The islands of East Nusa Tenggara have been shaped by the power and force of an enormous chain of mountains and volcanoes which begins in the north of Sumatra and stretches east across Java. The province consists of over 550 islands, but is dominated by the three main islands of Flores, Sumba, and Timor.

Occupying a unique position at the junction of Australian and Asian submarine ridges marked by the Wallace line, it is one of the world's most dynamic and exotic marine environments with nearly every species of coral and tropical fish represented. The arid landscape of eastern and southeastern Nusa Tenggara is the result of hot, dry winds blasting in from the Australian continent. In fact, in many coastal areas not a drop of rain falls during most of the year.