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The Talaud Islands 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 ...
of
North Sulawesi North Sulawesi () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is mainly located on the Minahasa Peninsula of the island of Sulawesi, south of the Philippines and southeast of Sabah, Malaysia, but also includes various small archipel ...
province,
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, ...
. The Talaud Islands form an archipelago situated to the northeast of the
Minahasa Peninsula The Minahasa Peninsula, also spelled Minahassa, or the Northern Sulawesi Peninsula is one of the four principal peninsulas on the Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between ...
, with a land area of 1,251.02 km2. It had a population of 83,434 at the 2010 Census,Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. increasing to 94,521 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 97,312 (comprising 50,061 males and 47,251 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kabupaten Kepulauan Talaud Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7104) The largest island is
Karakelong Karakelang is the main island of the Talaud Islands north east of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its area is . It has a population of 51,506 at the 2010 Census and 59,920 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 60,875.Badan Pusat Statis ...
, on which lies the regency seat in the town of
Melonguane Melonguane is a town and district in Talaud Islands Regency in North Sulawesi province. It is the capital of the regency. Its population was 10,463 at the 2010 Census. The district was subsequently split in two, with a new East Melonguane district ...
. To its south lie the islands of Salibabu and Kabaruan, while the Nanusa group of 7 small islands lies to the northeast of Karakelong, and Miangas island is situated midway between Karakelong and the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. It is one of the three regencies to the north of North Sulawesi that are located between Sulawesi and the Philippines, along with the
Sitaro Islands Regency Sitaro Islands Regency (, although its formal name is Kabupaten Kepulauan Siau Tagulandang Biaro) is a regency located off the northern extremity of Sulawesi Island in the southern Sangihe Islands, North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The regency ...
and
Sangihe Islands Regency The Sangihe Islands Regency () is a regency of North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. It comprises a group of islands situated to the North of Sulawesi. It covers a land area of 736.98 km2, and had a population of 126,100 at the 2010 censusBiro ...
; originally these formed a single regency, but on 10 April 2002 the Talaud Islands were split off to form their own Regency. The island of
Miangas Miangas or Palmas is the northernmost island of North Sulawesi, and one of 92 officially listed outlying islands of Indonesia. Etymology ''Miangas'' means "exposed to piracy", because pirates from Mindanao used to visit the island. In the Sasa ...
is the most northerly in the regency and is widely regarded as the northernmost point of Indonesia. As a result, it is often referenced to describe the territorial integrity of Indonesia in various patriotic statements and songs together with Sabang,
Merauke Merauke is a large town (''kelurahan'') and an administrative district (''distrik'') in Merauke Regency of South Papua Province, Indonesia. It is also the administrative centre of Merauke Regency, and is considered to be the easternmost city in I ...
, and
Rote Island Rote Island (, also spelled ''Roti'') is an island of Indonesia, part of the East Nusa Tenggara Provinces of Indonesia, province of the Lesser Sunda Islands. According to legend, this island got its name accidentally when a lost Portuguese people ...
(respectively the most western, most eastern and most southern points in Indonesia).


History

The islands were known as Maleon, Sinduane, Tamarongge, Batunampato, and Tinonda. Human settlements in the region have been present since prehistoric times, as shown by several artifacts of hand axe and chopper from 6,000 BC. There were also remains of chinaware, suggesting there had been continuous trading activity between the natives of the islands and the outside world. It was thought that inhabitants of the island originated from Southern Philippines especially Mindanao and also traders from Ternate.


Geography

Grouping Talaud with the Sangihe Islands and Sitaro regencies, there are 77 islands in the Talaud-Sangihe archipelagos, of which 56 are inhabited. Compared with the Sangihe archipelago, the islands are low-lying and forested, with hills rising to 2,231 feet (680 metres). The coast of Karakelong Island is steep except on the southern shore, which is fringed by a wide reef. The region is regularly rocked by large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, as the
Molucca Sea Plate Located in the western Pacific Ocean near Indonesia, the Molucca Sea plate has been classified by scientists as a fully subducted microplate that is part of the Molucca Sea Collision Zone, Molucca Sea Collision Complex. The Molucca Sea plate repre ...
is being consumed in both directions. A notable earthquake was the
2009 Talaud Islands earthquake The 2009 Talaud Islands earthquake occurred on February 12 at 01:34 local time (February 11, 2009 at 17:34 UTC) near Talaud Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Talaud), Indonesia. This reverse-type shock had a moment magnitude of 7.2 and a maximum M ...
, which was felt in the Philippines as well.


Governance

The Regency is divided into nineteen
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 2020 Census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. together with the official estimates as of mid-2022.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023, ''Kabupaten Kepulauan Talaud Dalam Angka 2023'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7104) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, 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 142 rural ''desa'' and 11 urban ''kelurahan''), and its postcode. Notes: (a) including 3 ''kelurahan'' - Lirung, Lirung I and Lirung Matane. (b) including 3 ''kelurahan'' - Melonguane, Melonguane Barat and Melonguane Timur.
(c) including 3 ''kelurahan'' - Beo, Beo Barat and Beo Timur. (d) including 2 ''kelurahan'' - Makatara and Makatara Timur. (e) comprising the 7 Nanusa Islands.


Economy

Talaud Islands Regency is one of the outermost regions in Indonesia located in North Sulawesi Province, directly bordering the Philippines. Its strategic location provides great potential for economic growth, especially in the marine and fisheries sector. This potential is supported by abundant marine natural resources, ranging from capture fisheries, fish farming, to marine tourism. Potential of Fisheries Sector The fisheries sector is the main pillar of the Talaud economy, with the majority of the population working as fishermen. The Talaud Sea is rich in various types of fish such as tuna, skipjack, and reef fish, which are the mainstay of this area. However, although this great potential has been developed, its utilization is still limited by problems with infrastructure, fishing technology, and market access. Marine Tourism The Talaud Islands also have quite large tourism potential, especially marine tourism such as diving, snorkeling, and beach tourism. The beauty of the underwater world and the richness of marine life are the main attractions for domestic and international tourists. However, the lack of transportation facilities and tourism promotion are challenges that need to be overcome to encourage this sector as a source of regional income. Agriculture and Plantation In addition to the maritime sector, the agricultural and plantation sectors also play an important role in the Talaud economy. Food crops such as coconut, corn, and bananas are the main commodities. Coconuts in particular are exported in the form of copra and coconut oil. However, challenges in this sector include
climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
, access to modern agricultural technology, and inadequate infrastructure. Infrastructure and Connectivity The main issue in the economic development of Talaud is the lack of infrastructure, especially in terms of transportation and connectivity with other regions in Indonesia. Sea and air access to Talaud is still limited, making it difficult to distribute goods and services. Infrastructure improvements, such as better ports, more modern airports, and improved road quality, are needed to accelerate the pace of the economy.


Demography

The population of the Talaud Islands was 97,312 according to the mid-2023 official estimates.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kabupaten Kepulauan Talaud Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7104) The total population of the Talaud, Sangihe and Sitaro Islands combined was 310,809 in mid 2023.


Ethnicities

The population of the Talaud Islands Regency is mostly from the Talaud ethnic group , which is the indigenous ethnic group in this region. The Talaud ethnic group has a distinctive language and culture, with the
Talaud language Talaud is an Austronesian language spoken on the Talaud Islands north of Sulawesi, Indonesia. There are 2 dialects, namely Lami dialect which is spoken on Miangas Miangas or Palmas is the northernmost island of North Sulawesi, and one of 92 off ...
as a regional language that is still used in everyday life, especially in rural areas and in traditional activities. They have strong cultural ties, with various traditions and traditional ceremonies still practiced, such as harvest celebrations and sea rituals. In addition to the Talaud ethnic group, there is also the presence of the Sangir ethnic group , who come from the Sangihe
Islands This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water, and by other classifications. For rank-order lists, see the #Other lists of islands, other lists of islands below. Lists of islands by count ...
, a neighboring region in North Sulawesi. The Sangir ethnic group has cultural and linguistic similarities with the Talaud, so that these two ethnic groups can live side by side in harmony. They are also involved in the same economic activities, such as agriculture and fisheries. In addition to local ethnic groups, there are a number of immigrant tribes such as Minahasa , Bugis , Makassar , Javanese , as well as immigrants from Ternate and Tidore. The presence of these immigrants is related to trade, transmigration, or work in the government and education sectors. Although their numbers are relatively small, their presence has enriched the ethnic diversity in the Talaud Islands Regency. The regency also has historical ties with the Southern Philippines , especially the Mindanao region. During the colonial period, the Maluku Islands was known as the "Spice Islands," where various valuable spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and pepper were produced. Ships from the Philippines often stopped in Talaud to conduct trade these goods, as well as local seafood and agricultural products. Talaud served as an important stopping point for sailors to refuel and obtain supplies. Geographical proximity has led to long-standing interactions between the two regions, and although the number of migrants from the Philippines is insignificant, there are a number of Filipinos who have assimilated into the local Talaud population.


Religion

Christianity is the majority religion of the islands (Protestantism). There is a significant Muslim minority community also.


Biodiversity

The Talaud Islands are a hotspot of endemism and zoological diversity, and are situated in the
Sulawesi lowland rain forests The Sulawesi lowland rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Indonesia. The ecoregion includes the lowlands of Sulawesi and neighboring islands. Geography Sulawesi is the largest island in the ecoregion, with an area of 180,681&nbs ...
ecoregion. Endemic mammals include the endangered
Talaud flying fox The Talaud flying fox or Talaud fruit bat (''Acerodon humilis'') is a species of bat in the family Pteropodidae. It is endemic to the islands of Salebabu and Karekaleng in the Talaud Archipelago of Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical ...
(''Acerodon humilis),'' the critically endangered
Talaud bear cuscus The Talaud bear cuscus (''Ailurops melanotis'') is a species of marsupial in the family Phalangeridae. It is endemic to Salibabu Island in the Talaud Islands, Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. The species i ...
(''Ailurops melanotis''), the endangered
Short-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat The short-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat or the short-tailed Talaud melomys (''Melomys caurinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Karakelong and Salebabu in the Talaud Islands in Indonesia where it occurs in fo ...
(''Melomys caurinus''), and the endangered
Long-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat The long-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat or the long-tailed Talaud melomys (''Melomys talaudium'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Karakelong and Salebabu in the Talaud Islands in Indonesia where it occurs in for ...
(''Melomys talaudium''). Birds endemic to the Talaud Islands include the vulnerable
Talaud bush-hen The Talaud bush-hen (''Amaurornis magnirostris'') is a vulnerable waterbird in the rail and crake family. It is a recently described species from Karakelang Island in the Talaud Islands, Indonesia. It occurs in forest, scrub, and overgrown pla ...
(''Amaurornis magnirostris''), the endangered
Talaud rail The Talaud rail (''Gymnocrex talaudensis'') is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is endemic to the Talaud Islands of Indonesia. Its natural habitats are rivers and swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat destruction (als ...
(''Gymnocrex talaudensis''), the near-threatened Talaud kingfisher (''Todiramphus enigma''), and the vulnerable
Red-and-blue lory The red-and-blue lory (''Eos histrio'') is a small, strikingly-colored parrot Endemism, endemic to Indonesia. The species inhabits a single island, Karakelong, in the List of islands of Indonesia, Indonesian archipelago, although it was formerly ...
(''Eos histrio''), which formerly lived across the Talaud and Sangihe islands, now restricted only to Karakelang. The Talaud black birdwing (''Troides dohertyi)'' is a butterfly endemic to the Sangihe and Talaud Islands. Sangihe and Talaud were largely deforested by 1920, and there is minimal natural forest remaining on these islands. A survey has been proposed to determine appropriate locations for additional protected areas around the remaining forest (Stattersfield et al. 1998). There is a Wildlife Reserve on Karakelong 46.69 km2 (95.25 miles2)


Infrastructure


Education

There are 74 kindergartens, 117 elementary schools, 43 junior high schools, and 24 senior high schools, in addition of 13 vocational high schools. Of the 24 senior high schools, five of them are Christian senior high schools (SMAK) which are administered by the Ministry of Religious Affairs instead of the
Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (, abbreviated Kemendikbudristek) was a government ministry of the Indonesian government responsible for education, cultural, research, and technology affairs. Its formation resulted ...
. There's only one college in the regency, Rajawali Computer Science College which is private. It was established after the MoU between the regency government and
IPB University IPB University (, abbreviated as IPB; former English name: Bogor Agricultural University in the city of Bogor) is a state-run agricultural university based in the regency of Bogor, Indonesia. IPB has long been considered one of the "Big 5" univer ...
in 2006. The main campus was previously located in a temporary location in Melonguane town, but later relocated to town of Beo in 2011 where the newly built campus complex was located.


Healthcare

There are two main hospitals, 42
Puskesmas The (), abbreviated as , are government-mandated community health clinics located across Indonesia. They are overseen by the Indonesian Ministry of Health and provide healthcare for the population on sub-district level. The concept was desi ...
, and six registered pharmacies in the regency; 17 Puskesmas have inpatient care. There are also 153 healthcare centers in the regency as of 2020. Talaud Regional Hospital, which is the main hospital of the regency, is located at the town of Melonguane and classified by Ministry of Health as C-class hospital. The other hospital is located at town of Gemeh, is RSB Gemeh Talaud which has smaller building and classified as D-class hospital.


Transportation

Total length of road in the regency as of 2020 was 470.771 kilometers out of which 265.44 kilometers are sealed with asphalt and 38.147 kilometers were gravel surface. Almost half of the roads are under the authority of the regency government, while the other half are under the authority of the province. Only 66.05 kilometers are under direct authority of the central government. The main port in the regency is Melonguane Port, located in the town of Melonguane. It is connected to other smaller ports scattered around the regency as well as big ports in mainland Sulawesi by Sea Toll Program. In addition, the Melonguane Port also host an
Indonesian Navy The Indonesian Navy (, TNI-AL) is the Navy, naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol Indonesia's lengthy coastline, to enforce and patrol the territorial waters and Exclus ...
naval base. The regency is mainly served by Melangguane Airport, which has regular flight to
Manado Manado (, ) is the capital City status in Indonesia, city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sulawesi. It is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar, with the 2020 census giving a population of 451,916,Badan ...
. There's also recently built Miangas Airport serving the island of Miangas which has flights to Manado and also Melonguane. It is one of the most remote airports in Indonesia and was inaugurated by
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...
in 2017. As of 2021, there's one proposed airport that would be built in Marampit, which has been approved by
Ministry of National Development Planning The Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency () (abbreviated PPN/Bappenas) is a ministry of the Republic of Indonesia that has the task to oversee government affairs in the field of national development plan ...
.


Notes


References

{{Authority control Regencies of North Sulawesi