Demographics
The Ambonese are of mixed Malay-Papuan origin. They are mostly Christians or Muslims. The predominant language of the island is Ambonese Malay, also called Ambonese. It developed as the trade language of central Maluku, and is spoken elsewhere in Maluku as a second language. The old creole trade language called Portugis has died out. Bilingualism in Indonesian is high around Ambon City. There were strong religious tensions on the island between Muslims and Christians and ethnic tensions between indigenous Ambonese and Javanese transmigrants.
Read more about this topic: Ambon Island