Pegunungan Bintang Regency or Bintang Mountains Regency ("Bintang" means "star") is a regency in the Indonesian province of Highland Papua. It was created on 11 December 2002 from the north-eastern districts of Jayawijaya Regency. It covers an area of 15,683 km2, and had a population of 65,434 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 77,872 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 114,581 – comprising 61,112 males and 53,469 females.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Pegunungan Bintang Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.9502) The administrative centre is the town of Oksibil.
Name Pegunungan Bintang is the Indonesian name for the Star Mountains, a mountain range that is also shared by Papua New Guinea. Similarly, Star Mountains Rural LLG in Western Province, Papua New Guinea is also named after the same mountain range.
Geography
Pegunungan Bintang Regency, located in Papua Pegunungan Province, Indonesia, has very distinctive geographical characteristics and is influenced by mountainous topography. This regency is part of the Maoke Mountains that stretch across the Papua region, so that most of its territory consists of mountainous areas with high peaks and deep valleys. This topography makes the Pegunungan Bintang area have rich biodiversity, thanks to the dense tropical forests that cover most of its territory. The tropical rainforests in this area not only function as ecosystem buffers but also as providers of natural resources. In addition, Pegunungan Bintang Regency has a number of rivers, especially the Digoel River and lakes, most of which flow south towards the Arafura Sea.The rivers in this area tend to have a fast flow due to the steep slopes of the mountains. The climate in this area is a tropical climate with relatively stable temperatures throughout the year and high rainfall, which supports the growth of lush vegetation. The mountainous and difficult-to-reach geographical conditions affect the transportation infrastructure in this regency, which is generally limited. Roads often become inaccessible during the rainy season, so air transportation is one of the main options for connecting this area to other regions. These overall geographical conditions influence various aspects of life in the Bintang Mountains, including the economy, infrastructure and way of life of the local people."Bintang Mountains Regency", papua.us (in indonesian). Retrieved 2024-08-25.
Border Area Astronomically, Pegunungan Bintang Regency is located between 3°04'00” – 5°20'00” South Latitude and 140°05'00” – 141°00'00” East Longitude. While geographically, Pegunungan Bintang Regency borders Keerom Regency and Jayapura Regency to the north, Boven Digoel Regency to the south, Yahukimo Regency to the west and Papua New Guinea to the east.
Languages The Yetfa and Murkim languages are spoken in the eponymous Jetfa and Murkim districts. Other indigenous Papuan languages of Pegunungan Bintang Regency are Lepki (Lepki-Murkim family), Kimki (isolate), Towei (Pauwasi), Emem (Pauwasi), and Burumakok (Ok, Trans-New Guinea).
Administrative districts The Bintang Mountains Regency comprises thirty-four districts (distrik), tabulated below with their current areas and their populations within those current areas at the 2010 Census and 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Pegunungan Bintang Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.9502) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (kampung) in each district, and its post code.
Kode Wilayah Name ofDistrict(distrik) Area in km2 Pop'n 2010Census Pop'n 2020Census Pop'n mid 2024Estimate AdmincentreNo.ofvillagesPostcode 95.02.04 Iwur 833 2,279 1,530 3,882Iwur 1099432 95.02.17 Kawor 835 1,084 794 3,623Arintap 799433 95.02.19 Tarup 470 1,235 1,134 3,064Tarup 799434 95.02.18 Awinbon 872 517 729 1,177Awinbon 599431 95.02.01 Oksibil 248 4,087 6,408 6,949Mabilabol 899415 95.02.09 Pepera 196 1,173 1,560 2,756Pepera 799417 95.02.11 Alemsom 476 2,021 3,067 4,342Alemsom 1299411 95.02.15 Serambakon 265 1,935 3,896 3,166Wanbakon 899418 95.02.13 Kalomdol 124 1,185 2,025 2,505Dabolding 599412 95.02.14 Oksop 317 1,948 2,167 3,367Oksop 599416 95.02.24 Oksebang 22 611 674 1,163Kubiphkop 499427 95.02.12 Okbape 246 799 1,210 3,028Bape 699414 95.02.16 Ok Aom 133 1,222 1,305 2,101Bulankop 699413 95.02.06 Borme 602 2,845 5,920 7,450Borme 1399452 95.02.10 Bime 726 3,922 6,913 6,924Turwe 1099451 95.02.32 Eipumek 306 4,071 2,069 5,004Eipumek 1499453 95.02.27 Weime 261 2,529 1,340 3,224Weime 999446 95.02.33 Pamek 204 1,876 1,430 3,999Pamek 1199454 95.02.34 Nongme 526 2,042 1,020 1,588Nongme 799445 95.02.26 Batani 833 1,401 1,326 2,041Batani 799441 95.02.03 Okbibab 237 1,918 3,644 3,723Abmisibil 1299403 95.02.08 Aboy 1,054 975 1,176 3,053Aboy 799401 95.02.25 Okbab 617 3,390 4,213 7,685Borban 1299403 95.02.31 Teiraplu 1,469 1,356 2,019 2,430Teiraplu 1099405 95.02.30 Jetfa 330 611 865 2,401Yefta 699402 95.02.02 Kiwirok 254 2,679 3,020 3,988Polobakon 1299421 95.02.07 Kiwirok Timur (East Kiwirok) 404 1,942 2,431 3,239Okyop 999422 95.02.20 Okhika 91 1,318 1,690 2,335Okelwel 499424 95.02.22 Oklip 46 1,640 2,113 2,234Oklip 799425 95.02.21 Oksamol 267 2,322 2,736 3,139Tinibil 1299426 95.02.05 Batom 476 4,144 4,047 3,785Batom 1199442 95.02.28 Murkim 359 675 810 1,263Bias 499444 95.02.29 Mofinop 811 1,128 1,012 1,516Mot 599443 95.02.23 Okbemtau 769 2,554 1,578 2,437Okngam 999423 Totals 15,683 65,434 77,872 114,581Oksibil277
The number of districts increased dramatically prior to 2010, created by the division of the six original districts (whose names are given in bold above and are numbered from 95.02.01 to 95.02.06). The 28 new districts (numbered from 95.02.07 to 95.02.34) are shown as follows:
Kawor, Tarup, and Awinbon were created from parts of Iwur District Pepera, Alemsom, Serambakon, Kolomdol, Oksop, Ok Sebang (formerly Sebang), Ok Bape, and Ok Aon were created from parts of Oksibil District Bime, Epumek, Weime, Pamek, Nongme, and Batani were created from parts of Borme District Aboy, Okbab, Teiraplu, and Yefta were created from parts of Okbi District East Kiwirok, Okhika, Oklip, and Oksamol (formerly Warasamo) were created from parts of Kiwirok District Murkim, Mofinop, and Okbemta were created from parts of Batom District
Note that while the Regency's official number is 95.02, the document printed for 28 February 2025 bears the (incorrect) reference of "94.17".
See also Star Mountains
References
External links Statistics publications from Statistics Indonesia (BPS)