Central Tapanuli Regency

Central Tapanuli Regency is a regency in North Sumatra province, Sumatra, Indonesia. The seat of the regency government is at Pandan. The regency covers an area of 2,194.98 km² and consists of a long extent of land along the western coast of North Sumatra, together with offshore islands of which the largest is Mursala Island; it had a population of 311,232 at the 2010 census and 365,177 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid-2024 was 394,910. The regency surrounds the landward side of the city of Sibolga, which is administratively separate from the regency.

WWW tapteng.go.id

Administrative districts

The regency is divided into twenty districts, tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as of mid-2024. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district and 55 urban kelurahan, and its postcode.

Kode Wilayah	Name of District	Area in km²	Pop'n Census 2010	Pop'n Census 2020	Pop'n Estimate mid 2024	Admin centre	No. of desa	No. of kelurahan	Post code
12.01.04	Pinangsori	78.32	22,550	25,552	27,198	Pinangsori	5	5	22653
12.01.15	Badiri	129.49	21,973	27,237	29,318	Lopian	7	2	22654
12.01.08	Sibabangun	284.64	16,395	18,412	19,530	Sibabangun	6	1	22655
12.01.19	Lumut	105.98	11,160	12,749	13,613	Aek Gambir	5	1	22652
12.01.18	Sukabangun	49.37	2,866	3,849	4,267	Pulo Pakkat I	6	-	22656
12.01.03	Pandan	34.31	47,106	59,056	65,371	Pasar Baru	2	20	22611 -22616
12.01.14	Tukka	150.93	11,376	14,343	15,745	Tukka	5	4	22617 -22618
12.01.20	Sarudik	25.92	20,976	22,258	24,530	Pondok Batu	1	4	22611 -22616
12.01.07	Tapian Nauli	83.01	18,459	20,507	21,662	Tapian Nauli II	8	1	22618
12.01.13	Sitahuis	50.52	5,040	5,897	6,355	Nauli	5	1	22611
	Southeast sector	992.49	177,901	209,860	227,589		50	39	22562
12.01.06	Kolang	436.29	15,957	20,827	22,506	Kolang Nauli	12	2	22562
12.01.02	Sorkam	80.61	15,993	16,511	17,772	Sorkam	17	4	22560
12.01.10	Sorkam Barat	44.58	14,734	17,598	19,117	Sorkam Kanan	10	2	22561
12.01.16	Pasaribu Tobing	103.36	6,467	7,517	8,081	Pasaribu Tobing	9	-	22563
12.01.01	Barus	21.81	15,645	17,480	18,505	Padang Masiang	11	2	22564
12.01.09	Sosor Gadong	143.13	12,461	14,598	15,740	Sosor Gadong	8	1	22568
12.01.12	Andam Dewi	122.42	14,057	16,191	17,344	Rina Bolak	13	1	22651
12.01.17	Barus Utara	63.02	4,155	4,844	5,213	Hutaginjang	6	-	22567
12.01.05	Manduamas	99.55	19,449	22,951	24,817	Pasar Onan Manduamas	17	3	22565
12.01.11	Sirandorung	87.72	13,413	16,800	18,226	Bajamas	7	1	22566
	Northwest sector	1,202.49	132,331	155,317	167,321		110	16	22562
	Totals	2,194.98	311,232	365,177	394,910	Pandan	160	55

Note: includes Mursala Island and 18 smaller islands off the coast.

Tourist sites

Central Tapanuli's beaches are ideal for surfing, although they are not as well known as those of Nias Island. The regency has 30 offshore islands; one of the biggest is Mursala Island with 8,000 hectares, which has a waterfall that directly drops to the sea; around 100 metres from the waterfall the water still tastes plain and the corals are unique and beautiful. In 1933, the first King Kong film has taken pictures here.