people of Flores, as evidenced by the majority Christian composition of the island today.
• Recent important archeological finding near West Flores relating to the small hobbit-like inhabitants who lived there 18,000 years ago are causing scholars to reassess long-held theories on the development of early man.

Traditional Manggarai houses facing a central altar (compang)	A traditional village in Manggarai with a central raised altar (compang).

• Liang Bua is a well-known archeological site located near the village of Teras in the general vicinity of Ruteng.
  • In the 1950s, a Dutch priest and amateur archaeologist, Father Th Verhoeven, SVD, discovered important fossilized remains in a local lime stone cave.
  • Traces of Homo Floresiensis or Hobbit were found in 2004 by the National Archeological Research Center and University of New England. The skeletal specimen – popularly known as Hobbit, was identified as a 30 year-old female of only 1 meter in height who walked like modern humanoid, estimated to have lived in Flores 18,000 years ago.
  • This discovery caused a revolution in academic circles, and is the focus of several books and a National Geographic documentary.
• Other important archeological findings in Manggarai are female fossil dated as 3,500 years old in Liang Toge and ancient Chinese artifacts in Warloka.
  

Elephant fossils found next to the site of homo Floresienses (Hobbit) in Liang Bua. Elephants no longer live on Flores	Archeological activity at the ‘’Hobbit’’ site in Liang Bua
A new branch of the human family – Homo floresiensis?
Whip fighting (caci) – a warrior ritual and dance poplar in West Manggarai.	Traditional home with modern influence as evidenced by the used of cement steps, glass windows and modern paint finishes.

• Early Chinese influence was demonstrated by discoveries in Warloka of old artifacts including water pots, mirrors, chopper and Chinese money. These ancient Chinese artifacts date from the Sung and Ming Dynasties, 960 until 1644 A.D..

• Influence from Sulawesi tribes (Buginese and Makassareese) and Bima (Sumbawa) remain very strong in Flores and the surrounding islands.
• The Sultan of Goa from Sulawesi ruled Flores from 1613-1640. The Bajo Bodo costume and the name “Mori Kraeng”, (highest god) trace back to this period and still found in the Manggarai region.

Portuguese

• In 1512, Portuguese navigator Antonio de Abreu arrived in Flores
• Portuguese settlers built a fortress in Solor and Ende to secure the sandalwood trade.
• The Portuguese brought the Catholic religion to Flores Island. Christianity remains the dominant religion of the island today.

• In the 17th century the Dutch assumed control over most parts of Flores, forcing the Portuguese to leave.
• In 1850, the Dutch took complete control of the island.
• The Dutch influences gradually replaced Portuguese dominance in educational and missionary practice throughout Flores.

The Catholic Church and Christianity on Flores.	A Catholic cathedral in Flores

• West Manggarai became an independent regency in 2003 with Labuan Bajo as its capital city.
• Ambitious new development plans and infrastructure improvements have been ushered in by West Manggarai’s new found political autonomy.