East Luwu Regency is the most easterly of the twenty-one regencies in South Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. The regency was created on 25 February 2003 by separation of the eastern districts from North Luwu Regency (itself only split off from Luwu Regency on 20 April 1999). It covers a land area of 6,747.93 km2. The administrative capital of the regency is the coastal town of Malili on the Bay of Usu, itself an inlet in the northeast corner of the Gulf of Bone; the town, with its port of Balantang, is the shipping port for one of the world's major nickel-producing plants. The population of the Regency was 243,069 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 296,741 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2025 was 326,591 (comprising 168,685 males and 157,906 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Luwu Timur Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7325)
Malili Lakes The eastern part of the regency contains the large natural fresh-water lakes of Lake Towuti (Danau Towuti) covering an area of 561 km2 in the south-east and Lake Matana (Danau Matana) covering 164 km2 further north, as well as the smaller Lake Mahalona (Danau Mahalona) between them. These (with the even smaller Danau Masapi and Danau Lontoa) form the Malili Lake system. Danau Towuti, which is 48 km wide, is the largest lake in Sulawesi, and contains the island of Pulau Luha within it. Danau Matana is the deepest lake in Indonesia (and the deepest lake on an island in the world), reaching a depth of 590 metres.
On the south shore of Lake Matana is the town of Soroako, the centre for the nickel processing plant, and its massive mine complex. Soroako, with its satellite villages of Wasuponda and Wawandula, are connected by a modern highway to the sea at Malili.
Administration East Luwu Regency is divided into eleven administrative Districts (Kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and the 2020 Census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. together with the official estimates as of mid 2025.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Luwu Timur Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7325) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the numbers of administrative villages in each district (totalling 125 rural desa and 3 urban kelurahan), and its post codes.
Kode Wilayah Name ofDistrict(kecamatan) Areain km2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus 2020 Pop'nestimatemid 2025Admincentre No.ofvillages Postcode 73.24.07 Burau 275.4030,87534,21436,885Burau1892975 73.24.06 Wotu 147.6428,10033,34535,976Bawalipu1792971 73.24.08 Tomoni 274.6922,33326,40628,830Mandiri13 (a)92972 73.24.09 Tomoni Timur (East Tomoni)44.8611,73813,74114,266Kertoraharjo892970 73.24.05 Angkona 294.9321,68125,07526,578Solo1092985 73.24.04 Malili 883.6232,69942,82648,681Puncak Indah14 (b)92981 73.24.03 Towuti 1,926.1327,20042,08751,609Langkea Raya1992982 73.24.02 Nuha 859.7120,08723,39925,263Sorowako5 (c)92983 73.24.11 Wasuponda 834.8517,96921,61022,946Ledu-Ledu692984 73.24.01 Mangkutana 1,147.0219,83922,23223,139Wonorejo1192974 73.24.10 Kalaena 59.0810,54812,03212,418Kalaena Kiri792973 Totals 6,747.93243,069296,741326,591Malili128
Notes: (a) including the kelurahan of Tomoni (with 3,662 inhabitants in 2024).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Tomoni Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7325030) (b) including the kelurahan of Malili (with 3,971 inhabitants in 2024).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Malili Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7325050) (c) including the kelurahan of Magani (with 6,270 inhabitants in 2024).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Nuha Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7325070).
Climate Kanowit has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.
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