South Halmahera Regency (; ) is a regency of North Maluku Province, Indonesia. It lies partly on Halmahera Island (occupying most of the southern peninsula of that island) and partly on smaller islands to the west and south of Halmahera. It covers a land area of 8,779.32 km2, and at the 2010 Census it had a population of 198,911 people,Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. while the 2020 Census showed that this had risen to 248,395Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. and the official estimate in mid 2025 was 258,564 (comprising 133,453 males and 125,111 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Halmahera Selatan Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204) The capital lies at the town of Labuha on Bacan Island.
Islands Besides the southern part of Halmahera Island, the regency includes a number of archipelagoes and islands. These comprise: Obi Islands, including Obira (main), Bisa, Obilatu and other small islands, comprising in all five kecamatan with 55,010 people in mid 2025.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Halmahera Selatan Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204) Bacan Islands, including: Bacan Island itself, comprising 7 kecamatan with 89,816 people (in mid 2025) Bacan Lomang Island, comprising 1 kecamatan with 7,808 people Mandioli, comprising 2 kecamatan with 10,912 people Kasiruta, comprising 2 kecamatan with 11,024 people Kayoa Group, comprising 4 kecamatan with 21,996 people Makian, comprising 2 kecamatan with 12,323 people the southern peninsula of Halmahera Island (the area is known as Gane), comprising 6 kecamatan with 49,674 people in 2025 (including the Joronga Islands off the southern tip of Halmahera Island).
Administration The regency is divided into thirty districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and 2020 Census, together with the official estimates for mid 2025.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Halmahera Selatan Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204) The table also includes the name of the administrative centre and the number of administrative villages (all classed as rural desa) and of named islands in each district and its post code.
Kode Wilayah Name ofDistrict(kecamatan) English name Areainkm2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus2020' Pop'nEstimatemid 2025AdmincentreNo.ofvillagesNo.ofislandsPostcode Islandor Group 82.04.05 Obi Selatan Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Obi Selatan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204010 South Obi1,021.0212,12812,17815,815Wayaloar8497792Obi Islands 82.04.06 Obi Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Obi Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204020 910.5914,12520,53819,047Laiwui91297792Obi Islands 82.04.28 Obi Barat Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Obi Barat Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204021 West Obi89.193,5865,2115,830Jikohai6697792Obi Islands 82.04.29 Obi Timur Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Obi Timur Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204022 East Obi636.233,3893,7054,048Sum41497792Obi Islands 82.04.30 Obi Utara Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Obi Utara Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204023 North Obi160.698,2279,12810,270Madapolo7697792Obi Islands Sub-totals Obi Islands 2,817.7241,45550,76055,010 344297792Obi Islands 82.04.08 Bacan Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Bacan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204030 304.6919,09227,04529,227Labuha14397791Bacan Islands 82.04.19 Mandioli Selatan Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Mandioli Selatan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204031 South Mandioli138.815,7986,9367,186Jiko6-97791Mandioli 82.04.20 Mandioli Utara Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Mandioli Utara Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204032 North Mandioli96.802,9903,8093,726Indong6797791 (a)Mandioli 82.04.17 Bacan Selatan Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Bacan Selatan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204033 South Bacan169.2113,26519,56021,971Mandaong10-97791Bacan Islands 82.04.18 Batang Lomang (b) Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Batang Lomang Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204034 Batang Lomang Islands 55.816,1777,6557,808Bajo81397790Batang Lomang Islands 82.04.07 Bacan Timur Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Bacan Timur Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204040 East Bacan463.509,05112,79413,811Babang10897791Bacan Islands 82.04.21 Bacan Timur Selatan Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Bacan Timur Selatan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204041 Southeast Bacan321.136,4607,4938,459Wayaua7197791Bacan Islands 82.04.22 Bacan Timur Tengah Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Bacan Timur Tengah Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204042 East Central Bacan276.285,2296,1586,579Bibinoi7297791Bacan Islands 82.04.09 Bacan Barat Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Bacan Barat Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204050 West Bacan143.703,5494,3274,602Indari74997791Bacan Islands 82.04.15 Kasiruta Barat (c) Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kasiruta Barat Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204051 West Kasiruta272.984,5215,8656,034Palamea102597790Kasiruta 82.04.16 Kasiruta Timur Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kasiruta Timur Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204052 East Kasiruta211.453,8474,8654,990Loleojaya8697790Kasiruta 82.04.14 Bacan Barat Utara Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Bacan Barat Utara Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204053 Northwest Bacan264.944,0965,0105.167Yaba8197791Bacan Islands Sub-totals Bacan Islands 2,719.3084,075111,517119,560 1011159779xBacan Islands 82.04.02 KayoaBadan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kayoa Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204060 87.628,1809,0578,614Guruapin144997780Kayoa Islands 82.04.11 Kayoa Barat (d) Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kayoa Barat Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204061 West Kayoa27.073,4694,3364,042Busua4597781Kayoa Islands 82.04.12 Kayoa Selatan Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kayoa Selatan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204062 South Kayoa25.905,8566,8226,559Laluin6997780Kayoa Islands 82.04.13 Kayoa Utara Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kayoa Utara Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204063 North Kayoa39.222,6712,8962,781Laromabati6397781Kayoa Islands Sub-totals Kayoa Islands 179.8120,17623,11121,996 30669778xKayoa Islands 82.04.01 Pulau Makian (e) Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Pulau Makian Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204070 Makian Island55.508,97710,0328,774Kota15197785Makian 82.04.10 Makian Barat (e) Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Makian Barat Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204071 West Makian35.543,4173,9683,549Mateketen7-97784Makian Sub-totals Makian Island 91.0412,39414,00012,323 2219778xMakian Island 82.04.04 Gane Barat Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Gane Narat Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204080 West Gane493.677,97210,0199,719Saketa10797782Halmahera 82.04.23 Gane Barat Selatan Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Gane Barat Selatan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204081 Southwest Gane252.555,5456,7967,087Gane Dalam81997782Halmahera 82.04.24 Gane Barat Utara Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Gane Barat Utara Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204082 Northwest Gane501.696,0277,3367,289Dolik12-97789Halmahera 82.04.25 Kepulauan Joronga Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Kepulauan Joronga Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204083 Joronga Islands148.935,2647,2037,146Kukupang730 (f)97786Joronga Islands 82.04.03 Gane Timur Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Gane Timur Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204090 East Gane661.658,7299,2539,678Maffa12197783Halmahera 82.04.27 Gane Timur Tengah Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Gane Timur Tengah Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204091 East Central Gane309.673,7964,3544,719Bisui8297788Halmahera 82.04.26 Gane Timur Selatan (g) Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2025, Kecamatan Gane Timur Selatan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8204092 Southeast Gane284.203,4784,1044,037Gane Luar58597787Halmahera Sub-totals Gane and offshore islands 2,652.3640,81149,06549,674 621449778xGane and Islands
Notes: (a) except for Bobo desa, which has a postcode of 97792. (b) formally called Kepulauan Batanglomang; situated between Bacan and Mandioli Islands. (c) includes Lata Lata Island (27.9 km2, with 1,201 inhabitants in 2020), located to the northwest of Kasiruta Island, and comprising two desa - Lata Lata and Sidanga. (d) Kayoa Barat (essentially Pulau Muari, but also includes the four small offshore islets of Pulau Guaigo, Pulau Guaigo Kecil, Pulau Intan and Pulau Tamotamo) actually lies closer to Kasiruta Island than to the rest of the Kayoa group; it is geographically adjacent to Lata Lata Island, part of Kasiruta Barat District. (e) Makian Island is a stratovolcano, like the islands to the north of it (such as Moti, Mare, Tidore, Ternate and Hiri), and unlike those to the south (like Kayoa and the Bacan Islands). (f) comprising the villages (desa) of Gonone, Kukupang, Kurunga, Liboba Hijrah, Pulau Gala, Tawabi and Yomen; the largest islands are Pulau Damar (or Kukupang) and Pulau Yoruga (or Joronga Island). (g) includes the Widi Islands off the east coast of the Gane Peninsula.
Languages The various South Halmahera languages are a branch of Austronesian languages.
Economy South Halmahera has been designated by provincial governor Abdul Ghani Kasuba as a region for tourism development.Widi Islands to be the Future of North Maluku Tourism. Tempo, 21 May 2017. Accessed 18 September 2017. The Widi International Fishing Tournament was founded for this purpose.Aria Cindyara, N Maluku to boost maritime sector through fishing tourism. Antara, 24 August 2017. Accessed 30 August 2017. Kasuba also successfully negotiated for the China-based Jinchun Group to build a nine-trillion rupiah nickel smelter in the Obi Islands.China`s Jinchun to in vest Rp9 trillion in North Maluku. Antara, 16 July 2016. Accessed 18 September 2017.
The Mal Saruma Town Square in Tuwokona, South Bacan, was built beginning in 2019 using approximately Rp58 billion in regional government funding. By April 2025, ANTARA reported that the complex was abandoned and no longer in use, with damaged escalators and a collapsed ceiling.
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