Saparua


Saparua is an island east of Ambon Island in the Indonesian province of Maluku; the island of Haruku lies between Saparua and Ambon. The main port is in the south at Kota Saparua. The small and uninhabited island of Maolana is located near its southwestern side and Nusa Laut off its southeastern tip.
Saparua was administered as a single eponymous district of Central Maluku Regency, but in 2012 an additional district of East Saparua was formed from the eastern peninsula of the original district. Kota Saparua is the administrative centre of the residual district, while Tuhaha is the administrative centre of the new district.
The island covers a land area of 168.1 km2, and had a population of 32,312 as of the 2010 census and 36,022 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 34,480. The inhabitants of Saparua speak the Saparua language, as well as Indonesian and Ambonese Malay.
Saparua was the location of Indonesian national hero, Pattimura's rebellion against Dutch forces in 1817. It was also the birthplace of Gerrit Augustinus Siwabessy, a prominent politician who was Indonesia's Minister of Health during the 1960s and 1970s.

Villages on Saparua

There are 17 administrative villages, listed below with their populations at the 2020 Census; ten comprise the new district of East Saparua, while seven remain with the residual Saparua District in the west of the island.
The areas and 2020 Census populations of each of these, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023, are as follows:
Kode
Wilayah
Name
of
desa
Area
in
km2
Pop'n
Census
2020
Pop'n
Estimate
mid 2023
81.01.12.2001Booi8.20927891
81.01.12.2002Paperu9.101,4121,286
81.01.12.2003Tiouw7.901,4841,359
81.01.12.2004Haria16.707,4617,302
81.01.12.2005Porto23.502,8082,670
81.01.12.2006Kulur6.501,1121,085
81.01.12.2012Saparua 8.003,1982,955
81.01.12Totals Saparua District79.9018,40217,548
81.01.26.2001Ouw9.501,6801,549
81.01.26.2002Ullath6.801,5911,534
81.01.26.2003Siri-sori 8.202,0021,988
81.01.26.2004Siri-sori Amalatu18.002,2512,170
81.01.26.2005Mahu6.55718698
81.01.26.2006Tuhaha13.302,3792,339
81.01.26.2007Ihamahu12.101,5091,503
81.01.26.2008Iha0.75391391
81.01.26.2009Nolloth11.203,0382,858
81.01.26.2010Itawaka10.202,0601,882
81.01.26Totals Saparua Timur District96.6017,61916,912