Rondo Island, Indonesia's northernmost territory, 0.650 km² in area and 35 m above sealevel at its tallest point is an outlying island of Indonesia in Aceh province of Sumatra region. It is administratively part of :sv:Ujung Bau|Ujung Bau village in :id:SSukakarya,_Bekasi|Sukakarya subdistrict of Sabang regency, which is headquartered at port city of Sabang located on Weh Island south of Rondo. Rondo is 50 km offshore from Indonesia's Sumatra mainland. This otherwise uninhabited island, accessible only by boat, has a Indonesian military outpost with a heliport and blue-roofed barracks, an adjacent lighthouse complex with a red-roofed lighthouse keeper's house and a white skeletal lighthouse topped with a viewing gallery and lantern. India's southernmost territory on Great Nicobar Island of the Nicobar Islands is approximately 84 miles or 135 km to the north from the Indonesia's northernmost territory on Rondo Island. Centered 21 km or 13 mile northwest of Rondo, between Indonesia and India, there is a submerged sandy and rocky coralshoal with a least depth of 51 m. Island is surrounded by a mile wide reef which has steep marine slope on its edges. On the southern edge of island's reef there are small rocky islets, 14 in total lying at a distance between 0.9 to 1.7 km. Between these islets and Weh Island there is 16-20 km or 3-3.5 leagues wide safe navigable channel. Before the advant of modern shipping, the shipping between Rondo and Weh Islands was considered safer due to clamer seas. Rondo island, nicknamed as "Guardian of Indonesia", bordering exclusive economic zones of India and Thailand, lies on the strategically important shipping route where commercial shipping vessels pass north of Rondo. India and Indonesia are upgrading the Sabang deepsea port under their strategic economic and military partnership to enhance the regional connectivity, safety, security, and to protect the Strait of Malacca channel between Great Nicobar Island and Rondo Island. Area around Rondo Island is known for the threat of piracy.
History
, a military personnel of the fleet of the Ming dynasty admiral [Zheng He, in his book on countries visited by Chinese ships describes an Island in the middle of important shipping route where north Sumatran natives in dugout canoes trade precious stones, Ambergris#ChineseDragon's Spittle Perfume, coconut, banana and fish organs, etc with sailors in exchange of gold coins. He describes native religion of the region to be Buddhist, with the island having a Buddhist temple and a rock with a 3ft long imprint of Buddha's foot. He describes habits of natives, their customs as liberal and simple but rich in form, both women and men shave their heads and cover their bodies with leaves instead of clothes. "Lung-Hsien-Hsu" as the Chinese name of the island, which has been identified with Rondo Isladn, Weh Island and Bras Island in ocean of Lambri and Lemuria. A 1698-1700 CE journal of first French embassy to China also documents Rondo island enroute. Denish Shipliner Maersk's largest container ship which ran aground off Rodo island on 6 January 1922 was a totla loss.
Ecology
Topography of half sphere shaped island with somewhat flattened top is wooded and steepest on its north side. Island is completely covered in wet tropical forest. Fauna includes many species of snakes. Region around the island is rich in marine habitats.
Tourism
Island is popular with scuba divers. Sailboats can anchor at a depth of 14 m between northwest to southwest off the island only during northeast monsoon. Strong Rip tides around the island extend up to 32 km or 20 miles west to northwest.
