Togian Islands
The Togian (or Togean) Islands are an archipelago of 56 islands and many offshore islets, situated in the Gulf of Tomini, off the coast of Central Sulawesi, in Indonesia. The largest islands are Batudaka, Togean, Talatako and Una-Una. There are 37 villages on the islands, with one settled by the Bajau people, more commonly known as the sea gypsies.
Native name: Kepulauan Togean | |
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Map showing the Togian Islands highlighted in red. | |
Geography | |
Location | South-east Asia |
Coordinates | 0°23′30″S 121°57′28″E |
Total islands | 56 |
Major islands | Batudaka, Talatako, Togian |
Administration | |
Province | Central Sulawesi |
Demographics | |
Ethnic groups | Bajau |
Additional information | |
Time zone |
Administration
The islands are a part of the Tojo Una-Una Regency within Central Sulawesi Province. They comprise six districts (kabupaten in Indonesian) within that regency.
Name | Area in km2 | Population Census 2010 | Population Census 2015[1] |
---|---|---|---|
Una-Una | 146.16 | 12,455 | 7,791 |
Batudaka | 151.91 | (a) | 5,436 |
Togean | 229.51 | 9,160 | 9,702 |
Walea Kepulauan (Walea Islands) | 67.60 | 10,065 | 5,085 |
Talatako | 83.64 | (b) | 5,770 |
Walea Besar (Great Walea) | 84.51 | 3,851 | 4,168 |
Total Togean Islands | 763.33 | 35,531 | 37,952 |
Notes:
(a) The 2010 Census population of Batudaka district is included in the figure for Una-Una district, from which it was cut out.
(b) The 2010 Census population of Talatako district is included in the figure for Walea Kepulauan district, from which it was cut out.
Geology and ecology
Formed by volcanic activity, the islands are covered by rainforest and surrounded by coral reef formations, which provide habitat and breeding areas for hawksbill turtle, green turtle and the dugong. The Tonkean macaque is found in the islands' forests. The Togian hawk-owl, discovered in 1999, is endemic to the islands. The Togian white-eye, another endemic bird species, was described in 2008. Non-venomous jellyfish are also found in Togian Islands, the unique one is jellyfish with red little spots.[2]
National Park
On 2004, the government established a part of Togean Islands as a National Park consists of 292,000 hectares of sea water (includes 132,000 hectares of coral reef which is the largest in Indonesia), 70,000 hectares of land and 10,659 hectares reservation of forests and mangroves.[3]
See also
References
- Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2019.
- "Tujuh Danau Ubur-Ubur Unik di Indonesia". Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- "Keindahan Bawah Luat Terpendam di Kepulauan Togean". September 25, 2011.
External links
- Togean Islands website for a general source of informations about the Togean Islands
Togian Islands travel guide from Wikivoyage - Informative and rare trip report