South Aceh 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
Aceh
Aceh ( , ; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ; Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Atjeh'') is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capit ...
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 is located on the west coast of the island of
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
. The regency covers an area of 4,173.82 square kilometres and had a population of 202,251 at the 2010 Census
[Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.] and 232,414 at the 2020 Census;
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] the official population estimate in mid 2024 was 241,994.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Aceh Selatan Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1103)]
Its population density was thus inhabitants/km
2 at the 2010 census, inhabitants/km
2 at the 2020 census, and inhabitants/km
2 in mid 2024. The seat of the regency government is at
Tapaktuan.
Demography
While some 60% of the Regency's population are ethically
Achinese, some 30% of the people of the regency are
Minangkabau-descended
Aneuk Jamee and about 10% are ethnically
Kluet people.
History
South Aceh Regency was originally created on 14 November 1956 (under Emergency Law No.7 of 1956) from the former southeastern districts of
West Aceh Regency. On 20 April 1999 (under Law No.14 of 1999) its own southeastern districts were in turn split off to create a separate
Aceh Singkil Regency, and it was further reduced in size on 10 April 2002 (under Law No.4 of 2002) by further districts in the northwest of the regency being split off to create a
Southwest Aceh Regency.
Administrative districts
At the time of the 2010 Census, the regency was divided administratively into sixteen
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''). Later in 2010, two additional districts (Trumon Tengah and Kota Bahagia) were carved out of the existing districts. The districts are listed below with their areas and populations at the 2010 Census
[Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.] and the 2020 Census,
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] together with the official estimates for mid 2024.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kabupaten Aceh Selatan Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1103)] The districts are grouped into five geographical units, which have no administrative significance. 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 ...
(''gampong'') in each district, and its postal codes.
Note: (a) including small offshore islands including ''Pulau Trumon''.
(b) The 2010 population of Trumon Tengah District is included in the 2010 figure for Trumon Timur District, from which it was split.
(c) The Trumon area which forms the southern 28% of the Regency is adjacent to the city of
Subulussalam to the east.
(d) including offshore island of ''Pulau Kayee''.
(e) The 2010 population of Kota Bahagia District is included in the 2010 figure for Bakongan District, from which it was split.
(f) including offshore island of ''Pulau Batukapal''.
See also
*
List of regencies and cities of Indonesia
Regency (Indonesia), Regencies () and City status in Indonesia#Kota, cities (''kota'') are the second-level subdivisions of Indonesia, administrative subdivision in Indonesia, immediately below the Provinces of Indonesia, provinces, and above th ...
References
External links
South Aceh Regency
{{coord, 3, 08, N, 97, 27, E, source:kolossus-ptwiki, display=title
Regencies of Aceh
Singkil basin