Sekadau 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 ...

West Kalimantan West Kalimantan () is a province of Indonesia. It is one of five Indonesian provinces comprising Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital and largest city is Pontianak. It is bordered by East Kalimantan and Central ...

province of

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, ...

. It was created on 18 December 2003 from the eastern part of

Sanggau Regency Sanggau Regency (; Hakka Chinese, Hakka: Sîang-ngau) is a Regency (Indonesia), regency in the north-central section of West Kalimantan province of Indonesia. On 18 December 2003, the regency's eastern portion was split off to create a new regen ...

. It covers an area of 5,642.75 km², and had a population of 181,634 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 211,559 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 222,510 (comprising 115,200 males and 107,310 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Sekadau Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.6109) The regency seat lies at the town of Sekadau in Sekadau Hilir District.

History

Historically, Sekadau was an indigenous kingdom, centred on the Lawang Kuwari Monument, located in the market and the heart of Sekadau town, located along the Kapuas River and 243 km from the provincial capital of

Pontianak Pontianak, also known as Khuntien in Teochew and Hakka, is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, founded first as a trading port on the island of Borneo, occupying an area of 118.21 km2 in the delta of the Kapuas R ...

along the Trans-Kalimantan Highway Southern Route. It stands as a symbol of local pride and history, attracting both residents and visitors. The area around the monument is vibrant, often bustling with activities, making it a central spot for community gatherings and cultural events. Under the leadership of the Regent of Sekadau, there was a strong push to recognize Lawang Kuwari as a significant symbol in the development of the region. Everything associated with Lawang Kuwari has captured the spotlight. Lawang Kuwari has become a powerful identity marker for Kabupaten Sekadau. This is reflected in various elements, including: The name "Lawang Kuwari" derives from the local language, capturing both the historical significance and the beauty of the place. "Lawang" translates to door or gate, while "Kuwari" refers to a type of tree that once flourished around the mouth of the Sekadau River. Lawang Kuwari boasts a rich history. It served as a hiding place and retreat for Prince Agong of the Sekadau Kingdom. A key figure in the kingdom's history, he left the capital in Kematu, feeling disheartened after not being appointed king. Prince Agong then journeyed to Lawang Kuwari, which is now a historical tourist site. In Lawang Kuwari, he engaged in meditation and seclusion amidst stunning natural beauty, located by the Kapuas River. Besides being a retreat, Lawang Kuwari also holds historical significance as a symbol of the bygone era of the Sekadau Kingdom.

Geography

Climate

Sekadau has a

tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...

(Af) with heavy to very heavy rainfall year-round.

Governance

Administrative districts

Sekadau Regency consists of seven

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 their populations 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 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Sekadau Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.6109) 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 ...

(all classed as rural ''desa'') in each district, and its post code.

Local government

The regency is a second-level administrative division equivalent to a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

. As a regency, it is headed by a regent who is elected democratically. Head of districts are appointed directly by the regent with the recommendation of the regency secretary. Executive power lies with the regent and vice regent, while legislative function is exercised by the regency's parliament.

Politics

Economy

Demographics

Infrastructure

Education

As of 2020, there are 35 kindergartens in the regency, 241 elementary schools, 67 junior high schools, and 23 senior high schools. In addition, the regency has six vocational high schools. It only has one higher educational institution, the Keling Kumang Institute, which is private but partially supported by the regency government. The institute campus is located in the town of Sekadau and focuses on technology-related programs such as agro-technology and computer science. The regency also has one public library maintained by the regency government, also located at its regency seat, the town of Sekadau. There are also four Islamic boarding schools (''pesantren'') in the regency as at 2020.

Healthcare

The regency has one hospital, four polyclinics, 67 puskesmas, and 6 pharmacies. The only hospital in the regency, Sekadau Regional Hospital, is a public hospital owned by regency government. It is classified as C-class by Ministry of Health and located just across the town of Sekadau. In addition, there are two family planning clinics, 10 village medical clinics, 239 healthcare posts, and 109 maternity cottages.

Transportation

There are 852.85 kilometres of road in the regency, out of which 584.501 kilometres are maintained by regency government. From those 584.501 kilometres, 115.436 kilometres have not yet sealed and still have a soil surface as of 2020. There is no airport in the regency and the main transportation is by using road travel. The closest airport is Tebelian Airport which is located in

Sintang Regency Sintang Regency is a regency of West Kalimantan province of Indonesia. It covers an area of 21,638.2 km2, and had a population of 364,759 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 421,306 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, ...

Others

There are exactly 272 mosques, 149 Protestant churches, 303 Catholic churches, three Chinese Buddhist temples (''Vihara''), and seven Confucian temples (''klenteng'').

References

{{coord, 0.0348, N, 110.9507, E, source:wikidata, display=title Regencies of West Kalimantan Kapuas basin