Garut Regency is a

regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

in the Indonesian province of

West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...

. It covers an area of 3,065.19 km² (1,186.91 mi²). Geographically, it lies between 6°5734 – 7°4457 South latitude and 107°2434 – 108°734 East longitude. The population at the 2010 census was 2,404,121,Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and at the 2020 census was 2,585,607; Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 2,716,950 (comprising 1,388,850 males and 1,328,100 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Garut Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3205) South Tarogong (''Tarogong Kidul'') is the

regency seat A regency seat () is a capital or seat of government of a regency in Indonesia. It is roughly equivalent of county seat in the United States or county town in the United Kingdom. Legally, regency seats are not administrative subdivisions of Ind ...

, which is located within the urbanised area of Greater Garut, which covers the four districts of Tarogong Kidul, Tarogong Kaler, Garut Kota and Karangpawitan - with a combined area of almost 150 km² and a population in mid 2024 of just over 500,000.

Adjacent regencies

It is bordered by: * Eastern side: Tasikmalaya Regency * Western side:

Cianjur Regency Cianjur Regency is a Regency (Indonesia), regency ''(kabupaten)'' of West Java, Indonesia. The area of the regency is 3,503.75 km2 and its population at the 2010 Census was 2,171,281;Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. the 2020 Census produ ...

and

Bandung Regency Bandung Regency () is an administrative landlocked regency located to the south, southeast, east and northeast of the city of Bandung. The northern parts of the Bandung Regency are effectively part of Greater Bandung (technically the whole of t ...

* Northern side: Sumedang Regency * Southern side:

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

Geography

In general, Garut has a cool but tropical climate, with an average temperature of 24 °C (76 °F). Average annual rainfall is 2,590 mm (102 inches). This area includes

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

territory surrounded by

volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

es (Mount Karacak: 1,838 m, Mount Cikuray: 2,821 m, Mount Guntur: 2,249 m, Mount Papandayan: 2,622 m) on the northern side, with average heights of 700–750 m above sea level. Streams of solidified lava are present on their slopes.

Administrative districts

Garut Regency is currently divided into 42

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

(''kecamatan''), listed below with their areas and populations at the 2010Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 2020 censuses, Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. together with the official estimates as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Garut Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3205) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of

villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

in each district (totaling 421 rural ''desa'' and 21 urban ''kelurahan''), and its post code. However, in 2013 the National Legislative Council approved a proposal to create a new Regency - South Garut Regency (''Kabupaten Garut Selatan'') - to include the 16 southernmost districts (those listed first in the table below) of the existing Garut Regency, with a combined population of 701,962 in mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Garut Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3205) The new Regency would thus inherit 63% of the land area of the existing regency, but only 25.8% of its population in mid 2024. As at 2025, this proposal has not yet been implemented, but for convenience the table below has been split to distinguish those districts in the proposed South Garut Regency. Note: (a) comprising 5 urban ''kelurahan'' (Jayawaras, Pataruman, Sukagalih, Sukajaya and Sukakarya) and 7 rural ''desa''. (b) including one ''kelurahan'' (Pananjung).
(c) comprising all 11 ''kelurahan'' (Cimuncang, Ciwalen, Kota Kulon, Kota Wetan, Margawati, Muara Sanding, Pakuwon, Paminggir, Regol, Sukamantri and Sukanegla).
(d) comprising 4 ''kelurahan'' (Karangmulya, Lebakjaya, Lengkongjaya and Sucikaler) and 16 ''desa''. (e) except the ''desa'' of Cangkuang, which has a post code of 44119. Administratively, the 42 districts are subdivided into 442 villages, comprising 421 rural ''desa'' and 21 urban ''kelurahan''. Cibalong District is the largest district and covers 6.97% of the area of all Garut Regency districts, while the Kersamanah District is the smallest, with an area of 1,650 ha or 0.54%. Garut constitutes the buffer land and hinterland for the development of Bandung Raja's territory. It has a strategic position and acts as the supplier for the needs of Bandung Municipality and Bandung Regency's populations. The Garut Regency has two distinct topographical areas: *Northern Garut consists of highlands and mountainous terrain, which have the largest rice fields of Garut *Southern Garut is mostly made out of downward sloping lands, along with twelve main rivers which flow south into the Java Trench, an area of

oceanic crust Oceanic crust is the uppermost layer of the oceanic portion of the tectonic plates. It is composed of the upper oceanic crust, with pillow lavas and a dike complex, and the lower oceanic crust, composed of troctolite, gabbro and ultramaf ...

near the southern coast of Java that is part of the larger

. Tourist resorts are well-established in Garut Regency, with coastal views, and others with craters, waterfalls, lakes and a hot springs.Ika Krismantari,
Garut: The Hidden Beauty of West Java'
''The Jakarta Post'', 19 April 2011.

History

On March 2, 1811, the Balubur Limbangan Regency was defeated by Governor General Herman W. Daendels (of the Dutch Colonial Army), and Regent Tumenggung Wangsakusumah II resigned. Balubur Limbangan Regency then comprised 6 districts: Balubur, Malangbong, Wanaraja, Wanakerta, Cibeureum and Papandak. On February 16, 1813, a new Limbangan Regency was founded by Lt. Governor Sir

Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British Colonial Office, colonial official who served as the List of governors of the Dutch East Indies, governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieut ...

which became Garut Regency. R.A.A. Adiwijaya was the first Regent of Garut Regency. He governed from 1813 until 1821. He was well known for his call of Dalem Cipeujeuh. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Monumentale trap naar bordes van het sanatorium te Garoet. TMnr 60002524.jpg, Garut sanatorium in the 1920s File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De regent van Garoet en zijn familie TMnr 60009520.jpg, The Regent of Garut Raden Adipati Aria Wiratanudatar VII with his wife, RA Lasminingrat, and family. File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Hoofdweg van Garoet links de apotheek Preanger TMnr 10014985.jpg, Garut's main street in 1936

Localities

* Garsela * Sindangratu

Local produce

Land fertility varies greatly because of influence by mountains, rivers and coastal lowlands. As a result, agricultural businesses are primarily plantation-based, as well as subsistence farming and animal husbandry, followed by forest resources. Some known products from Garut are: * Garut Orange fruits (''Jeruk Garut'') * Mangdogars Handycraft "Mang Dogar" as Garut Icon likes ornament, dolls, souvenir, clothes * Garut Lamb (''Domba Garut'') * Dodol Garut (a snack) * Vetiver Root Oil (''Andropogon zizanioides'') * Batik Tulis Garutan (hand painted clothes) *

Silk Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), c ...

clothes *

Gemstones A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. Certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...

* Leather crafts * Bamboo crafts

Tourism in Garut

Garut is known as ''Zwitserse van Java'' (Switzerland of Java). It has so many tourist attractions divided into several tourism zone units (

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

n: Satuan Kawasan Wisata (SKW)): * Cangkuang TZU including

Paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or in a cocoon-like 'pod' suspended be ...

Mount Haruman, Cikembulan Zoo, Cimandi Racun Waterfall, Cangkuang Lake, Cangkuang, Jafar Umar Sidiq Tomb, * Cipanas TZU including Bagendit Lake, Citiis Waterfall, Mount Guntur, Cipanas Water Park * Darajat Crater TZU including Darajat Crater and water parks around. * Mbah Godog Tomb TZU including Godog Tomb, Linggaratu Tomb, Cinunuk Tomb, Talaga Bodas, * Ngamplang TZU including Cihanyawar Waterfall, Flamboyan Golf Course, Dayeuh Manggung Tea Plantation, * Pameungpeuk TZU including Darmaga Beach, Manulusu Beach, Gunung Geder, Santolo Beach, Neglasari Beach, Sayang Heulang Beach * Papandayan TZU including Cimmanuk River Rafting, Ciburuy Site, Curug Orok, Papandayan Crater, * Rancabuaya TZU including Rancabuaya Beach, Cikandang River Rafting, Sanghiyang Taraje Waterfall, * Sancang TZU including Sancang Forest, Cijeruk Indah Beach and Karang Paranje Beach

References

Bibliography

External links

Official District Government site (English)
{{Authority control Cimanuk basin Cipalebuh basin Cilaki basin Cikandang basin