North Padang Lawas Regency

North Padang Lawas (Padang Lawas Utara, abbreviated as Paluta) is a landlocked regency in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia. It has an area of 3,918.05 km2, and had a population of 223,049 at the 2010 census and 260,720 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 275,448. North Padang Lawas Regency was created on 17 July 2007 (along with a separate Padang Lawas Regency to the south) from the eastern parts of the South Tapanuli Regency. Its administrative seat is the town of Gunung Tua.

Population
The population of North Padang Lawas in the 2010 census results was 223,049 people with a density of 57 per square kilometre, which in 2020 increased to 260,720 people with annual population growth averaging around 2.18%. The official estimate as of mid-2023 was 275,448. Coincidentally, both Padang Lawas Regency and North Padang Lawas Regency were estimated to have almost the same number of inhabitants in mid-2023.

Ethnic
The population of North Padang Lawas district is quite ethnically diverse. Overall, the majority of the population comes from the Batak Angkola people, including various Angkola Batak clans, such as Harahap, Lubis, Siregar, Nasution, Hasibuan, Daulay, Dalimunte, Hutasuhut, Batubara. In addition, Batak Toba, Nias, and Javanese are also quite numerous in North Padang Lawas.

Religion
Followers of religion Islam amounted to 90.40%, then Protestanism 9.21%, Catholicism at 0.38% and Buddhism around 0.01%. The Batak people of Angkola, Mandailing, Minangkabau, and Javanese, generally embrace Islam. Meanwhile, the ethnic Batak Toba, Karo, Simalungun, and Nias people, mostly embrace Christianity. Meanwhile, there are 593 mosques, 34 Protestant churches, and 1 Catholic church.

Administrative Districts
At the 2010 census, the regency was divided into nine districts (kecamatan). Subsequently, three additional districts (Padang Bolak Tenggara, Ujung Batu, and Halongonan Timur) have been created by the division of existing districts. The districts are tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census, together with the official estimates as of mid-2023. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of villages in each district (totaling 386 rural desa and 2 urban kelurahan), and its postcode.

Notes: (a) including the kelurahan of Pasar Matanggor. (b) including the kelurahan of Pasar Gunung Tua. (c) The 2010 population of Padang Bolak Tenggara District is included in the figure for Padang Bolak District, from which it was split. (d) The 2010 population of Ujung Batu District is included in the figure for Simangambat District, from which it was split. (e) The 2010 population of Halongonan Timur District is included in the figure for Halongonan District, from which it was split.

Archaeology
The Padang Lawas archaeological site is partly located in the regency. The site covers approximately 1,500 km2, encompassing the kecamatan (districts) of Portibi and Padang Bolak in this regency, and Barumun and Barumun Tengah in the Padang Lawas Regency. Hindu-Buddhist remains are found on the site, including structures called biaro (from Sanskrit vihara, meaning "temple" or "monastery").

The village of Batu Gana in Padang Bolak Julu district is the location of a burial site consisting of a megalithic structure.

In the village of Padang Bujur in the same district, one can also find megalithic remains and what seems to be the base for a padmasana.

Other megalithic remains are found at Aek Korsik and Aek Tolong Huta, also in the Padang Bolak district.