Maba is a town in Kota Maba District, one of the ten administrative districts (kecamatan) in East Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province of Indonesia. The town ("Maba Sangaji" or "Gotowasi") covers an area of 354.52 km2 and had a population of 2,405 at the mid 2024 estimates. It is the administrative centre for Kota Maba District as well as for East Halmahera Regency.
In all, there are five districts in the Maba area which together comprise the southeastern half of the regency (and of the northeastern peninsula of Halmahera Island, together with that portion of the southeastern peninsula within the regency); altogether they cover a land area of 3,662.22 km2, with 49,419 inhabitants in mid 2024.
The most southerly of the five is South Maba District (Kecamatan Maba Selatan), which lies entirely on the southeastern peninsula of Halmahera Island, but also includes 23 small islands in Buli Bay or the Gulf of Buli (the large inlet from the Halmahera Sea which separates the northeastern and southeastern peninsulas of Halmahera), and is composed of nine villages (desa), all sharing the postcode of 97861. They are listed with their areas and their populations as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Maba Selatan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8206010) Kode Wilayah Name ofVillage(desa) Area in km2 Pop'nEstimatemid 2024 82.06.03.2001 Bicoli 188.471,507 82.06.03.2002 Waci 18.341,036 82.06.03.2003 Peteley 29.09925 82.06.03.2004 Loleolamo 40.35516 82.06.03.2005 Gotowasi 103.521,504 82.06.03.2010 Kasuba 4.79799 82.06.03.2012 Momole 26.351,219 82.06.03.2013 Sil 72.05581 82.06.03.2014 Sowoli 21.09404 82.06.03 District totals 504.068,491
Kota Maba District, which includes the town of Maba, is mainly situated on the southeastern peninsula. It also includes several small islands in Buli Bay, and is composed of six towns and villages (desa), all sharing the postcode of 97862. They are listed from south to north with their areas and their populations as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kota Maba Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8206)
Kode Wilayah Name ofVillage(desa) Area in km2 Pop'nEstimatemid 2024 82.06.10.2006 Tewil 1.57559 82.06.10.2005 Maba Sangaji 354.522,405 82.06.10.2004 Soa Gimalaha 239.734,512 82.06.10.2001 Wailukum 91.581,400 82.06.10.2003 Soa Sangaji 147.901,200 82.06.10.2002 Soa Laipoh 155.981,067 82.06.10 District totals 991.2911,143
Maba District (not to be confused with Kota Maba District described above) is situated to the north of Kota Maba District on the southern coast of the northeastern peninsula of Halmahera Island. It also includes several small islands in Buli Bay (notably the islands of Pulau Batuso, Pulau Gee and Pulau So) and is composed of ten towns and villages (desa), all sharing the postcode of 97860. They are listed from south to north with their areas and their populations as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Maba Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8206) Its administrative centre is the town of Buli, formerly Boeli. Most of the people in Buli are Christian and about a third of the population is Muslim.Genesis in Buli: Christianity, Blood and Vernacular Modernity on an Indonesian Island Kode Wilayah Name ofVillage(desa) Area in km2 Pop'nEstimatemid 2024 82.06.02.2001 Buli 26.302,525 82.06.02.2002 Buli Asal 60.75940 82.06.02.2003 Buli Karya 23.402,045 82.06.02.2011 Wayafli 35.201,229 82.06.02.2012 Sailal 18.601,422 82.06.02.2013 Geltoli 180.442,557 82.06.02.2014 Pekaulang 41.40514 82.06.02.2023 Teluk Buli 16.701,072 82.06.02.2024 Gamesan 1.80770 82.06.02.2025 Baburino 35.83511 82.06.02 District totals 440.4213,585 The next, north of Maba District, is Central Maba District (Kecamatan Maba Tengah), which lies entirely on the northeastern peninsula of Halmahera Island, and is composed of twelve villages (desa), all sharing the postcode of 97863. They are listed with their areas and their populations as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Maba Tengah Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8206041) Kode Wilayah Name ofVillage(desa) Area in km2 Pop'nEstimatemid 2024 82.06.08.2001 Wayamli 385.16814 82.06.08.2002 Beringin Lamo 7.12542 82.06.08.2003 Miaf 61.04614 82.06.08.2004 Bangul 9.33430 82.06.08.2005 Marasipno 32.51365 82.06.08.2006 Dorolamo Jaya 5.17332 82.06.08.2007 Maratana Jaya 18.151,110 82.06.08.2008 Bebsili 4.08291 82.06.08.2009 Yawanli 50.77862 82.06.08.2010 Gaifoli 68.55415 82.06.08.2011 Babasaram 4.56761 82.06.08.2012 Tatangapu 4.75342 82.06.08 District totals 651.186,878 The most northerly of the five is North Maba District (Kecamatan Maba Utara), which also lies entirely on the northeastern peninsula of Halmahera Island, and is composed of ten villages (desa), all sharing the postcode of 97864. They are listed with their areas and their populations as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat 1Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kota Utara Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8206042) Kode Wilayah Name ofVillage(desa) Area in km2 Pop'nEstimatemid 2024 82.06.09.2001 Sosolat 182.441,017 82.06.09.2002 Dorosago 124.941,084 82.06.09.2003 Patlean 27.541,325 82.06.09.2004 Lolasita 193.041,035 82.06.09.2005 Wasileo 126.211,515 82.06.09.2006 Pumlanga 76.45828 82.06.09.2007 Jara Jara 40.301,106 82.06.09.2008 Doromoi 162.47736 82.06.09.2009 Lili 151.26573 82.06.09.2010 Patlean Jaya 33.83506 82.06.09 District totals 1,118.479,725
See also Buli Airport
References