Nunukan Regency

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 census and 199,090 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 217,923 (comprising 115,669 males and 102,254 females).

Nunukan Regency Kabupaten Nunukan
Regency
Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Penekindi Debaya (Building Regions)
Location within North Kalimantan
Nunukan Regency Location in Kalimantan and Indonesia Nunukan Regency Nunukan Regency (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 4°3′34″N 117°40′1″E
Country	Indonesia
Province	North Kalimantan
Capital	Nunukan
Government
• Regent	Asmin Laura Hafid
• Vice Regent	Faridil Murad
Area
• Total	14,247.50 km2 (5,500.99 sq mi)
Population  (mid 2023 estimate)
• Total	217,923
• Density	15/km2 (40/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (ICST)
Area code	(+62) 556
Website	nunukankab.go.id

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, comprising five of the regency's districts.

Indonesian exit stamp from Nunukan.

Demographics

Ethnicity

• Bugis
• Tidung
• Bajau people
• Murut people
• Lun Bawang
• Tausug
• Penan
• Kelabit
• Kedayan
• Orang Ulu
• Kenyah
• Kayan

Religion

Religion in Nunukan Religion (June 2021)

  Muslim (72.54%)

  Protestantism (19.47%)

  Roman Catholic (7.40%)

  Buddhism (0.13%)

  Hinduism (0.06%)

  Confucianism (0.038%)

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 2023. 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 of District (kecamatan)	Area in km2	Pop'n census 2010	Pop'n census 2020	Pop'n estimate mid 2023	Admin centre	No. of villages	Post codes
65.03.07	Krayan Selatan (South Krayan)	760.24	2,243	1,448	1,452	Long Layu	13	77454
65.03.17	Krayan Tengah (Central Krayan)	997.42	(a)	1,427	1,063	Binuang	11	77458
65.03.05	Krayan (a)	254.35	7,240	3,458	3,547	Long Bawan	23	77456
65.03.18	Krayan Timur (East Krayan)	1,273.17	(a)	1,597	1,558	Long Umung	17	77459
65.03.19	Krayan Barat (West Krayan)	309.22	(a)	2,944	3,028	Lembudud	25	77455
Totals for	Apokayan region	3,594.40	9,483	10,874	10,648		89
65.03.02	Nunukan (e)	564.50	53,621	64,241	72,925	Nunukan Barat	5	77482
65.03.09	Nunukan Selatan (f) (South Nunukan)	181.77	12,260	21,588	25,547	Nunukan Selatan	4	77480
Totals for	Nunukan island	746.27	65,881	85,829	98,472		9
65.03.08	Sebatik Barat (g) (West Sebatik)	93.27	10,384	10,903	12,888	Binalawan	4	77486
65.03.01	Sebatik (g)	51.07	22,173	6,453	7,364	Tanjung Karang	4	77483
65.03.10	Sebatik Timur (East Sebatik)	39.17	(h)	14,171	15,030	Sungai Nyamuk	4	77488
65.03.12	Sebatik Tengah (Central Sebatik)	47.71	(h)	8,250	8,988	Aji Kuning	4	77487
65.03.11	Sebatik Utara (North Sebatik)	15.39	(h)	7,794	8,278	Pancang	3	77489
Totals for	Sebatik island	246.61	32,557	47,571	52,548		19
65.03.15	Lumbis Ogong	1,628.66	(b)	3,079	2,989	Samunti	26	77450
65.03.21	Lumbis Pansiangan	964.42	(b)	1,844	1,514	Labang	13	77450
65.02.20	Lumbis Hulu (Upper Lumbis)	763.93	(b)	773	810	Tantu Libing	10	77450
65.03.04	Lumbis	290.23	9,883	4,947	6,735	Mansalong	28	77457
65.03.16	Sembakung Atulai	277.72	(c)	2,771	3,281	Saduman	10	77452
65.03.03	Sembakung	1,764.94	8,138	6,673	6,798	Atap	10	77453
65.03.06	Sebuku	1,608.48	14,899	11,936	12,071	Pembeliangan	10	77481
65.03.14	Tulin Onsoi	1,513.36	(d)	10,915	11,262	Sekikilan	12	77485
65.03.13	Sei Menggaris	850.48	(d)	10,275	10,795	Srinanti	4	77484
	Totals	14,247.50	140,841	199,090	217,923	Nunukan	240

Notes: (a) the population figures given for Krayan District and Krayan Selatan District include the populations of the three most recently created 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.

Climate data for Nunukan
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	29.5 (85.1)	29.5 (85.1)	29.8 (85.6)	30.4 (86.7)	30.7 (87.3)	30.7 (87.3)	30.8 (87.4)	30.9 (87.6)	30.7 (87.3)	30.7 (87.3)	30.4 (86.7)	29.8 (85.6)	30.3 (86.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	26.1 (79.0)	26.1 (79.0)	26.3 (79.3)	26.8 (80.2)	26.9 (80.4)	26.8 (80.2)	26.8 (80.2)	26.8 (80.2)	26.6 (79.9)	26.7 (80.1)	26.7 (80.1)	26.3 (79.3)	26.6 (79.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	22.7 (72.9)	22.7 (72.9)	22.9 (73.2)	23.2 (73.8)	23.2 (73.8)	23.0 (73.4)	22.8 (73.0)	22.7 (72.9)	22.6 (72.7)	22.7 (72.9)	23.0 (73.4)	22.9 (73.2)	22.9 (73.2)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	116 (4.6)	123 (4.8)	140 (5.5)	171 (6.7)	236 (9.3)	208 (8.2)	234 (9.2)	237 (9.3)	204 (8.0)	218 (8.6)	218 (8.6)	207 (8.1)	2,312 (90.9)
Source: Climate-Data.org