Waingapu is the largest town in the eastern half of Sumba island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. It is the capital town of the East Sumba Regency (Sumba Timur). History
About 5 km south of Waingapu, the prehistorical site of Lambanapu has been dated at around 2,800 BC.
Transportation Aviation East Sumba's Waingapu Airport 'Umbu Mehang Kunda' (IATA: WGP - ICAO: WRRW) is located in Waingapu. Maritime The town is served by ferries from nearby islands. The Pelni Company runs two ferries through Waingapu. The KM Awu runs every two weeks on the two-way itinerary Benoa (Bali) – Bima (Sumbawa) – Waingapu – Ende (Flores) – Savu – Rote Island – Kupang (West Timor) – Larantuka (Flores) – Kalabahi (Alor Island). The smaller KM Wilis runs more or less every week on the two-way itinenary Batulicin (Borneo) – Makassar (South Sulawesi) – Labuan Bajo (Flores) – Waikelo (Waitabula, Kota Tambolaka district, Sumba Barat Daya regency) – Waingapu – Ende – Kupang – Kalabahi. Both use the new port (in front of the old port but 7 km by land between the two ports).
The Sabuk Nusantara Company runs various freight and passenger boats linking Waingapu and Waikelo with Sumbawa, Flores and Timor about once a week (n° 79 generally for Waingapu and n° 49 for Waikelo). There is no fixed departure time.
ASDP Indonesia Ferry has small ferries that do not run when the sea gets somewhat rough. It uses the port located 2 km beyond the new port and 9 km from town. Leaving from Waingapu, it does return trips twice a week to Aimere (the port for Ngada Regency, Flores), once a week to Ende, once a week to Savu and three times a week to Kupang.
Waingapu is the only port in the island that can accommodate oil tankers - which often run late. Bus Waingapu is the only town that has two bus stations on its periphery, one in the south and one in the west, each about 5 km out of town. But almost all buses depart from the old “Terminal Kota” in the town center, near the market or on Jalan El Tari; they probably stop by in the bus stations. Administrative divisions The town comprises two administrative districts of the regency, sub-divided into 11 urban (kelurahan) and 4 rural (desa) villages. The western part is the administrative Waingapu (town) District, while the eastern part is the separate Kambera District. Their areas and their populations at the 2010Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 2020Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. Censuses are tabled below, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Kambera Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5302071)Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Kota Waingapu Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5302070)
Name ofDistrict(kecamatan) Area in km2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus2020 Pop'nEstimatemid 2025 Kambera (a) 52.031,13733,46637,649 Kota Waingapu (b) 73.835,14235,85636,988 Totals 125.866,27969,33374,637
Notes: (a) Kambera comprises 7 urban villages (kelurahan) - Kambaniru, Lai Mbonga (Mauliru), Lambanapu, Malumbi, Mau Hau, Prailiu and Wangga - together with one rural village (desa) - Kiritana, in the far south of the district, which is not part of the urban area. (b) Kota Waingapu comprises 4 urban villages (kelurahan) - Kamalaputi, Hambala, Kambajawa and Matawai - occupying just 10.4% of the area of the district in its northeast corner, plus 3 rural villages (desa) to the south, which are not part of the urban area.
KodeWilayah Name of kelurahan or desa Area in km2 Pop'nEstimatemid 2023 Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, Kecamatan Kota Waingapu Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5302070)Postcode 53.11.01.1001 Kambajawa 2.7 11,288 87116 53.11.01.1002 Hambala 2.4 8,555 87112 53.11.01.1003 Matawai 1.4 3,727 87116 53.11.01.1004 Kamalaputi 1.2 8,565 87111 53.11.01.2012 Lukukamaru 21.0 853 87116 53.11.01.2013 Mbatakapidu 27.2 2,232 87116 53.11.01.2014 Pambolanjara 17.9 2,429 87116 53.11.01 Totals Kota Waingapu District 73.8 37.649
KodeWilayah Name of kelurahan or desa Area in km2 Pop'nEstimatemid 2025 Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2026, Kecamatan Kambera Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5302071)Postcode 53.11.16.1001 Wangga 4.1 7,303 87116 53.11.16.1002 Prailiu 5.3 7,731 87113 53.11.16.1003 Kambaniru 1.9 7,584 87114 53.11.16.1004 Mauliru 5.8 5,100 87116 53.11.16.1005 Mauhau 1.4 2,167 87116 53.11.16.1006 Malumbi 11.2 2,375 87116 53.11.16.1007 Lambanapu 6.9 3,647 87115 53.11.16.2008 Kiritana 15.4 1,081 87114 53.11.16 Totals Kambera District 52.036,988
Without the rural desa to the south, the urban area alone (i.e. the 11 kelurahan) covers an area of 44.3 km2 and had a combined population of 68,042 in 2025. Climate Waingapu has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw), bordering a hot semi-arid climate (BSh). with relatively cooler dry season and hotter wet season. It has high humidity year round. It is amongst the driest places in Indonesia with only of rain yearly.
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