Sumbawa people
Tau Samawa ᨈᨘ ᨔᨆᨓ | |
|---|---|
Child dancers, Sumbawa | |
| Total population | |
| 477,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Indonesia (West Nusa Tenggara; Sumbawa Island) | |
| Languages | |
| Native Sumbawa, also Indonesian, Arabic (religious only) | |
| Religion | |
| Mostly Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Austronesian peoples Dompu • Bimanese • Sasak • Balinese • Bali Aga |
The Sumbawa people (Sumbawa: Tau Samawa, Satera Jontal script: ᨈᨘ ᨔᨆᨓ; Indonesian: Orang Sumbawa) or Sumbawan are an ethnic group of people native to the western and central region of Sumbawa Island, which comprises West Sumbawa Regency and Sumbawa Regency province of West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Their language is the Sumbawa language an Austronesian language. Neither the Bimanese nor the Sumbawa people have alphabets of their own; they use the alphabets of the Bugis and the Malay language indifferently. The majority of the Sumbawa people practice Islam. The Sumbawa people once established their own government which became the Kingdom of Sumbawa/Sumbawa Sultanate and lasted until 1931.