North Halmahera Regency () is a regency (on Halmahera Island) of North Maluku Province, Indonesia. It was declared a separate Regency on 25 February 2003, formed from part of the former North Maluku Regency. The regency shares a maritime border with Morotai Regency to the north, but its principal land border is with West Halmahera Regency to its west, although it also has a short land border with East Halmahera Regency in the far southeast. The capital town of the regency lies at the port of Tobelo.

The Regency, which was considerably reduced by the separation of Morotai Island to form a separate regency on 26 November 2008, covers an area of and had a population of 161,847 people at the 2010 census,Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. 179,783 at the 2015 Intermediate Census.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2018. and 197,640 at the 2020 Census.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. The official estimate as of mid 2025 was 207,623 (comprising 106,416 males and 101,207 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Halmahera Utara Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8205) The principal settlements are Tobelo, Kao and Galela, which are the respective centres for the three principal ethnic and linguistic groups within the regency. The area is noted for its white beaches and coral reefs.

Apart from the importance of its 115 islands (19 have remained unnamed) for spices, North Hamahera was a World War II base camp. The Japanese and the American allies fought for its control. From the island of Morotai, Americans headed by General Douglas MacArthur prepared for an attack on the Philippines.

Halmahera and its small islands are located in the Coral Triangle, which has rich marine life. Marine biodiversity data on reef fishes was collected during a rapid survey conducted at 28 locations in 2005 in the south-western part of Halmahera. Explorer Gerry Allen, during his diving surveys in 2005, recorded 803 species of reef fishes.

History

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the area was generally within the sphere of influence of the powerful sultanate on the island of Ternate. A larger region, called Moro, included the island of Morotai and parts of the North Halmahera coastline. The Portuguese were a formidable presence in the area and they built a number of fortifications and controlled the island Ternate, off the southwest coast of the North Halmahera Regency. In the mid-16th century, a Portuguese Jesuit mission visited Halmahera and Morotai. This created conflict with Muslims who at the time controlled Ternate and Halmahera and in 1571, they drove the Christians from Morotai.

In the early 17th century, the town of Dodinga, strategically located on Halmahera's west coast grew in influence. In 1627 and 1628, Sultan Hamzah of Ternate had much of the Christian population of the island moved to Malaya, on Ternate. Later, it was administered under the Dutch East Indies.

Since the 1980s, mining development and logging has dramatically increased in the area, often causing conflict with local inhabitants. The communities are dependent on fishing and forests and the financial benefits of these resources have gone to Jakarta and local elites outside Halmahera. These developments have also increased religious tension in the region. The Christians of North Halmahera were traditionally said to generally live a peaceful co-existence with Muslims, but violence broke out between the two religious groups in December 1999 and has since been the primary cause of conflict in the region. Many of the Christians on the island fled to Tobelo as a haven when the violence broke out. Shortly after the official area of the North Halmahera Regency was declared on 31 May 2003, in July 2003, 38 villages in Halmahera staged a protest against the Australian mining company Newcrest who is mining gold in the region.

When the decision was made to create the regency of North Halmahera, it was promised in the national parliament in Jakarta that a duty-free port similar to Batam would be established on Morotai Island. However, this never happened, as internal conflict led to a demand that Morotai should be separated from the regency. Hein Nemotemo, a Christian politician, rejected this move, given that Morotai is overwhelmingly Muslim. In August 2006, five members of the North Halmahera Regency legislature from Golkar, including Abdul Gafur lobbied in the national capital for the separation of Morotai as a new regency distinct from the North Halmahera Regency. This was approved by the Committee II in Jakarta and also by the provincial governor Thaib Armaiyn. From February to April 2007, supporters of the Morotai separatist movement sealed off the government headquarters, demanding that Morotai should become separate immediately. The split was delayed and in 2008, Nemotemo's group were all that stood in the way of the split. Fearing a repeat of the 1999-2000 violence, Nemotemo backed down. During the 2009 elections in Indonesia a governor candidate for Morotai was elected and it became a new regency.

Geography and environment

The North Halmahera Regency is located in northeastern Indonesia between the islands of New Guinea and Sulawesi. It occupies roughly half of the northern mainland section of the island and includes smaller islands (Loloda Kepulauan) off the northwest coast of Halmahera. It formerly included the larger island of Morotai to the northeast of the headland but this was administratively separated to form its own regency on 29 October 2008. Natural ecosystems found in the two regions in North Halmahera Regency, among others, include coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass beds, sandy beaches, rocky beaches, estuaries, lagoons and deltas. While artificial ecosystems, among others, include the areas of tourism, ports and fish landing centres, cultivated areas and residential areas of society. The coral reefs of North Halmahera are of particular note, and form part of the Coral Triangle which is world-renowned for its coastal and marine biodiversity, which includes 70 genera of corals and about 2,500 fish species, about 70 percent of all fish species known to the western Indo-Pacific. The Wildlife Conservation Society is working with the Department of Marine Fisheries-DKP of the provincial government of North Maluku to monitor this environment.

Marine conservation and tourism Halmahera's marine biodiversity and rich marine resources are not receiving the needed marine conservation priority attention. The objective of this attention should be to combine it with development of other economic sectors such as fisheries, marine tourism, oil and gas, and achieve a sustainable economic development of the marine resources and conserve its marine diversity value. To take appropriate decisions in the matter, the Nature Conservancy, WWF-Indonesia and other partners have initiated studies for a preliminary assessment on the prospects for "marine conservation and tourism in the Halmahera area". The surveys also cover study of the ecological link between Halmahera and the Bird's Head Seascape to the east and the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape on the west.

Administration The regency was formerly divided into twenty-two districts (kecamantan) and contained 260 villages. More recently, the creation on 29 October 2008 of a separate regency for Morotai Island has removed the five districts on that island from North Halmahera, and thus it now contains seventeen districts, tabulated below from south to north with their areas, their 2010 Census and 2020 Census populations, together with the official estimates for mid 2025,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Halmahera Utara Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8205) The districts are grouped below into three geographical sectors, reflecting the three principal ethno-linguistic sectors within the regency, although these are without any administrative significance. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (all classified as rural desa) in each district and their post codes.

Kode Wilayah Name ofDistrict(kecamatan) Englishname Area in km2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus2020 Pop'nestimatemid 2025 Admin centre No. ofVillagesPostCode 82.03.22 Kao Teluk Kao Bay 111.833,5906,4406,838Dum Dum1197765 82.03.08 Malifut (South Kao) 359.4411,00613,16013,845Ngofa Kiaha2297766 82.03.07 Kao (Central Kao) 138.437,5139,2109,826Kao1497764 82.03.21 Kao Barat West Kao 835.938,0929,3609,991Tolabit2197764 82.03.20 Kao Utara (a) North Kao 221.8510,50913,26014,408Daru1297764 Sub-totals for Southern (Kao) Sector 1,667.48 40,710 51,700 54,908 80 82.03.13 Tobelo Barat West Tobelo 249.814,3586,1906,322Kusuri597762 82.03.12 Tobelo Timur (b) East Tobelo 73.526,2837,0107,375Mawea697767 82.03.06 Tobelo Selatan South Tobelo 136.0113,05415,23015,966Kupa Kupa1397768 82.03.11 Tobelo Tengah (c) Central Tobelo 111.9912,54315,37017,093Pitu997768 82.03.05 Tobelo (d) (Tobelo town) 126.0729,37734,15035,218Gamsungi1097762 82.03.10 Tobelo Utara (e) North Tobelo 151.569,71411,90012,531Gorua1097767 Sub-totals for Central (Tobelo) Sector 848.96 75,329 89,850 94,505 53 82.03.04 Galela (Central Galela) 95.477,3908,7608,942Soa Sio797761 82.03.16 Galela Selatan South Selatan 113.867,4918,9909,650Soakonora797769 82.03.14 Galela Barat West Galala 110.599,28310,88011,823Dokulamo997761 82.03.15 Galela Utara North Galela 268.687,0539,2909,470Salimuli1297769 82.03.09 Loloda Utara North Loloda 247.628,62710,51010,792Dorume1897763 82.03.19 Loloda Kepulauan (f) Loloda Islands 51.615,9647,9507,533Dama1097763 Sub-totals for Northern (Galela/Loloda) Sector 887.83 45,808 56,380 58,210 63 Totals for Regency 3,404.27 161,847 197,640 207,623 Tobelo 196

Notes: (a) includes Pulau Bobale (Bobale Island) off the east coast of Halmahera. (b) includes 6 small offshore islands. (c) includes 6 small offshore islands. (d) includes 7 small offshore islands. (e) includes 3 small offshore islands. (f) comprising a group of 58 islands off the northwest coast of Halmahera, of which the largest are Pulau Doi, Pulau Dagasuli and Pulau Salangadeke.

Demographics

As of 2010, North Halmahera had a population of 161,847, which rose by 2020 to 197,640, and by mid 2025 was about 207,623.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Halmahera Utara Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8205) The main indigenous ethnic groups are Tobelorese, Galelarese, Lolodarese, Kaonese, Pagu and Modole. The remaining 10% are immigrants, mainly from Java, Sulawesi and other parts of North Maluku, especially Makian Island. The Lolodarese ethic area extends south of the regency boundary to encompass the districts of Loloda and Loloda Tengah (both districts of West Halmahera Regency) with some 14,000 inhabitants in 2025.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Halmahera Barat Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8201)

Economy