Southwest Papua
Southwest Papua
Papua Barat Daya




Demographics
Southwest Papua had a population of 591,617 at the 2020 census, while the official estimate as at the middle of 2023 was 617,697, making it the third least populous province in Indonesia, after South Papua and West Papua.
The majority of the population of Southwest Papua are Protestant. According to data Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration, 61.65% of the population is Christian, with 54.5% adhering to Protestantism and 7.16% adhering to Catholicism, Islam is followed by 38.14% of the population, 0.1% adheres to Hinduism and another 0.1% Buddhism.
Southwest Papua has diversity in ethnic groups in the area. Southwest Papua itself is included in the Doberai or Domberai customary territory which consists of 52 ethnic groups. For example the Moi people or Malamoi who are some of the original inhabitants of Sorong City and Sorong Regency, and Maybrat people with various ethnic sub-groups such as the Ayamaru, Aitinyo, Aifat, Karon, and Mare who come from Maybrat and South Sorong Regencies.
A number of notable figures come from the Ayamaru people, including the Indonesian footballers Boaz Solossa and Ricky Kambuaya. The other ethnic groups are the coastal Ma’ya, the ethnicity of the ‘Four Kings’ and the migrants Biak groups (Beser/Betew, Kafdaron, Biak-Karon/Bikar, Usba, Wardo) from Biak Islands and indigenous groups like Matbat and Amber living in the inland of Raja Ampat Islands. Abun, Miyah and Mpur in Tambrauw Regency; Tehit in South Sorong; and Imekko people of Sorong and South Sorong with various sub-ethnics such as Inanwatan, Metemani, Kais, and Kokoda, the majority of whom are Muslims.
The people of Southwest Papua also have a variety of regional languages, Papuan Malay is lingua franca in this area. Based on language map data published by the Language Development and Fostering Agency within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, there are at least 46 regional languages spoken by the people of Southwest Papua Province.
In Sorong City, there is Yamueti. In Maybrat Regency, there are Ayamaru, Kambran, Maisomara, and Pokoro. In Raja Ampat Regency, there are Ambel language, Batanta, Beser, Beser-Swaimbon, Gebe, Matbat, Matlow, Ma’ya, Ma’ya Legenyan-Kawei, Salafen Matbat, Samate, Selegof, Tepin, and Wardo. In Sorong Regency, there are languages As, Efpan, Esaro, Kalabra, Moi Sigin, Moraid, Palamul, Seget, and Waliam. In South Sorong Regency, there are Awe, Fkour, Imiyan, Kais, Kokoda, Salkma, Tehit, Tehit Dit, Yaben, and Yahadian-Mugim. In Tambrauw Regency, there are Abun, Abun Gii, Abun Ji, Irires, Karon, Mpur, and Mpur Pantai.







Tourism



Kabupaten & Kota

Maybrat

Raja Ampat

Sorong

Sorong Selatan

Tambrauw

Sorong