Belu Regency

Summary

Belu Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Situated on the north side of Timor island, it adjoins the North Central Timor Regency to the west and the separate nation of East Timor to the east. Established on 20 December 1958,[3] Belu Regency has its seat (capital) in the large town of Atambua.

Belu Regency
Kabupaten Belu
Rai Belu
Coat of arms of Belu Regency
Nickname: 
Belu
Location within East Nusa Tenggara
Location within East Nusa Tenggara
Belu Regency is located in Timor
Belu Regency
Belu Regency
Belu Regency is located in Lesser Sunda Islands
Belu Regency
Belu Regency
Belu Regency (Lesser Sunda Islands)
Belu Regency is located in Indonesia
Belu Regency
Belu Regency
Belu Regency (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 9°20′45″S 124°57′2″E / 9.34583°S 124.95056°E / -9.34583; 124.95056
Country Indonesia
RegionLesser Sunda Islands
Province East Nusa Tenggara
Settled20 December 1956
CapitalAtambua
Government
 • RegentWilly Lay
 • Vice RegentJ. T. Ose Luan
Area
 • Total496.12 sq mi (1,284.94 km2)
Elevation
1,230 ft (375 m)
Population
 (mid 2023 estimate)[1]
 • Total231,008
 • Density470/sq mi (180/km2)
Time zoneUTC+8 (ICST)
Postcodes
856xx, 857xx
Area code(+62) 389
ReligionChristianity 95.45%
Catholic 88.39%
Protestant 7.10%
Islam 4.30%
Hindu 0.19%
Buddhism 0.02%[2]
Websitebelukab.go.id

In December 2012 a separate Regency - Malaka Regency - was created from the twelve districts that formerly comprised the southern half of Belu Regency. "Belu" means "friend" in the indigenous language of Tetum. The residual part of Belu Regency had a population of 188,163 at the 2010 Census,[4] which rose to 206,476 at the 2015 Intermediate Census[5] and to 217,973 at the 2020 Census.[6] The official estimate as at mid 2023 was 231,008 (comprising 115,654 males and 115,354 females).[1]

Administrative Districts edit

The Belu Regency was until 2013 divided into twenty-four districts (kecamatan), but in December 2012, the twelve southern kecamatan were removed to form the new Malaka Regency, leaving the twelve northern kecamatan in Belu Regency. The residual Belu Regency is thus composed of twelve districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas (in km2) and their populations at the 2010 Census[4] and 2020 Census,[6] together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.[1] The table also includes the locations of the district headquarters, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 69 rural desa and 12 urban kelurahan - the latter being the 12 comprising Atambua town), and its postal code.

Kode
Wilayah
Name of
District
(kecamatan)
Area
in
km2
Pop'n
Census
2010
Pop'n
Census
2020
Pop'n
Estimate
mid 2023
Admin
centre
No.
of
villages
Post
code
53.04.12 Kota Atambua
(Central Atambua)
24.90 26,396 30,837 32,747 Tenukiik 4 85711
-85718
53.04.21 Atambua Barat
(West Atambua)
15.55 21,604 24,178 25,358 Sesekoe 4 85713
-85718
53.04.22 Atambua Selatan
(East Atambua)
15.73 22,464 26,144 27,733 Asuulun 4 85716
-85718
Total Atambua town 56.18 70,464 81,159 85,838 12 85711
-85718
53.04.13 Raimanuk 179.42 14,411 16,755 17,768 Arekama 9 85760
53.04.04 Tasifeto Barat
(West Tasifeto)
224.19 22,362 24,545 25,598 Kimbana 8 85753
53.04.05 Kakulak Mesak 187.54 17,608 21,988 23,806 Umarese 6 85752
53.04.23 Nanaet Dubesi 60.25 4,006 4,783 5,112 Tete Seban 4 85751
53.04.02 Tasifeto Timur
(East Tasifeto)
211.37 20,932 26,121 28,275 Wedomu 12 85771
Western rural sector (a) 862.77 79,319 94,192 100,559 39
53.04.03 Raihat 87.20 13,319 14,359 14,897 Bei Sari Loo 6 85773
53.04.17 Lasiolat 64.48 6,166 7,096 7,503 Lafuli 7 85771
53.04.01 Lamaknen 105.90 11,583 12,632 13,149 Weluli 9 85772
53.04.18 Lamaknen Selatan
(South Lamaknen)
18.41 7,312 8,535 9,062 Pie Bulak 8 85770
Eastern salient (b) 365.99 38,380 42,622 44,611 30
Totals for regency 1,284.94 188,163 217,973 231,008 81

Note: (a) the five westerly rural kecamatan, mainly surrounding or south of Atambua, including the northern coast.
(b) the area projecting into East Timor.

Media edit

Belu Regency is served with four radio stations that cover the wider area around this regency (including Malaka Regency, Alor Regency, and Timor Tengah Utara Regency), which are RRI Pro1 Atambua (FM 91.5 MHz) RRI Pro2 Atambua (FM 99.8 MHz) RRI Pro3 (FM 99.0 MHz), and Saluran Citra Budaya Timor (alias Pro4) (FM 93.1 MHz). There's still a lot of radio that can be found in the town.

The regency is only served with two television stations (TVRI - including TVRI East Nusa Tenggara, Belu TV) and a few other East Timor stations that reach the border pass.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Belu Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5304)
  2. ^ "Kabupaten Belu Dalam Angka 2019". www.belukab.bps.go.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  3. ^ Government of Indonesia (9 August 1958), Establishment of the Second-level Administrative Regions under the First-level Administrative Region of Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara (in Indonesian ed.), Indonesia Ministry of Law and Justice, UU No. 69/1958, retrieved 24 August 2007[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ a b Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  5. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2018.
  6. ^ a b Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.