Pacitan 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 ...

located in the southwestern corner of

East Java East Java (, , ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the easternmost third of Java island. It has a land border only with the province of Central Java to the west; the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean border its northern ...

Province, with

Central Java Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogya ...

Province on its western border. Located between 7.55° - 8.17°S and 110.55° - 111.25°E. The borders of Pacitan Regency are with

Wonogiri Regency Wonogiri Regency is a regency () in the southeastern part of Central Java Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is border ...

(Central Java) in the west and north,

Ponorogo Regency Ponorogo Regency (; ) is an inland Regency (Indonesia), regency () of East Java Province of Indonesia. It is considered the birthplace of Reog, Reog Ponorogo, a traditional Indonesian dance form. The regency covers an area of , and it had a popu ...

and

Trenggalek Regency Trenggalek Regency (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Kabupaten Trenggalek''; ) is a Regency (Indonesia), regency ''(kabupaten)'' in East Java, Indonesia. This regency has an area of 1,261.40 km2 and had a population of 674,411 residents a ...

in the east, and the

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), ...

in the south. It covers an area of 1,389.87 km² and had a population of 540,881 at the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 586,110 at the 2020 census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 597,390 (comprising 299,170 males and 298,220 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024. ''Kabupaten Pacitan Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3501) The capital of Pacitan Regency is the town of

Pacitan Pacitan Regency (; ) is a regency located in the southwestern corner of East Java Province, with Central Java Province on its western border. Located between 7.55° - 8.17°S and 110.55° - 111.25°E. The borders of Pacitan Regency are with Wonogi ...

. The majority of citizens in Pacitan speak Javanese as their first language, while speaking Indonesian as a second language.

Geography

The area of Pacitan Regency is about 1,389.87 km². Most of it is mountainous and rocky, also having a few rocky canyons. That sort of geography covers about 88% of the regency, and this is because Pacitan is located in the Thousand Mountains. The highest mountains in Pacitan Regency are Mount Lima in Kebonagung District, and Mount Gembes in Bandar District as the source of the Grindulu River. Comparison of land types: *Flat (0 - 5% slope) = 53.7 km² (4%) *Bumpy (6 - 10% slope) = 134.24 km² (10%) *Wavy (11 - 30% slope) = 322.18 km² (24%) *Hilly (31 - 50% slope) = 698.06 km² (52%) *Mountainous (more than 51% slope) = 134.24 km² (10%) Generally, the land in Pacitan can be divided into two categories, calcium rich in the south, and fertile land in the north. The land consists of lithosal association, red mediterranean lithosal, tuff and volcanic compound, reddish lithosal complex, and grey alluvial, clay sediments containing many potential minerals. The minerals are

feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...

ball clay Ball clays are kaolinitic sedimentary clays that commonly consist of 20–80% kaolinite, 10–25% mica and 6–65% quartz, along with small amounts of organic matter (such as lignite) and trace amounts of other minerals such as pyrite and siderit ...

bentonite Bentonite ( ) is an Absorption (chemistry), absorbent swelling clay consisting mostly of montmorillonite (a type of smectite) which can either be Na-montmorillonite or Ca-montmorillonite. Na-montmorillonite has a considerably greater swelli ...

pyrophyllite Pyrophyllite is a phyllosilicate mineral composed of aluminium silicate hydroxide: Al2Si4O10(OH)2. It occurs in two forms (habits): crystalline folia and compact masses; distinct crystals are not known. The folia have a pronounced pearly luster ...

calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate Hydrate, dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk ...

phosphate rock Phosphorite, phosphate rock or rock phosphate is a non- detrital sedimentary rock that contains high amounts of phosphate minerals. The phosphate content of phosphorite (or grade of phosphate rock) varies greatly, from 4% to 20% phosphorus pentox ...

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...

, dolomite,

gemstone 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 jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...

tin ore Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral, SnO2. It is generally opaque, but it is translucent in thin crystals. Its luster and multiple crystal faces produce a desirable gem. Cassiterite was the chief tin ore throughout ancient history and remains t ...

, and

manganite Manganite is a mineral composed of manganese oxide-hydroxide, MnO(OH), crystallizing in the monoclinic system (pseudo-orthorhombic). Crystals of manganite are prismatic and deeply striated parallel to their length; they are often grouped togethe ...

. Pacitan Regency includes 130.87 km² of rice fields and 1,211.55 km² of dry land. According to irrigation type the rice fields can be grouped into: technical irrigation rice field (16.06 km²), half technical irrigation rice field (11.88 km²), simple irrigation rice field (40.63 km²), and rain-dependent rice field (62.3 km²).

Administrative districts

Pacitan Regency is divided into twelve

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''), tabulated below with their areas and population totals at the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and the 2020 census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024. ''Kabupaten Pacitan Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3501) The table also includes the locations of the district headquarters, the number of

administrative village 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 ...

s in each district (totaling 166 rural ''desa'' and 5 urban ''kelurahan'' - the latter all in Pacitan (town) District), and its postal codes. Note: (a) comprises 5 urban ''kelurahan'' (Baleharjo, Pacitan, Ploso, Pucangsewu and Sidoharjo) and 20 ''desa''.

Beaches

Pacitan Regency has 17 beaches, to the west of Pacitan town: Banyu Tibo, Buyutan, Karang Bolong, Srau, Klayar, and Watu Karung, near Pacitan town: Pantai Teleng Ria, Tamperan Gung, Kali Uluh, and Wawaran, in the east of Pacitan City: Pidakan, Soge, Tawang, Taman, and Kunir. All beaches are near 70 kilometers of South Coast Road from

. Soge Beach can be accessed in 30 minutes drive or by bus public transport from Pacitan town, but all beaches are relatively far from big cities such as

Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...

(7 hours) and

Surakarta Surakarta (Javanese script, Javanese: , Pegon script, Pegon: ), known colloquially as Solo (Javanese script, Javanese: ; ), is a major List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city in Central Java, Indonesia. The city adjoins Karanganyar Reg ...

(4 hours), but it is closer from Yogyakarta.

Tourism

Pacitan town is known as the City of Tourism (Kota Parawisata) or City of a Thousand Caves (Kota Seribu Goa) because of ecological diversity and natural attractions. Pacitan features cave tours, surfing, hiking, historical places, natural springs and sports arena (still in progress) that can be the options to be visited. Pacitan provides some natural caves, those are Goa Gong (Gong Cave) which is the most beautiful cave in Southeast Asia, Goa Kalak (Kalak Cave) where Soeharto (the second president of Indonesia) did meditation here, Goa Tabuhan (Tabuhan Cave) where Alibasyha Sentot Prawirodirjo did meditation, and Goa Luweng Jaran (Luweng Jaran Cave) where the stalactites and stalagmites in this cave produces sounds like Gamelan (Javanese Original Music Instrumens). The beaches in Pacitan has their own typical character. Watu Karung Beach, Klayar Beach, Srau Beach, and Kasap Beach have white sand and beautiful coral reefs. Teleng Ria Beach is located at the heart of Pacitan city where makes it easy to reach, Soge Beach has amazing bridge, Taman Beach has turtle conservation, Sidomulyo Beach has the longest flying fox (zip line) in Indonesia, Banyu Tibo beach has a small waterfall that its water directly flow to the sea through its shore and any other beaches with its own uniqueness.

Notable people

Pacitan is the birthplace of the former army general and the former (and first directly elected)

president of Indonesia The president of the Republic of Indonesia () is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Indonesia. The president is the leader of the executive branch of the Indonesian government and the commander-in-chief of the ...

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to as SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired Indonesian Army, army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014 and the second president of Ind ...

Geography

Administrative districts

Beaches

Tourism

Notable people

References

See also