Bali has an area of 5,632 sq. km and measures only 140 km by 90 km. It is dramatically mountainous especially in the western region, and the center of the island is dominated by a number of volcanic mountains. Many people had perished in Gunung Agung's 1963 destructive eruption and a lot of wreckage took place in the eastern parts of Bali. The north and south of the central mountains are agricultural lands and the terrain is wider with gentle slopes. Bali is also encircled by coral reefs, and black (volcanic) sand blankets the beaches in the east and north. Paradise is not even in the Balinese vocabulary but this island is a likely candidate for paradise. Located near the equator, Bali is a perpetual tropical haven with a temperature range of 32 to 35 degrees Celsius. Bali is usually less humid during the dry season from April to September, which would be the ideal time to visit the island when rainfall is light and infrequent, whilst complemented by lower humidity. Rice remains the ancient staple that has sustained generations of Balinese, and therefore a complex and amazingly breathtaking patchwork of rice terraces will usually meet the eye. On their own, the rice paddies are a complete ecological system, supported by an elaborate irrigation network. This significant crop has contributed greatly in changing the natural landscape of Bali and making it ever so beautiful. Other agricultural produce are corn, tamarind, cloves, coffee, tea, tobacco, cocoa, copra, vanilla, soy beans, chillies, fruits and vegetables.
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