The Sula Islands Regency () is one of the regencies in North Maluku province of Indonesia. It was originally formed on 25 February 2003, when it encompassed the three large islands comprising the Sula Archipelago, together with minor adjacent islands. However, the largest and most westerly of the three, Taliabu, was split off from the Sula Islands Regency on 14 December 2012 to form a separate regency.
The remaining two islands which now comprise the Regency are Sulabesi (formerly Sanana) and Mangole (formerly Mangon or Mangoli). The residual regency covers a land area of 1,779.81 km2 and had a population of 85,215 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 104,082 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as of mid-2024 was 105,095 (comprising 52,697 males and 52,398 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8205) The administrative capital is at the town of Sanana on the north part of the east coast of Sulabesi Island.
History The Dutch built a fort on Sanana in 1652. Wallace visited the islands during an ornithological expedition in 1862.
Before Indonesian independence, the Sula Islands were also known as the Xulla Islands, with Taliabo as Xulla Taliabo, Sulabesi (originally Sanana Island) as Xulla Bessi, and Mangoli as Xulla Mangola.Goodall, George (Editor) (1943) Philips' International Atlas London, George Philip and Son map 'East Indies' pp. 91–92
Administration Sula Islands Regency comprises twelve districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as of mid-2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8205) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (all classed as rural desa) in each district, and its post code.
Kode Wilayah Name ofDistrict(kecamatan) English name Area in km2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus2020 Pop'nEstimatemid 2024 Admin centre No.of villagesPostcode 82.05.03 Sulabesi Barat West Sulabesi 93.454,7075,5855,834Kabau Pantai 697797 82.05.09 Sulabesi Selatan South Sulabesi 90.064,2985,5455,731Fuata 597798 82.05.02 Sanana 116.7025,18333,99432,436Fogi 1197795 82.05.07 Sulabesi Tengah Central Sulabesi 75.745,9297,2507,427Waiboga 697799 82.05.08 Sulabesi Timur East Sulabesi 81.843,1004,3504,444Balleha 697795 82.05.18 Sanana Utara North Sanana 77.065,6757,6228,307Pohea 797796 Sulabesi Island (total) 534.8548,89264,34664,179 41 82.05.01 Mangoli Timur East Mangoli 206.084,3015,6135,347Waitina 597793 82.05.11 Mangoli Tengah Central Mangoli 250.426,3817,6448,085Mangoli 997793 82.05.10 Mangoli Utara Timur Northeast Mangoli 159.803,7774,7354,744Waisakai 497793 82.05.06 Mangoli Barat (a) West Mangoli 152.877,0847,1987,933Dofa 797793 82.05.13 Mangoli Utara North Mangoli 259.7710,1159,3739,305Falabisahaya 797793 82.05.12 Mangoli Selatan South Mangoli 216.024,6655,1735,502Buya 5 Mangole Island (total) 1,244.9636,32339,73640,916 37
Note: (a) including offshore islands of Pulau Dodoku and Pulau Mancaril.
Economy According to government data, Sula Islands Regency's food crops include vegetables, groundnuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, durian, mangosteen and mango. the area of agriculturally active land was 24743.56 hectares with production amounting to 33,608.62 tons per year. Taliabu-Sanana District is the main producer of cloves, nutmeg, cocoa, copra and other coconut products. Fishery production is very diverse with and estimated sustainable potential of 40,273.91 tonnes per year of which only 22.8 percent is currently exploited. Forestry is considered a potential industry with the natural forest-based Classification Map TGHK RTRWP suggesting a forest area of 471,951.53 hectares, but much of this is protected or hard to access, due to steep slopes and transportation logistics, and the islands' main plywood company, PT Barito Pacific Timber Group (in Falabisahaya, West Mangoli) has closed. Industrial activity is very limited. There is a gold mine in East Mangoli District (at Waitina and Kawata) and coal mines are located in the peninsula of West Sulabesi District, East Taliabu and Sub Sanana (Wai Village Ipa). Reserves of coal are estimated around 10.4 million tonnes.
Tourism The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism (Kemenpar) is ready to support the promotion of tourism destination potential on Sula Islands. Demographically located between the crossroads of Wakatobi and Raja Ampat tourist areas, it is ideally developed as marine tourism and special interest tourism for diving enthusiasts.
One of the support is Maksaira Festival at Wai Ipa Beach to Bajo Village Beach. On 2018 the festival as a cultural and marine tourism attraction event has entered the third year and will be listed as MURI record breaking for the largest grouper fishing participant targeted by 3000 participants in 2018, where year 2017 followed by 1700 participants.
Fauna The following species are native to the Sula Islands: Buru babirusa Babyrousa babyrussa Banggai cuscus Strigocuscus pelengensis Sula rat Rattus elaphinus Sulawesi flying fox Acerodon celebensis Lesser short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus brachyotis Greenish naked-backed fruit bat Dobsonia viridis Long-tongued nectar bat Macroglossus minimus Pallas's tube-nosed bat Nyctimene cephalotes Ashy-headed flying fox Pteropus caniceps Sulawesi rousette Rousettus celebensis Swift fruit bat Thoopterus nigrescens Small Asian sheath-tailed bat Emballonura alecto Fawn leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros cervinus Small bent-winged bat Miniopterus pusillus Sula megapode Megapodius bernsteinii (Gosong Sula), status vulnerable
Introduced species include: Asian house shrew Wild boar (Sus scrofa) Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans)
References
External links
Tourist guide to the Sula Islands Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Profile of the Sula Islands Investment Prospects in Sula (in Indonesian)