Wetar

Wetar
Wetar is located in Indonesia
Wetar
Wetar
Wetar (Indonesia)
Geography
LocationSouth East Asia
Coordinates7°48′S 126°18′E / 7.800°S 126.300°E / -7.800; 126.300
ArchipelagoBarat Daya Islands
Area2,651.8 km2 (1,023.9 sq mi)
Administration
Indonesia
ProvinceMaluku
RegencyMaluku Barat Daya
DistrictWetar
Demographics
Population11,109 (mid 2023)
Pop. density4.2/km2 (10.9/sq mi)
Additional information
Time zone
Wetar in the southwest of Maluku Islands as a part of the Barat Daya Islands

Wetar is a tropical island which belongs to the Indonesian province of Maluku and is the largest island of the Maluku Barat Daya Islands (literally Southwest Islands) Regency of the Maluku Islands. It lies east of the Lesser Sunda Islands, which include nearby Alor and Timor, but it is politically part of the Maluku Islands. To the south, across the Wetar Strait, lies the island of Timor; at its closest it is 50 km away. To the west, across the Ombai Strait, lies the island of Alor. To the southwest is the very small island of Liran, which is also part of West Wetar District (Kecamatan Wetar Barat) and, further southwest, the small East Timorese island of Atauro. To the north is the Banda Sea and to the east lie Romang and Damar Islands, while to the southeast lie the other principal islands of the Barat Daya Islands. Including Liran and other small offshore islands, Wetar has an area of 2,651.8 km2, and had a population of 7,916 at the 2010 Census[1] and 8,622 at the 2020 Census;[2] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 11,109.[3] Administratively, Wetar is divided into four of the districts (kecamatan) of the Maluku Barat Daya Regency.

Wetar is one of the 92 officially listed outlying islands of Indonesia.

The principal towns on Wetar are Lioppa in the northwest, Ilwaki in the south, Wasiri in the north, Masapun in the east, and Arwala in the northeast. These are connected by roads.

  1. ^ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  2. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  3. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Maluku Barat Daya Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.8108)