Wakatobi Regency

Wakatobi Regency is a group of ca. 150 islands forming an administrative regency located in Southeast Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. The four largest islands are Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, and the official name of the regency is a contraction of WAngi-Wangi, KAledupa, TOmia and BInongko; the islands were traditionally known as the Tukang Besi islands. The capital of the regency is located on Wangi-wangi Island, and was established by virtue of Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 29 of 2003 dated 18 December 2003. The regency has a total land area of 473.62 square kilometres and had a population of 92,922 at the 2010 Census and 111,402 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2025 was 119,070 (comprising 59,210 males and 59,870 females). Wakatobi is also the name of a national park established in 1996, with a total area of 1.39 million hectares that lie within the marine biodiversity hotspot known as Wallacea. The coral reefs condition and scale are one of the highest priorities of marine conservation in Indonesia. The Wakatobi Islands are a part of the Coral Triangle, which has some of the richest marine biodiversity on earth.