East Nusa Tenggara (; NTT; , ) is the southernmost province of Indonesia. It is the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, facing the Indian Ocean in the south and the Flores Sea in the north, with a total land area of 46,378.11 km2. It consists of some 653 islands (excluding smaller unnamed ones), with the largest ones being Sumba (10,899.41 km2 in area), Flores (15,482.42 km2), and the western part of Timor (14,079.36 km2); the latter shares a land border with the separate nation of East Timor. Also substantial in land area are Alor (2,918.75 km2) and Lembata (1,263.77 km2). The province is subdivided into twenty-one regencies and the regency-level city of Kupang, which is the capital and largest city.
Archaeological research shows that Liang Bua cave in East Nusa Tenggara has been inhabited by humans since about 190,000 years ago. The site was home to early humans, including Homo floresiensis, who were found in the cave's archaeological layers.
East Nusa Tenggara is known for its natural environment and parks, including Komodo National Park, Labuan Bajo, Lake Kelimutu and the area's beaches. The province is rich in culture, with diverse tribes, languages, and traditions such as ikat weaving and the Pasola ceremony in Sumba. East Nusa Tenggara also has a strong missionary history, seen from the majority Catholic population and is one of the two Indonesian provinces where Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion, alongside South Papua. In addition, its marine ecosystem is very rich, making it a popular destination for divers.
History After the declaration of Indonesian independence in 1945, the eastern part of Indonesia declared the State of East Indonesia.Statute of Staatsblad No. 143, 1946. The state was further included in the United States of Indonesia as part of the agreement with the Dutch contained in the transfer of sovereignty to Indonesia in 1949.
In 1950, United States of Indonesia dissolved itself into a unitary state and began to divide its component area into provinces. In 1958, by Indonesian law (Undang-Undang) No. 64/1958, three provinces were established in the Lesser Sunda Islands: Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. These three provinces remain unaltered to the present time, although proposals for division have been considered by the Indonesian government but have been deferred due to the moratorium since 2013 on the creation of additional provinces. The area of East Nusa Tenggara province included the western part of Timor island, Flores, Sumba and many smaller islands in the region.
The province was originally (from 1958) sub-divided into twelve regencies, but on 11 April 1996, the City of Kupang, was separated from Kupang Regency and given regency-level status. Then, following the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998 and the passage of a new regional autonomy law, there was a dramatic subdividing (known as pemekaran) of regional governments across Indonesia, at both provincial and regency level. Between 1999 and 2012, nine new regencies were created in East Nusa Tenggara by the division of existing regencies:
On 4 October 1999, a new Lembata Regency (Regional code 53.13) was formed by the division of the East Flores Regency. On 10 April 2002, Rote Island and adjacent islands were split off from Kupang Regency, to form a new Rote Ndao Regency (53.14). On 25 February 2003, Manggarai Regency was split into two and a new West Manggarai Regency (53.15) was established. On 2 January 2007, the administration of East Nusa Tenggara province was expanded by the establishment of three new regencies – Nagekeo (53.16) was cut out of Ngada Regency, and Central Sumba (53.17) and Southwest Sumba (53.18) were both cut out of West Sumba Regency. On 17 July 2007 a new regency of East Manggarai (53.19) was cut out of Manggarai Regency. On 29 October 2008 a further regency – Sabu Raijua (53.20) (the Savu Islands group) – was formed from part of the remaining Kupang Regency. On 14 December 2012 yet another regency – Malaka (53.21) – was created out of the southern half of Belu Regency.
Therefore, as from early 2013, there are twenty-one regencies plus the one autonomous city (Kupang) in the province.
Geography
Located in the east of Lesser Sunda Islands, East Nusa Tenggara faces the Indian Ocean in the south and the Flores Sea in the north. This province borders East Timor (Timor-Leste) in the western part of Timor island, and is also close to the province of West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat) and the province of Maluku.
The province consists of about 566 islands, the largest and most dominant are Flores, Sumba, and the western part of Timor. The smaller islands include Adonara, Alor, Komodo, Lembata (formerly called Lomblen), Menipo, Pantar, Raijua, Rincah, Rote Island, Savu, Semau, and Solor. While Rote is the southernmost part of Indonesian territory, the Australian territory of the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, 170 kms due south from Rote, is actually much closer to that island than to any point on the Australian mainland, and they lie in zones designated for 'traditional' fishing by Indonesians.
The highest point in the province is Mount Mutis in the South Central Timor Regency, 2,427 metres above sea level. In East Nusa Tenggara, the Terumbu Karang Sehat Indonesia coral-reef programme implemented by Konservasi Indonesia has included work in East Sumba within the Savu Sea marine-national-park zoning area.
Demographics
Population
The census population of the province was 4,683,827 in 2010Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 5,325,566 in 2020,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
Based on the latest data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the population of East Nusa Tenggara Province had reached around 5.74 million people by mid 2025.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.53) Population growth in East Nusa Tenggara is at a fairly stable level, although variations in growth rates are seen in various districts and cities. Kupang City as the provincial capital is the urban area with the largest population, while the most populous regency is South Central Timor, followed by other large regencies such as Sikka and Manggarai on Flores, and Southwest Sumba.
The average population density in East Nusa Tenggara is around 110 people per km², but the population distribution is uneven. Urban areas such as Kupang City have a much higher density than rural areas spread across the outer islands, such as Alor, Rote, or Savu.
Ethnicity and religion
Ethnicity in East Nusa Tenggara consists of several main groups, including the Flores, Sumba, Timor, Rote, Alor, and Sabu peoples, foreign ethnic groups such as the Chinese, Arabs, as well as Eurasians (primarily of Portuguese and Dutch ancestry) are also present in the province. Indonesian is used as the official language in administration and education, but regional languages are still used in daily life in many local communities.
East Nusa Tenggara Province is one of the provinces in Indonesia with a majority Christian population, both Catholic and Protestant. The influence of Christianity is very strong in East Nusa Tenggara, especially in the Flores and Sumba regions, which were influenced by the arrival of European missionaries, especially from Portugal and the Netherlands. In Flores, around 85% of the population is Catholic, making it one of the areas with the largest Catholic population in Indonesia.
East Nusa Tenggara also has a significant Muslim minority, specifically in Kupang City and certain regencies such as in coastal areas or on islands such as Alor and Timor. Hinduism as well as local beliefs are also practised by a minority, especially in Sumba and Timor.
Government and administrative divisions
The province is divided into twenty-one regencies and one independent city (Kupang). These are listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2025.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.53)
Kode Wilayah Name ofCity orRegency Statute (including year when established) Areainkm2 Pop'n 2010 Census Pop'n 2020 Census Pop'n mid 2025 Estimate Capital HDI2022 estimate 53.71 Kupang City Kupang 0.8020 () 53.01 Kupang Regency UU 69/1958 Oelamasi 0.6504 () 53.02 South Central Timor Regency(Timor Tengah Selatan) UU 69/1958 Soe 0.6273 () 53.03 North Central Timor Regency(Timor Tengah Utara) UU 69/1958 Kefamenanu 0.6426 () 53.04 Belu Regencyexcluding population of Malaka Regency (created 2012) UU 69/1958 Atambua 0.6322 () 53.14 Rote Ndao Regency UU 9/2002 Baa 0.6321 () 53.21 Malaka Regency UU 3/2013 Betun 0.6134 () Southeastern (Timor) group 53.05 Alor Regency (a)(Alor Archipelago) UU 69/1958 Kalabahi 0.6226 () 53.13 Lembata Regency(Lomblen) UU 52/1999 Lewoleba 0.6547 () 53.06 East Flores Regency(Flores Timur) (b) UU 69/1958 Larantuka 0.6493 () 53.07 Sikka Regency UU 69/1958 Maumere 0.6606 () 53.08 Ende Regency UU 69/1958 Ende 0.6797 () 53.16 Nagekeo Regency UU 2/2007 Mbay 0.6622 () 53.09 Ngada Regency UU 69/1958 Bajawa 0.6826 () 53.19 East Manggarai Regency (Manggarai Timur) UU 36/2007 Borong 0.623 () 53.10 Manggarai Regency (Manggarai Tengah) UU 69/1958 Ruteng 0.6583 () 53.15 West Manggarai Regency (c) (Manggarai Barat) UU 8/2003 Labuan Bajo 0.6492 () Northern (Flores) group 53.11 East Sumba Regency(Sumba Timur) UU 69/1958 Waingapu 0.6617 () 53.12 West Sumba Regency(Sumba Barat) UU 69/1958 Waikabubak 0.6443 () 53.17 Central Sumba Regency(Sumba Tengah) UU 3/2007 Waibakul 0.6271 () 53.18 Southwest Sumba Regency(Sumba Barat Daya) UU 16/2007 Tambolaka 0.6315 () 53.20 Sabu Raijua Regency UU 52/2008 West Savu 0.5790 () Southwestern (Sumba) group Notes: (a) includes Alor and Pantar islands. (b) East Flores Regency includes Adonara and Solor islands as well as the eastern part of Flores Island. (c) West Manggarai Regency includes Komodo and Rinca islands off the west coast of Flores.
The province has two of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to the People's Representative Council. The East Nusa Tenggara I Electoral District consists of the ten regencies in the Northern (Flores) group, and elects six members to the People's Representative Council. The East Nusa Tenggara II Electoral District consists of the six regencies in the Southeastern (Timor) group and the five regencies in the Southwestern (Sumba) group, together with the city of Kupang, and elects seven members to the People's Representative Council.Law No. 7/2017 (UU No. 7 Tahun 2017) as amended by Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No. 1/2022 and Regulation of General Elections Commission No. 6/2023.
List of provincial governors Below is a list of governors who have held office in the East Nusa Tenggara. W. J. Lala Mentik (1960–1965) El Tari (1966–1978) Ben Mboi (1978–1988) Hendrik Fernandez (1988–1993) Herman Musakabe (1993–1998) Piet Alexander Tallo (1998–2008) Frans Lebu Raya (2008–2018) Victor Laiskodat (2018-2023) Melki Laka Lena (2025–present)
Economy The economy of East Nusa Tenggara Province is dominated by the agriculture, fisheries, and tourism sectors. Most of the East Nusa Tenggara population works in the agricultural sector, with main crops such as corn, rice, cassava, beans, and coconuts. The livestock sector also plays an important role, especially in areas such as Sumba and Timor, where many residents raise cattle, horses, and pigs.
In addition, the fisheries sector is one of the main sources of livelihood for people in coastal areas and small islands. Fish, seaweed, and other marine products are important commodities developed by local communities.