Morowali Regency
Kabupaten Morowali
Regency
Coat of arms of Morowali Regency
Coat of arms
Motto(s): 
Tepe Asa Maroso (Pamona)
(United We Are Firm)
Location within Central Sulawesi
Location within Central Sulawesi
Morowali Regency is located in Sulawesi
Morowali Regency
Morowali Regency
Location in Sulawesi and Indonesia
Morowali Regency is located in Indonesia
Morowali Regency
Morowali Regency
Morowali Regency (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 2°49′07″S 121°51′39″E / 2.818536°S 121.860786°E / -2.818536; 121.860786
CountryIndonesia
ProvinceCentral Sulawesi
CapitalBungku
Government
 • RegentAnwar Hafid
 • Vice RegentMarunduh
Area
(as reduced by the separation of North Morowali)
 • Total5,472.00 km2 (2,112.75 sq mi)
Population
 (mid 2022 estimate)[1]
 • Total176,244
 • Density32/km2 (83/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (ICST)
Area code(+62) 464/465
Websitemorowalikab.go.id

Morowali Regency is a regency of Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It covers an area of 5,472 km2 and the districts now within the regency had a combined population of 102,228 at the 2010 Census;[2] the regency population at the 2020 Census was 161,727;[3] the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 176,244 (comprising 96,909 males and 79,335 females).[1] The administrative centre is at the town of Bungku. The Regency includes the far-flung Menui Islands (Kepulauan Menui), lying to the southwest of the rest of the province.

History

On 4 October 1999, Morowali Regency was created out of a portion of Poso Regency.[4] It was composed of the southeastern fourteen districts of the former Poso Regency.

On 12 April 2013 this Morowali Regency was in turn divided into two Regencies; the seven northernmost districts were split off to form a new North Morowali Regency (Morowali Utara), while the seven southernmost districts were retained as the residual Morowali Regency, although two additional districts were created by the division of existing ones.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Sulawesi

Morowali Regency contains rich deposits of high-quality nickel, a vital material needed to manufacture lithium batteries. Starting in the 2010s and into the 2020s, the thriving nickel industry in Morowali has resulted in a large increase in the region's GDP (300% increase between 2013 and 2019),[5] but the expansion of the extraction industry has also caused environmental degradation.[5] From 2014 to 2020, over US$6.5 billion in foreign direct investment has flowed into the construction of nickel smelters and other downstream processing activities in Morowali Regency. Morowali is the site of an industrial park, the Morowali Industrial Park, specifically earmarked for refining activities. In Morowali, GDP more than tripled in just six years from Rp 6.9 trillion (US$480 million) in 2013 to Rp 24.3 trillion (US$1.7 billion) in 2019, almost all of it driven by investment in downstream nickel processing. As of 2021, the largest foreign investors were American, Chinese, and Japanese companies, while the government of Indonesia is attempting to build a domestic battery industry.[5]

The growth of this facility has resulted in the rapid expansion in the population, particularly in Bahodopi District where the mine is situated. The increased workforce migrating into the area has been largely male, resulting in a substantively high gender ratio in the regency.

Administrative districts

The Morowali Regency was divided (following the creation of the separate North Morowali Regency in 2013) into seven districts (kecamatan), but two further districts (Bungku Pesisir and Bungku Timur) were later created. These are all tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census[2] and 2020 Census,[3] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022.[1] The table also includes the location of the district headquarters, the numbers of administrative villages in each district (totaling 126 rural desa and 7 urban kelurahan), 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 2022		 Admin
centre		 No.
of
villages		 Post
codes
72.06.07 Menui Kepulauan (a)
(Menui Islands)		 223.63 12,064 13,232 12,948 Ulunambo 24 (b) 94975
72.06.06 Bungku Selatan
(South Bungku)		 403.90 17,273 13,914 13,528 Kaleroang 26 94979
72.06.10 Bahodopi 1,080.98 6,594 37,322 50,171 Bahodopi 12 94974
72.06.15 Bungku Pesisir
(Coastal Bungku)		 867.29 (c) 6,625 6,968 Lafeu 10 94981
72.06.05 Bungku Tengah
(Central Bungku)		 725.57 27,774 29,302 30,344 Marsaoleh 19 (d) 94973
72.06.18 Bungku Timur
(East Bungku)		 387.23 (c) 12,061 12,600 Kolono 10 94980
72.06.08 Bungku Barat
(West Bungku)		 758.93 10,093 14,061 14,411 Wosu 10 94977
72.06.09 Bumi Raya 504.77 11,488 14,524 14,608 Bahonsuai 13 94976
72.06.12 Wita Ponda 519.70 16,942 20,686 20,666 Laantula Jaya 9 94978
Totals 5,472.00 102,228 161,727 176,244 133

Notes: (a) partly on Sulawesi island (and comprising the most southeastern part of the province), but also including 42 islands mainly to the southeast of the rest of the province. The largest are Menui Island (Pulau Menui) and the two Padui Islands.
(b) including one kelurahan (Ulunambo). (c) the 2010 populations of Bungku Pesisir District and Bungku Timur District are included in the figures for the Districts from which they were cut out in 2013. (d) including 6 kelurahan.

References

  1. ^ a b c Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023, Kabupaten Morowali Dalam Angka 2023 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.7206)
  2. ^ a b Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  3. ^ a b Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  4. ^ Sangadji, Ruslan (21 February 2007). "Residents say a divided Poso could be a more peaceful place". The Jakarta Post.
  5. ^ a b c "Indonesia plays hardball with its nickel". East Asia Forum. 2021-03-30. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
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