Belu Regency

Belu Regency
Kabupaten Belu
Rai Belu
Coat of arms of Belu Regency
Nickname: 
Belu
Location within East Nusa Tenggara
Location within East Nusa Tenggara
Belu Regency is located in Timor
Belu Regency
Belu Regency
Belu Regency is located in Lesser Sunda Islands
Belu Regency
Belu Regency
Belu Regency (Lesser Sunda Islands)
Belu Regency is located in Indonesia
Belu Regency
Belu Regency
Belu Regency (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 9°20′45″S 124°57′2″E
Country Indonesia
Region Lesser Sunda Islands
Province East Nusa Tenggara
Settled 20 December 1956
Capital Atambua
Government
 • Regent Willy Lay
 • Vice Regent J. T. Ose Luan
Area
 • Total 496.12 sq mi (1,284.94 km2)
Elevation
1,230 ft (375 m)
Population
 (mid 2022 estimate)
 • Total 224,306
 • Density 450/sq mi (170/km2)
Time zone UTC+8 (ICST)
Postcodes
856xx, 857xx
Area code (+62) 389
Religion Christianity 95.45%
Catholic 88.39%
Protestant 7.10%
Islam 4.30%
Hindu 0.19%
Buddhism 0.02%
Website belukab.go.id

Belu Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Situated on the north of Timor island, it adjoins the separate nation of East Timor to the east. Established on 20 December 1958, Belu Regency has its seat (capital) in the large town of Atambua.

In December 2012 a separate Regency - Malaka Regency - was created from the twelve districts that formerly comprised the southern half of Belu Regency. "Belu" means "friend" in Tetum. The residual part of Belu Regency had a population of 188,163 at the 2010 Census, which rose to 206,476 at the 2015 Intermediate Census and to 217,973 at the 2020 Census. The official estimate as at mid 2022 was 224,306.

Administrative Districts

The Belu Regency was until 2013 divided into twenty-four districts (kecamatan), but in December 2012, the twelve southern kecamatan were removed to form the new Malaka Regency, leaving the twelve northern kecamatan in Belu Regency. The residual Belu Regency is thus composed of twelve districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas (in km2) and their populations at the 2010 Census and 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2022. The table also includes the locations of the district headquarters, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 69 rural desa and 12 urban kelurahan - the latter being the 12 comprising Atambua town), and its postal code.

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
code
53.04.12 Kota Atambua
(Central Atambua)
24.90 26,396 30,837 31,776 Tenukiik 4 85711
-85718
53.04.21 Atambua Barat
(West Atambua)
15.55 21,604 24,178 24,708 Sesekoe 4 85713
-85718
53.04.22 Atambua Selatan
(East Atambua)
15.73 22,464 26,144 26,921 Asuulun 4 85716
-85718
Total Atambua town 56.18 70,464 81,159 83,405 12 85711
-85718
53.04.13 Raimanuk 179.42 14,411 16,755 17,249 Arekama 9 85760
53.04.04 Tasifeto Barat
(West Tasifeto)
224.19 22,362 24,545 24,989 Kimbana 8 85753
53.04.05 Kakulak Mesak 187.54 17,608 21,988 22,952 Umarese 6 85752
53.04.23 Nanaet Dubesi 60.25 4,006 4,783 4,950 Tete Seban 4 85751
53.04.02 Tasifeto Timur
(East Tasifeto)
211.37 20,932 26,121 27,263 Wedomu 12 85771
Western rural sector (a) 862.77 79,319 94,192 97,403 39
53.04.03 Raihat 87.20 13,319 14,359 14,568 Bei Sari Loo 6 85773
53.04.17 Lasiolat 64.48 6,166 7,096 7,291 Lafuli 7 85771
53.04.01 Lamaknen 105.90 11,583 12,632 12,845 Weluli 9 85772
53.04.18 Lamaknen Selatan
(South Lamaknen)
18.41 7,312 8,535 8,794 Pie Bulak 8 85770
Eastern salient (b) 365.99 38,380 42,622 43,498 30
Totals for regency 1,284.94 188,163 217,973 224,306 81

Note: (a) the five westerly rural kecamatan, mainly surrounding or south of Atambua. (b) the area projecting into East Timor.

Media

Belu Regency is served with four radio stations that cover the wider area around this regency (including Malaka Regency, Alor Regency, and Timor Tengah Utara Regency), which are RRI Pro1 Atambua (FM 91.5 MHz) RRI Pro2 Atambua (FM 99.8 MHz) RRI Pro3 (FM 99.0 MHz), and Saluran Citra Budaya Timor (alias Pro4) (FM 93.1 MHz). There's still a lot of radio that can be found in the town.

The regency is only served with two television stations (TVRI - including TVRI East Nusa Tenggara, Belu TV) and a few other East Timor stations that reach the border pass.