Nunukan Regency is a regency of North Kalimantan Province in Indonesia. It was created on 4 October 1999 from the northern districts of Bulungan Regency. Nunukan Regency shares international borders with the Malaysian states of Sabah to the north and Sarawak to the west, and inter-regency borders with Tana Tidung Regency and Malinau Regency to the south, as well as the coastal city of Tarakan in the east. The regency covers an area of 14,247.50 km2 and it had a population of 140,841 at the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 199,090 at the 2020 census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 227,460 (comprising 119,672 males and 107,788 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Nunukan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.6504)
Nunukan is also the name of an island within this regency. It has an area of 226 km2. Nunukan town, the capital of the regency, is located on Nunukan Island, which comprises the insular section of Nunukan District (which also includes part of the 'mainland' of Kalimantan) and the whole of the separate Nunukan Selatan District. It is a major port for ferry crossings to Tawau in Sabah state, Malaysia.
North of Nunukan Island is Sebatik Island, which is split in two by a straight east-west line across the centre of the island. The northern part lies in Malaysia and the southern half within Indonesia. The Indonesian portion has an area of 246.61 km2 and had a population of 47,571 at the 2020 census, and 55,870 according the mid 2024 estimates, comprising five of the regency's districts.
Demographics
Ethnicity
Bugis Tidung Bajau people Murut people Lun Bawang Tausug Penan Kelabit Kedayan Orang Ulu Kenyah Kayan Malays
Religion
Administrative districts At the 2010 census, the regency was divided into nine districts (kecamatan), but subsequently another twelve new districts have been created by the division of existing regencies. All these are tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Nunukan Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.6504) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (a total of 232 rural desa and 8 urban kelurahan - the latter comprising 4 each in Nunukan District and Nunukan Selatan District), and its postal codes.
Kode Wilayah Name ofDistrict (kecamatan) Area in km2 Pop'ncensus2010 Pop'ncensus2020 Pop'nestimatemid 2024Admin centre No.of villagesPostcodes 65.03.07 Krayan Selatan (South Krayan) 760.242,2431,4481,511Long Layu1377454 65.03.17 Krayan Tengah (Central Krayan) 997.42(a)1,4271,124Binuang1177458 65.03.05 Krayan (a)254.357,2403,4583,710Long Bawan2377456 65.03.18 Krayan Timur (East Krayan) 1,273.17(a)1,5971,609Long Umung1777459 65.03.19 Krayan Barat (West Krayan) 309.22(a)2,9443,132Lembudud2577455 Totals for Apokayan region 3,594.409,48310,87411,086 89 65.03.02 Nunukan (e)564.5053,62164,24173,095Nunukan Barat577482 65.03.09 Nunukan Selatan (f)(South Nunukan)181.7712,26021,58827,781Nunukan Selatan477480 Totals for Nunukan island 746.2765,88185,829100,876 9 65.03.08 Sebatik Barat (g)(West Sebatik)93.2710,38410,90314,086Binalawan477486 65.03.01 Sebatik (g)51.0722,1736,4537,781Tanjung Karang477483 65.03.10 Sebatik Timur (East Sebatik)39.17(h)14,17115,791Sungai Nyamuk477488 65.03.12 Sebatik Tengah (Central Sebatik)47.71(h)8,2509,585Aji Kuning477487 65.03.11 Sebatik Utara (North Sebatik)15.39(h)7,7948,627Pancang377489 Totals for Sebatik island 246.6132,55747,57155,870 19 65.03.15 Lumbis Ogong1,628.66 (b) 3,0793,256Samunti2677450 65.03.21 Lumbis Pansiangan964.42 (b) 1,8441,697Labang1377450 65.02.20 Lumbis Hulu (Upper Lumbis) 763.93 (b) 773870Tantu Libing1077450 65.03.04 Lumbis 290.239,8834,9476,990Mansalong2877457 65.03.16 Sembakung Atulai 277.72 (c) 2,7713,470Saduman1077452 65.03.03 Sembakung 1,764.948,1386,6737,076Atap1077453 65.03.06 Sebuku 1,608.4814,89911,93612,858Pembeliangan1077481 65.03.14 Tulin Onsoi1,513.36 (d) 10,91512,082Sekikilan1277485 65.03.13 Sei Menggaris 850.48 (d) 10,27511,329Srinanti477484 Totals 14,247.50140,841199,090227,460Nunukan240
Notes: (a) the 2010 population figures given for Krayan District and Krayan Selatan District include the populations of the three most recently created districts (Krayan Selatan District included the new Krayan Tengah District, while Krayan District included the new Krayan Timur and Krayan Barat Districts. The Apokayan region (i.e. all the first five districts listed above) comprises the entire western section of the Regency, separated from Malaysia by the meandering Kayan River. (b) the 2010 populations of Lumbis Ogong District, Lumbis Pansiangan District and Lumbis Hulu District are included in the figure for Lumbis District, from which they were split. (c) the 2010 population of Sembakung Atulai District is included in the figure for Sembakung District, from which it was split. (d) the 2010 populations of Tulin Onsoi District and Sei Menggaris District are included in the figure for Sebuku District, from which they were split. (e) Nunukan District comprises the western half of Nunukan Island (including the town of Nunukan), together with adjacent areas on the 'mainland' of Kalimantan. It consists of 4 kelurahan (Nunukan Barat, Nunukan Tengah, Nunukan Timur and Nunukan Utara) and the desa of Binusan. (f) Nunukan Selatan District comprises the eastern half of Nunukan Island. It consists of 4 kelurahan (Mansapa, Nunukan Selatan, Selisun and Tanjung Harapan). (g) Sebatik District comprises a southeast portion of Sebatik Island, while Sebatik Barat District comprises a southwest portion (the northern half of this island is part of Malaysian North Borneo, as the international boundary divides this island in two). (h) Since 2010, three additional districts have been created on (the Indonesian portion of) Sebatik Island - Sebatik Timur, Sebatik Tengah and Sebatik Utara - by the division of existing districts. The populations in these districts in 2010 are included with the figures for Sebatik Barat District and Sebatik District.
Climate Nunukan town, the seat of the regency has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with moderate rainfall in January and February and heavy rainfall in the remaining months.
References