Rote lies 500 km (310.686 miles) northwest of the
Australian coast and 150 km (105.633 miles) north of the
Ashmore and Cartier Islands. The island is situated to the southwest of the larger island of
Timor. To the north is the
Savu Sea, and to the south is the
Timor Sea. To the west lie
Savu and
Sumba. The uninhabited
Pamana (or Ndana) island, just south of Rote, with an area of , is the southernmost
island of Indonesia. Along with some other nearby small islands, such as
Nuse Island and
Ndao island to the west of Rote, it forms the
kabupaten (regency) of
Rote Ndao Regency, which in the 2020 decennial census recorded a population of 143,764; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 148,811. Rote island has an area of (including offshore islands). The main town,
Ba'a, is located on the northern side of the island. Rote has a good
surf area in the south, around the village of
Nembrala. For the most part, the island is covered by grassland and palms. This island experiences
tropical savanna climate (
Aw) with dry months for much of the year because of the dry winds that blow from mainland Australia. The main rainfall usually occurs between November and March. Between 80% and 95% of all rain falls during the wet west monsoon period and with little or no rain falling between July and October. The mean rainfall for Rote Island is around 1,200 to 1,300 mm annually. During the dry season, many streams and rivers run dry and local inhabitants must rely only on wells for their water supplies. == Geology ==