Merauke Regency

Merauke Regency is a regency in the far south of the Indonesian province of South Papua. It covers an area of 45,013.35 km2, and had a population of 195,716 at the 2010 Census and 230,932 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 243,722, comprising 126,508 males and 117,214 females. The administrative centre is the town of Merauke; this was projected since 2013 to become an independent city (kota) separate from Merauke Regency, but the alteration has been deferred. It is also the provincial capital of the province of South Papua, more specifically in Salor located in Kurik District. Merauke is the largest regency in Indonesia, with an area of 45,013.35 km2, slightly larger than Estonia.

History
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
One of the tribes originating from Merauke are the Marind (or also called the Marind Anim) and the Sohoers. 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%).

Religion


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%).

Administrative districts
At the 2020 Census, Merauke Regency comprised twenty districts (distrik), listed below with their areas and populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023. 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 for the 2010 and 2020 Censuses are included with the districts from which they were cut out. 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.

Forests
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. MIFEE is supported by the national government. There is much indigenous opposition to the MIFEE project. The MIFEE project is expected to cover a 1.2 million hectare area, or a quarter of Merauke. The project threatens conservation areas, such as virgin forests and water catchment areas, as well as the habitat of indigenous peoples in Papua. There were substantial forest fires.

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.

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