Sula Islands Regency

Regency in North Maluku, Indonesia

Sula Islands Regency

Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula

Regency

Coat of arms

Motto(s):

Dad Hia Ted Sua
(Unite to Raise Sula)

Sula Islands Regency

Location in Sula Islands, Maluku and Indonesia

Show map of Sula Islands

Sula Islands Regency

Sula Islands Regency (Maluku)

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Sula Islands Regency

Sula Islands Regency (Indonesia)

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Coordinates: 1°52′S 125°22′E﻿ / ﻿1.867°S 125.367°E﻿ / -1.867; 125.367
Country|  Indonesia
Province|  North Maluku
Capital| Sanana
Government

• Regent| Hendrata Thes
• Vice Regent| Zulfahri Abdulah Duwila
Area

• Total| 5,213.55 km2 (2,012.96 sq mi)
Population

(mid 2023 estimate)[1]

• Total| 105,095
• Density| 20/km2 (52/sq mi)
Time zone| UTC+9 (IEST)
Area code| (+62) 921
Website| kepulauansulakab.go.id

The Sula Islands Regency (Indonesian: Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula) is one of the regencies in North Maluku province of Indonesia. It was originally formed on 25 February 2003, when it encompassed the three large islands comprising the Sula Archipelago, together with minor adjacent islands. However, the largest and most westerly of the three, Taliabu, was split off from the Sula Islands Regency on 14 December 2012 to form a separate regency.

The remaining two islands which now comprise the Regency are Sulabesi (formerly Sanama) and Mangoli (formerly Mangole). The residual regency covers a land area of 5,213.55 km2 and had a population of 85,215 at the 2010 Census[2] and 104,082 at the 2020 Census;[3] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 105,095 (comprising 52,697 males and 52,398 females).[1] The administrative capital is at the town of Sanana on the north part of the east coast of Sulabesi Island.

## History

[edit]

The Dutch built a fort on Sanana in 1652. Wallace visited the islands during an ornithological expedition in 1862.[4]

The Dutch era Fort De Verwachting in Sanana town as it looked in 1921

Pre-Indonesian Independence saw[clarification needed] the Sula Islands also known as the Xulla Islands, with Taliabo as Xulla Taliabo, Sulabesi (originally Sanana Island) as Xulla Bessi, and Mangoli as Xulla Mangola.[5]

## Administration

[edit]

Sula Islands Regency comprises twelve districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and populations at the 2010 Census[2] and the 2020 Census,[3] together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (all classed as rural desa) in each district, and its post code.

Kode
Wilayah | Name of
District
(kecamatan) | English name | Area

km2 | Pop'n
Census
2010 | Pop'n
Census
2020 | Pop'n
Estimate
mid 2023 | Admin
centre | No.

villages | Post
code

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

82.05.03 | Sulabesi Barat | West Sulabesi | 265.99 | 4,707 | 5,585 | 5,834 | Kabau Pantai | 6 | 97797
82.05.09 | Sulabesi Selatan | South Sulabesi | 340.62 | 4,298 | 5,545 | 5,731 | Fuata | 5 | 97798
82.05.02 | Sanana |  | 217.85 | 25,183 | 33,994 | 32,436 | Fogi | 11 | 97795
82.05.07 | Sulabesi Tengah | Central Sulabesi | 232.80 | 5,929 | 7,250 | 7,427 | Waiboga | 6 | 97799
82.05.08 | Sulabesi Timur | East Sulabesi | 283.53 | 3,100 | 4,350 | 4,444 | Balleha | 6 | 97795
82.05.18 | Sanana Utara | North Sanana | 249.01 | 5,675 | 7,622 | 8,307 | Pohea | 7 | 97796
| Sulabesi Island | (total) | 1,589.80 | 48,892 | 64,346 | 64,179 |  | 41 |
82.05.01 | Mangoli Timur | East Mangoli | 560.56 | 4,301 | 5,613 | 5,347 | Waitina | 5 | 97793
82.05.11 | Mangoli Tengah | Central Mangoli | 691.25 | 6,381 | 7,644 | 8,085 | Mangoli | 9 | 97793
82.05.10 | Mangoli Utara Timur | Northeast Mangoli | 811.47 | 3,777 | 4,735 | 4,744 | Waisakai | 4 | 97793
82.05.06 | Mangoli Barat (a) | West Mangoli | 416.76 | 7,084 | 7,198 | 7,933 | Dofa | 7 | 97793
82.05.13 | Mangoli Utara | North Mangoli | 582.91 | 10,115 | 9,373 | 9,305 | Falabisahaya | 7 | 97793
82.05.12 | Mangoli Selatan | South Mangoli | 560.77 | 4,665 | 5,173 | 5,502 | Buya | 5
| Mangoli Island | (total) | 3,623.72 | 36,323 | 39,736 | 40,916 |  | 37 |

Note: (a) including offshore islands of Pulau Dodoku and Pulau Mancaril.

## Economy

[edit]

According to government data, Sula Islands Regency's food crops include vegetables, groundnuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, durian, mangosteen and mango. As of 2005[update] the area of agriculturally active land was 24743.56 hectares with production amounting to 33,608.62 tons per year. Taliabu-Sanana District is the main producer of cloves, nutmeg, cocoa, copra and other coconut products. Fishery production is very diverse with and estimated sustainable potential of 40,273.91 tonnes per year of which only 22.8 percent is currently exploited. Forestry is considered a potential industry with the natural forest-based Classification Map TGHK RTRWP suggesting a forest area of 471,951.53 hectares, but much of this is protected or hard to access, due to steep slopes and transportation logistics, and the islands' main plywood company, PT Barito Pacific Timber Group (in Falabisahaya, West Mangoli) has closed. Industrial activity is very limited. There is a gold mine in East Mangoli District (at Waitina and Kawata) and coal mines are located in the peninsula of West Sulabesi District, East Taliabu and Sub Sanana (Wai Village Ipa). Reserves of coal are estimated around 10.4 million tonnes.

## Tourism

[edit]

The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) is ready to support the promotion of tourism destination potential on Sula Islands. Demographically located between the crossroads of Wakatobi and Raja Ampat tourist areas, it is ideally developed as marine tourism and special interest tourism for diving enthusiasts.

One of the support is Maksaira Festival at Wai Ipa Beach to Bajo Village Beach. On 2018 the festival as a cultural and marine tourism attraction event has entered the third year and will be listed as MURI record breaking for the largest grouper fishing participant targeted by 3000 participants in 2018, where year 2017 followed by 1700 participants.[6]

## Fauna

[edit]

The following species are native to the Sula Islands:

* Buru babirusa Babyrousa babyrussa
* Banggai cuscus Strigocuscus pelengensis
* Sula rat Rattus elaphinus
* Sulawesi flying fox Acerodon celebensis
* Lesser short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus brachyotis
* Greenish naked-backed fruit bat Dobsonia viridis
* Long-tongued nectar bat Macroglossus minimus
* Pallas's tube-nosed bat Nyctimene cephalotes
* Ashy-headed flying fox Pteropus caniceps
* Sulawesi rousette Rousettus celebensis
* Swift fruit bat Thoopterus nigrescens
* Small Asian sheath-tailed bat Emballonura alecto
* Fawn leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros cervinus
* Small bent-winged bat Miniopterus pusillus
* Sula megapode Megapodius bernsteinii (Gosong Sula), status vulnerable[7]

Introduced species include:

* Asian house shrew
* Wild boar (Sus scrofa)
* Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans)

## References

[edit]

* Islands portal

1. ^ a b c Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8205)
2. ^ a b Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
3. ^ a b Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
4. ^ Wallace, Alfred Russel (1862). "2. List of Birds from the Sula Islands (east of Celebes), with Descriptions of the New Species". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 30: 333–346. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1862.tb06537.x.
5. ^ Goodall, George (Editor)(1943) Philips' International Atlas London, George Philip and Son map 'East Indies' pp.91-92
6. ^ "Government Supports Tourism Promotion in Sula Islands". Lelemuku.com. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
7. ^ "More Indonesian bird species nearing extinction". 11 June 2011.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sula Islands Regency.

* Tourist guide to the Sula Islands
* Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Profile of the Sula Islands
* Investment Prospects in Sula (in Indonesian)

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