Mentawai Islands Regency

The Mentawai Islands Regency are a regency of West Sumatra Province which consists of a chain of about a hundred islands and islets approximately 150 kilometres (93 miles) off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. They cover a land area of 6,033.76 km2 and had a population of 76,173 at the 2010 Census[3] and 87,623 at the 2020 Census;[4] the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 89,401 - comprising 46,431 males and 42,970 females.[1] Siberut at 3,838.25 square kilometres (1,482 square miles) is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura (or Sipora), North Pagai (Pagai Utara), and South Pagai (Pagai Selatan). The islands lie off the Sumatran coast, across the Mentawai Strait. The indigenous inhabitants of the islands are known as the Mentawai people. The Mentawai Islands have become a noted destination for surfing,[5] with over 40 boats offering surf charters to international guests.[6]

Mentawai Islands Regency
Kabupaten Kepulauan Mentawai
Regency
Coat of arms of Mentawai Islands Regency
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Musara Kasimaeru
(Together for Goodness)
Location within West Sumatra
Location within West Sumatra
Mentawai Islands Regency is located in Sumatra
Mentawai Islands Regency
Mentawai Islands Regency
Location in Sumatra and Indonesia
Mentawai Islands Regency is located in Indonesia
Mentawai Islands Regency
Mentawai Islands Regency
Mentawai Islands Regency (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 2°11′S 99°39′E
CountryIndonesia
ProvinceWest Sumatra
Regency seatTua Pejat
Government
 • Acting RegentMartinus Dahlan
 • Vice RegentVacant
Area
 • Total6,033.76 km2 (2,329.65 sq mi)
Population
 (2023 estimate)[1]
 • Total92,122
 • Density15/km2 (40/sq mi)
Demographics
[2]
 • ReligionChristianity 79,94%
- Protestanism 49%
- Catholicism 30,94%
Islam 19,56%
Time zoneUTC+7 (Indonesia Western Standard Time)
Area code(+62) 759
Websitementawaikab.go.id

Administrative districts
Mentawai Islanders
Islanders in a photo by C.B. Niewenhuis

The Mentawai Islands have been administered as a regency within the West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat) province since 1999. The regency seat is Tua Pejat, on the island of Sipora. Padang, the capital of the province, lies on the Sumatran mainland opposite Siberut. The regency is divided into ten districts (kecamatan), tabulated below from south to north with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census[3] and the 2020 Census,[4] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022.[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of villages (all classed as rural desa) and the number of named offshore islands in each district, and its post code.

Name of
District
(kecamatan)		English
Name		Area
in
km2		Pop'n
2010
Census		Pop'n
2020
Census		Pop'n
mid 2022
Estimate		Admin
centre		No.
of
villages		No.
of
islands		Post
code
Pagai SelatanSouth Pagai851.288,7829,3739,421Bulasat43125391
Sikakap (a)Central Pagai312.609,53110,21910,280Taikako3825399
Pagai UtaraNorth Pagai371.255,2126,0316,157Saumanganya3925390
Sipora SelatanSouth Sipora348.338,4609,81210,022Sioban7325392
Sipora UtaraNorth Sipora272.409,09711,96812,528Sido Makmur61225398
Siberut SelatanSouth Siberut328.008,4469,93310,173Muara Siberut5125397
Siberut Barat DayaSouthwest Siberut1,013.836,0697,0587,213Pasakiat Taileleu31725393
Siberut TengahCentral Siberut589.756,0697,0897,251Saibi Samukop3525396
Siberut UtaraNorth Siberut782.687,7748,3378,387Muara Sikabaluan6425395
Siberut BaratWest Siberut1,163.646,7337,8037,969Simalegi3125394
Totals6,033,7676,17387,62389,401Tuapejat43111

Note: (a) Sikakap District covers the northern part of South Pagai Island and the southern part of North Pagai Island, plus some intervening small islands. Of the three desa, Matobek is entirely on North Pagai Island, while Sikakap and Taikato are mainly on North Pagai Island but each includes areas on South Pagai as well as the intervening small islands.

Villages

Administrative villages (desa) listed for each district:[7]

DistrictVillages
Pagai SelatanBulasat, Makalo, Malakopa (Malakopak), Sinaka (Sinakak)
SikakapMatobe (Matobek), Sikakap, Taikako
Pagai UtaraBetumonga, Saumanganya (Saumanganyak), Silabu
Sipora SelatanBeriulou, Bosua, Mara, Matobe (Matobek), Nemnemleleu (Nem-Nem Leleu), Saureinu (Saureinuk), Sioban
Sipora UtaraBetumonga (Beutomonga), Bukit Pamewa, Gosooinan (Goisooinan), Sido Makmur, Sipora Jaya, Tuapejat
Siberut SelatanMadobag (Madobak Ugai), Maileppet/Maleppet, Matotonan, Muara/Muaro Siberut, Muntei
Siberut Barat DayaKaturai/Katurei, Pasakiat Taileleu (Pasakiat Taleleu), Sagulubbeg (Sagulubek / Sagalubeg / Sagalubbek)
Siberut TengahCimpungan, Saibi Muara (Saibi Samukop/Samokop), Saliguma
Siberut UtaraBojakan, Malancan (Malancang), Mongan Poula/Paula, Muara/Muaro Sikabaluan, Sirilogui, Sotboyak
Siberut BaratSigapokna, Simalegi/Simaligi, Simatalu Sipokak

Tourism

Surfing

Macaronis was first discovered in 1980 by pioneer surf discoverers Chris Goodnow, Scott Wakefield and Tony Fitzpatrick, who originally named the break ‘P-Land’ on their first visit (after Pasangan Bay / Pagai Islands). Amazingly, and considering the remote location, P-Land may in fact have been the first wave surfed in the Mentawai Islands. Lances Right was discovered a full 10 years later, while Chris, Scott, and Tony continued to keep their discovery a secret. They returned in 1981 with friend Tim Annand, and again on a boat trip in the 90’s. [8] [9] [10] [11]


The first photos of the surf breaks in the Mentawais area were leaked after a surf trip in 1992 aboard the MV Indies Trader, with professional surfers Ross Clarke-Jones, Tom Carroll, and Martin Potter.[12] Ever since then, the Mentawai Islands have been well on the radar of surf travellers around the world. At the West of Sumatra, the Mentawai Islands have the most consistent surf breaks in Indonesia making it one of the preferred choices for serious surfers. The tropical waters surrounding the islands offer year-round waves up to 15 ft (4.5 m).[13][14]

Ecology
Main article: Mentawai Islands rain forests
Dugout canoes on a river in Siberut
Mentawai Islands topography

The islands have been separated from Sumatra since the mid-Pleistocene period, which has allowed at least twenty endemic species to develop amongst its flora and fauna. This includes six endemic primates: the Kloss's gibbon (Hylobates klossii), Mentawai macaque (Macaca pagensis), Siberut macaque (Macaca siberu), Mentawai langur (Presbytis potenziani), Siberut langur (Presbytis siberu), and pig-tailed langur (Simias concolor). They are highly endangered due to logging, unsustainable hunting, and conversion of rainforest to palm oil plantations.[15] Some areas of the Mentawai Islands rainforest ecoregion are protected, such as the Siberut National Park. Red junglefowl, the Asian palm civet and crab-eating macaque are also native.[16]

Seismic activity
See also: 2010 Mentawai earthquake and tsunami, 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake, and 2016 Sumatra earthquake
September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes

The Mentawai Islands lie above the Sunda megathrust, a seismically active zone responsible for many great earthquakes. This megathrust runs along the southwestern side of Sumatra island, forming the interface between the Eurasian Plate and Indo-Australian Plate.

Earthquake and tsunami activity has been high since the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. In 1833, the region was hit with an earthquake, possibly similar in size to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake;[17] another large earthquake struck in 1797. On October 25, 2010, an earthquake in southern Sumatra led to a deadly tsunami that devastated villages in South and North Pagai.[18] On March 3, 2016, an earthquake of 7.8 magnitude occurred off the Indian Ocean, a few hundred kilometres from Mentawai islands, as a result of strike-slip faulting within the oceanic lithosphere of the Indo-Australia plate.[19]

See also

Notes
  1. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023, Kabupaten Kepulauan Mentawai Dalam Angka 2023 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1309)
  2. "Penduduk Menurut Wilayah dan Agama yang Dianut Provinsi Sumatera Barat". sp2010.bps.go.id. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  3. Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  4. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  5. "SURFAID". SURFAID. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  6. "Every Surf Charter Boat in the Mentawais | 41 Boats with Photos and Info". Indies Trader. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  7. "Daftar Desa & Kelurahan di Kabupaten Kepulauan Mentawai". www.nomor.net. Kode Pos Indonesia. 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  8. "Finding-Macaronis-Part1". www.swellnet.com. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  9. "Finding-Macaronis-Part2". www.swellnet.com. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  10. "Finding-Macaronis-Part3". www.swellnet.com. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  11. "Original P-Land Discoverers Reunion". www.macaronisresort.com. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  12. "Mentawai". www.surfindonesia.com. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  13. "Top 10 Place to Surf in Indonesia". allindonesiatravel. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  14. "15 Surfing Destination". indonesia.travel. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  15. Whittaker, D. 2006. A conservation action plan for the Mentawai primates. Primate Conservation 20: 95–105.
  16. "Mentawai Islands rain forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  17. "INDONESIA - THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI OF 1833 OFF THE COAST OF CENTRAL SUMATRA - Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis". www.DrGeorgePC.com. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  18. "Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami Kill 113, Merapi Volcano Eruptions Hours Later". News article. politiktimes.com. October 26, 2010. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  19. "M7.8 – Southwest of Sumatra, Indonesia". Retrieved March 2, 2016.
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