Mandailing Natal Regency

Mandailing Natal, a.k.a. Madina, is a regency in North Sumatra Province of Indonesia. It covers an area of 6,620.70 square kilometres and it had a population of 403,894 people at the 2010 census and 472,886 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 496,975 (comprising 247,811 males and 249,164 females). The capital lies at Panyabungan. The Regency was formerly a part of South Tapanuli Regency until it was created as a separate regency on 23 November 1998. It is the southernmost regency in North Sumatra, and the largest regency by land area in the province, with Langkat Regency second to it.

Geography
The regency is divided in two by the Bukit Barisan mountains. The portion to the west of the mountains drains to the west coast of Sumatra, and comprises the districts of Batahan, Sinunukan, Batang Natal, Lingga Bayu, Ranto Baek, Natal and Muara Batang Gadis; it covers an area of 4,037 km2, and had a population of 179,270 in mid 2023. The portion to the east of the mountains comprises the remaining districts of the Regency, all of which drain towards the north; it covers an area of 2,583.7 km2 and had a population of 317,705 in mid 2023.

Administration
At the 2010 Census, the regency was divided into eighteen districts (kecamatan). Subsequently, five additional districts (indicated by asterisks in the table below) have been created by the division of existing districts. The twenty-three districts are tabulated below with their areas and their population at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 377 rural desa and 27 urban kelurahan), and its post code.

Notes: (a) including 1 kelurahan. (b) including 2 kelurahan. (c) comprising 9 kelurahan and 30 desa.

National Park
see Batang Gadis National Park