Until 2002, the regency covered a much wider area of southern Papua, but much of the area was split off on 12 November 2002 to form the new Regencies of Asmat, Mappi and Boven Digoel. The four regencies were in 2022 re-grouped to form the new South Papua Province.

Ethnicity edit

One of the tribes originating from Merauke are the Marind (or also called the Marind Anim) and the Sohoers.^[5] There are various sub-clans of the Marind Anim tribe, such as Kaize, Gebze, Balagaize, Mahuze, Ndiken, and Basik-basik.

In Dutch colonial period, the local residents lived side by side with the Dutch government employees. After the Western New Guinea integration with Indonesia, the development of the regency then followed by a population increase coming from various regions in the country. As of 2010 Indonesian census male population data, the population of indigenous Papuans in Merauke Regency is 37,731 (36.60%), while non-native Papuans is 65,347 (63.40%).^[6][7]

Religion edit

A 2021 data from Central Agency on Statistics of Merauke Regency indicates that the majority of Merauke Regency population adheres to Christianity (52.84%). The Catholics makes up the majority of them (36.61%) and the remainings are Protestants (16.23%). Another significant religions in the regency is Islam (46.56%), followed by Buddhism (0.44%) and Hindu (0.16%).^[8]

At the 2020 Census, Merauke Regency comprised twenty districts (distrik), listed below with their areas and populations at the 2010 Census^[3] and the 2020 Census,^[4] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022.^[1] Two additional districts have subsequently been created - Kontuar from part of Waan District, and Padua from parts of Kimaam, Tabonji and Ilyawab Districts) - but their population details are not yet available. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totalling 179 rural kampung and 11 urban kelurahan, the latter all in Merauke District) and its post code.

Note: (a) the population figures for the new Kontuar District are included with those for Waan District, from part of which it was cut out. (b) the population figures for the new Padua District are included with those for Kimaam, Tabonji and Ilwayab Districts, from parts of which it was cut out. (c) containing all of the regency's 11 kelurahan (urban villages) and 5 kampung.

Much of the area of Merauke Regency is covered by forests. The Wasur National Park forms part of the largest wetland in the regency.

MIFEE (Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate) is a project for use of a big area for industry and also palm oil and food crops agriculture including land grabbing.^[9] MIFEE is supported by the national government.^[9] There is much indigenous opposition to the MIFEE project.^[9] The MIFEE project is expected to cover a 1.2 million hectare area, or a quarter of Merauke.^[10] The project threatens conservation areas, such as virgin forests and water catchment areas, as well as the habitat of indigenous peoples in Papua.^[11] There were substantial forest fires.^[10]

By May 2011, Indonesian government allocated around two million hectares in the regency to 36 national and international corporations for oil palm, timber, and sugarcane enterprises.^[12]

Merauke Regency is equipped by a passenger port, serving Pelni ships, as well as Mopah International Airport serving domestic flights.

• Merauke Five

• www.merauke.go.id
• Statistics publications from Statistics Indonesia (BPS)