Merauke Regency

Until 2002, the regency covered a much wider area of southern Papua, but much of the area was split off on 12 November 2002 to form the new Regencies of Asmat, Mappi and Boven Digoel. The four regencies were in 2022 re-grouped to form the new South Papua Province.

One of the tribes originating from Merauke are the Marind (or also called the Marind Anim) and the Sohoers.{{cite web|url=https://portal.merauke.go.id/page/9/sejarah-merauke.html|title=Sejarah Merauke|website=portal.merauke.go.id|accessdate=1 July 2022}} There are various sub-clans of the Marind Anim tribe, such as Kaize, Gebze, Balagaize, Mahuze, Ndiken, and Basik-basik.

In Dutch colonial period, the local residents lived side by side with the Dutch government employees. After the Western New Guinea integration with Indonesia, the development of the regency then followed by a population increase coming from various regions in the country. As of 2010 Indonesian census male population data, the population of indigenous Papuans in Merauke Regency is 37,731 (36.60%), while non-native Papuans is 65,347 (63.40%).{{cite web |url= http://papua.bps.go.id/yii/9400/index.php/site/page?view=sp2010 |title=Jumlah Penduduk menurut Klasifikasi Suku - Provinsi Papua |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113120644/http://papua.bps.go.id/yii/9400/index.php/site/page?view=sp2010 |date=2010 |website= Central Agency on Statistics, Papua Province |archive-date= 13 November 2013 |accessdate= 1 July 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bps.go.id/publication/2012/05/23/55eca38b7fe0830834605b35/kewarganegaraan-suku-bangsa-agama-dan-bahasa-sehari-hari-penduduk-indonesia.html|title=Kewarganegaraan Suku Bangsa, Agama dan Bahasa Sehari-hari Penduduk Indonesia|website=Central Agency on Statistics |accessdate=27 December 2021|pages=36–41|format=pdf}}

File:Masjid Raya Al-Aqsha Merauke.jpg

A 2021 data from Central Agency on Statistics of Merauke Regency indicates that the majority of Merauke Regency population adheres to Christianity (52.84%). The Catholics makes up the majority of them (36.61%) and the remainings are Protestants (16.23%). Another significant religions in the regency is Islam (46.56%), followed by Buddhism (0.44%) and Hindu (0.16%).{{cite web|url=https://meraukekab.bps.go.id/publication/2021/02/26/97ca4325f867c3604c247b8c/kabupaten-merauke-dalam-angka-2021.html|title=Kabupaten Merauke Dalam Angka 2021|publisher=BPS Kabupaten Merauke|accessdate=18 August 2021|format=pdf|pages=49, 147}}

File:Kantor Bupati Merauke.jpg

At the 2020 Census, Merauke Regency comprised twenty districts (distrik), listed below with their areas and populations at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and the 2020 Census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. together with the official estimates as at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Merauke Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.9401) Two additional districts have subsequently been created - Kontuar from part of Waan District, and Padua from parts of Kimaam, Tabonji and Ilyawab Districts) - but their population details for the 2010 and 2020 Censuses are included with the districts from which they were cut out. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totalling 179 rural kampung and 11 urban kelurahan, the latter all in Merauke District) and its post code.

Note: (a) the population figures for the new Kontuar District are included with those for Waan District, from part of which it was cut out. (b) the population figures for the new Padua District are included with those for Kimaam, Tabonji and Ilwayab Districts, from parts of which it was cut out. (c) containing all of the regency's 11 kelurahan (urban villages) and 5 kampung.

Much of the area of Merauke Regency is covered by forests. The Wasur National Park forms part of the largest wetland in the regency.

MIFEE (Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate) is a project for use of a big area for industry and also palm oil and food crops agriculture including land grabbing.{{Cite web |url=http://www.iss.nl/fileadmin/ASSETS/iss/Documents/Conference_papers/LDPI/1_Longgena_Ginting_and_Oliver_Pye_Final.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-05-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810022148/http://www.iss.nl/fileadmin/ASSETS/iss/Documents/Conference_papers/LDPI/1_Longgena_Ginting_and_Oliver_Pye_Final.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-10 |url-status=dead }} MIFEE is supported by the national government. There is much indigenous opposition to the MIFEE project. The MIFEE project is expected to cover a 1.2 million hectare area, or a quarter of Merauke.{{cite web|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/10/30/food-estate-project-may-turn-papua-forest-fire-hotbed.html|title=Food estate project may turn Papua into forest fire hotbed - The Jakarta Post|author=The Jakarta Post|publisher=thejakartapost.com|accessdate=30 May 2016}} The project threatens conservation areas, such as virgin forests and water catchment areas, as well as the habitat of indigenous peoples in Papua.{{cite web|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/04/16/govt-revive-food-estate-project-papua.html|title=Govt to revive food estate project in Papua - The Jakarta Post|author=The Jakarta Post|publisher=thejakartapost.com|accessdate=30 May 2016}} There were substantial forest fires.

By May 2011, Indonesian government allocated around two million hectares in the regency to 36 national and international corporations for oil palm, timber, and sugarcane enterprises.{{Cite book |last=Chao |first=Sophie |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1309092277 |title=In the shadow of the palms : more-than-human becomings in West Papua |date=2022 |isbn=978-1-4780-2285-5 |location=Durham |oclc=1309092277}}

File:Pelabuhan Merauke.jpg

Merauke Regency is equipped by a passenger port, serving Pelni ships, as well as Mopah International Airport serving domestic flights.

• Merauke Five

{{reflist}}

• {{website|http://www.merauke.go.id/}}
• [https://meraukekab.bps.go.id/publication.html Statistics publications from Statistics Indonesia (BPS)]

{{South Papua}}

Category:Regencies of South Papua