Wakatobi Regency
| Wakatobi Regency Kabupaten Wakatobi | ||
|---|---|---|
| Regency | ||
| ||
 Wakatobi islands in relation to the Sulawesi mainland, with major cities marked | ||
| Country | Indonesia | |
| Province | Southeast Sulawesi | |
| Capital | Wangi-Wangi | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 559.54 km2 (216.04 sq mi) | |
| Population (2010 Census) | ||
| • Total | 92,922 | |
| • Density | 170/km2 (430/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | WITA (UTC+8) | |
Wakatobi is the name of an islands and regency located in an area of Sulawesi Tenggara Province (Southeast Sulawesi), Indonesia. The name Wakatobi is an acronym of the names of the four main islands that form the archipelago: Wangi-wangi Island, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. The group is part of a larger group called the Tukangbesi Islands. The Regency capital, Wanci, is located on Wangi-wangi Island. The total land area is 559.54 km², and the population at the 2010 Census was 92,922.[1]
The archipelago is located in the biodiverse hotspot known as Wallacea. It is part of the Wakatobi National Park.
Administration
The regency is divided into eight districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their 2010 Census population.[2]
| Name | English name | Population Census 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| Binongko | 8,385 | |
| Togo Binongko | 4,701 | |
| Tomia | 6,907 | |
| Tomia Timur | East Tomia | 8,460 |
| Kaledupa | 9,999 | |
| Kaledupa Selatan | South Kaledupa | 6,644 |
| Wangi-wangi | 23,362 | |
| Wangi-wangi Selatan | South Wangi-wangi | 24,637 |
Flight Hub
The main flight hub of the Wakatobi archipelago is Matahora Airport on Wangiwangi Island; a separate airstrip is also present on Tomea Island which is used exclusively to transport visitors of the Wakatobi Dive Resort. A number of airlines fly to Wakatobi including Wings Air and Express Air. A Memorandum of Understanding between Express Air and Wakatobi administration has been signed to open daily flight from Wakatobi-Ambon v.v. since February 24, 2012 use jet aircraft CN-FO166 basic 328-300 with 30 seating capacity. 60 percent of Maluku people come from Southeast Sulawesi, mainly from Wakatobi. Furthermore express Air will make Wakatobi as a flight hub due to Wakatobi lies between Banda Sea and Flores Sea. The next routes to be open are Wakatobi-Lembata, Kupang, Denpasar (Bali), Labuan Bajo, Ende, Maumere and Larantuka.[3] Fly is the fastest way to visit Wakatobi, alternatively 12 hours by many boats from Kendari to Bau-Bau and then to Wakatobi. From Wangiwangi Island to Kaledupa Island need 2 hours by boat.[4]
Activities
Sail Wakatobi-Belitong will be held in Wakatobi in July 2011 and in Belitung Island in August 2011. Wakatobi will make a mass wedding under the sea event. As a part of Sail Wakatobi-Belitong, the organizing committee launch also International undersea photo contest with theme: "The Beauty of Under Water World Coral Reef Triangle" and will be initialized after the Sail Wakatobi-Belitong is launched on July 16, 2011.[5][6] To support Sail Wakatobi-Belitong, Transportation ministry has given fund Rp.70 billion ($8.1 million) to improve Wangi-Wangi port, Kaledupa port and Tomea Island port which will be finished before the event runs.[7]
The Wakatobi is also home to Operation Wallacea, a UK based for non-profit conservation group looking at sustainable development of fisheries and coral reef research. An independent non-commercial website [8] has been set up about the marine park. This website contains tourist and travel information about the wakatobi, with additional resources about the biodiversity, conservation and local people.
In popular culture
A collaborative work of WWF-Indonesia, the Wakatobi administration and SET Film Workshop has portrayed the marine biodiversity with underwater scenery around the Wakatobi Islands and the life of the Bajo tribe, the sea nomads who rely entirely on marine resources for survival in the film Mirror Never Lies, which got "Honorable Mention" at the Global Film Initiative.[9]
Tourism
In 2013, tourists came to Wakatobi Regency are 11,650 persons.[10]
References
- ↑ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
- ↑ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
- ↑ "Ekspres Air akan Layani Rute Wakatobi-Ambon". February 12, 2012.
- ↑ Morgan Pettersson (June 19, 2014). "Hoga Island: Paradise Off the Beaten Track".
- ↑ Sail Wakatobi-Belitong targets ASEAN involvement | The Jakarta Post
- ↑ Wakatobi opens registration for undersea photo contest - ANTARA News
- ↑ Ministry provides Rp70 billion for Wakatobi - ANTARA News
- ↑ http://www.wakatobi.org
- ↑ Wakatobi’s alluring beauty | The Jakarta Post
- ↑ Natisha Andarningtyas (February 6, 2014). "Wisatawan ke Wakatobi capai 11.000".
External links
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Coordinates: 5°32′09″S 123°45′29″E / 5.53583°S 123.75806°E