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Lamandau Regency

Overview

01Overview

Lamandau Regency is a regency of Central Kalimantan province of Indonesia. The regency was created in 2002 from the northwestern parts of West Kotawaringin Regency. The regency has a population of 63,119 according to the 2010 census and 97,611 based on the 2020 census. The population estimate as of mid 2025 was 105,210 (comprising 56,010 males and 49.200 females). The regency covers a land area of 7,632.39 square kilometres and is divided into eight districts (kecamatan). The regency seat is located in the town of Nanga Bulik (with just over 21,500 inhabitants), which serves as the regency's economic and administrative center.

Culture

01Agriculture and fishery

A palm oil plantation in Lamandau Regency, one of the region's primary agricultural products. The regency is a major contributor to agriculture in Central Kalimantan province, particularly known for its production of palm oil and rubber. In 2022, the regency had a total palm oil plantation area of 24,926 hectares, yielding 110,294.78 tonnes during the same year. Meanwhile, rubber plantations covered an area of 7,098 hectares, producing 1,331.040 tonnes within the same timeframe. The agriculture sector also supports other industries in the regency, primarily the processing industry, which largely consists of palm oil refineries and processing centers. The production and economic significance of these two commodities overshadow other plantation-based products in the regency, accounting for less than 1% of its agricultural output. Another crop grown in the regency is rice, but its output has declined significantly in recent years, from 4,016 tonnes in 2021 to only 530 tonnes in 2022. The area allocated for rice farming has also decreased by 77.77% from 1,669 hectares in 2021 to just 371 hectares in 2022. Rice cultivation has become less popular among landowners in the regency, who are increasingly focusing on palm oil and rubber production. This shift has led to an increase in land conflicts between small-scale farmers and large palm oil companies, as well as significant deforestation within the regency.

The fishery industry in the regency primarily consists of inland aquaculture, given its landlocked location. In 2022, there were 549 aquaculture sites producing 689 tonnes of fish. Fish cages, where fish are raised, can be found along the Lamandau River. However, expanding the fishery sector has proven challenging due to the high cost of fish pellets and the procurement of fish seeds.

History

01History

The area that now constitutes Lamandau Regency, centered around the town of Nanga Bulik, was part of the Kotawaringin Kingdom in the early 20th century. In 1920, it was designated as the onderdistrict of Nanga Bulik, later becoming the kecamatan (district) of Nanga Bulik by the time of Indonesian independence. In 1952, it was reclassified as Kewedanaan of Nanga Bulik, which included two districts, North Kotawaringin and East Kotawaringin. This administrative structure was dissolved in 1974, and the region was governed as three districts: Lamandau, Bulik, and Delang, under an administrative region (wilayah administratif) overseen by a regent's assistant (pembantu bupati) within West Kotawaringin Regency.

Following the fall of Suharto and the subsequent rapid decentralization, various figures and groups within the region began advocating for the creation of a separate regency comprising the three districts of Lamandau, Bulik, and Delang. This aspiration emerged during a meeting at the West Kotawaringin's office on 10 November 1999, where the division of West Kotawaringin Regency's area was proposed to establish both Sukamara Regency and Lamandau Regency. Initially, these districts were intended to be part of Sukamara Regency, but this proposal faced opposition from the three districts, which instead demanded their own separate regency apart from Sukamara. Subsequently, with the enactment of Law Number 5 of 2002, the regency was officially established and inaugurated on 2 July 2002. Later, the original three districts were divided into a total of eight districts on 1 August 2005, in accordance with Regional Law Number 5 of 2005.

Geography

01Geography

Lamandau Regency shares borders with Ketapang Regency and Seruyan Regency to the north and west, West Kotawaringin Regency to the east and south, and Sukamara Regency to the south. The regency is characterized by lowland swamps with rivers and streams scattered throughout. The soil composition consists mainly of podzols and latosols, which have poor water retention and absorption but are relatively resistant to erosion. Underground water sources can typically be found within 10 to 15 metres below the surface. The largest river in the regency is the Lamandau River, which branches into several smaller streams such as the Bulik River, Belantikan River, and Matu River.

02Climate

Nanga Bulik, the capital of the regency, experiences a tropical rainforest climate (Af) characterized by heavy rainfall throughout the year.