Story

North Nias Regency (Indonesian: Kabupaten Nias Utara) is located on Nias Island in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia. The regency was created on 29 October 2008 (along with neighbouring West Nias Regency) from several districts that had previously been part of Nias Regency. It occupies the northern portion of Nias Island and has an area of. At the 2010 census, it had a population of 127,244, and 147,274 at the 2020 census; the official estimate of mid-2024 was 158,676 (comprising 78,862 males and 79,814 females). The regency's administrative capital is Lotu.

North Nias Regency's agriculture and fishery sector produces large, diverse outputs due to its fertile soil and being located on an island, many of its residents work as fishers. Alasa, Lotu, and Namohalu Esiwa are the main food-producing districts of the regency, mainly growing rice. The regency produced 51,194 tonnes of rice, from which Namohalu Esiwa produced 11,162 tonnes in 2022, followed by 10.945 tonnes from Lotu, and 6,435 tonnes from Alasa. Tehumberua, Lahewa, and Sawo districts are the regency's main fish-producing districts with respective fishery outputs of 4,550, 4,150, and 3,150 tonnes. The regency's other produce includes eggplants, chili, cabbages, and water spinach from Lahewa and East Lahewa.

A significant amount of the regency's land is used for plantations, mainly coconut with and rubber with in 2022. The regency produced 46,376 tonnes of dried coconuts and 42,529 tonnes of rubber in the same year.

The livestock owned in the regency consists mainly of pigs and chickens, with populations of 52,850 and 57,310 respectively in 2016.

North Nias Regency was once part of Nias Regency, from which it was split based on Law Number 45 in 2008. In 2018, parts of the regency's capital Lotu, including several government buildings, were demolished for the purpose of urban renewal. Haogosochi Hulu, vice regent of North Nias at that time, said the town "had a lot of developments but with no planning" and that some government buildings "need[ed] to be sacrificed for better planning".

North Nias Regency borders Nias Regency and Gunungsitoli city in the east, West Nias Regency in the south, and the Indian Ocean in the north and the west. It includes 15 smaller islands, six of which are inhabited. North Nias Regency has rugged terrains with hills of up to above sea level and includes 50 rivers and streams.

Being located close to the equator, North Nias experiences high rainfall with an average of 23 rainy days per month. Being surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the regency experience strong winds with an average speed of and frequent storms, which usually occur between September and November but occasionally in late August. The regency has an average temperature yearly of with a maximum average of and lowest average of.