Kepi, Indonesia

Last updated
Kepi
Town
Indonesia Western New Guinea location map.png
Red pog.svg
Kepi
Location in Western New Guinea and Indonesia
Indonesia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kepi
Kepi (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 6°32′S139°19′E / 6.533°S 139.317°E / -6.533; 139.317 Coordinates: 6°32′S139°19′E / 6.533°S 139.317°E / -6.533; 139.317
Country Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia
Province South Papua
Regency Mappi Regency
Founded1946
Government
 •  Mayor Kristosimus Agawemu
 •  Vice Mayor ?
Area
 • Total13.6 km2 (5.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2020 Census)
 • Total8,394
 • Density620/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Languages
 •  Main languages Indonesian, Papuan Malay, Awyu, Yaqay, Kayagar
Time zone UTC+9 (IEST)
Area code (+62) 832
Climate Af
Website kepi.go.id

Kepi is a town in Mappi Regency, South Papua, Indonesia. Following the formation of Mappi Regency in 2002, the town became its administrative seat.

Contents

History

At the time of the Dutch arrival, the region was inhabited by various tribes speaking Trans–New Guinea languages, such as the Awyu, the Yaqay, or the Kayagar. [1] The inhabitant of the area were mostly left alone by the outside world until the first half of the 20th century, when the Dutch started taking an interest in the region. In 1926, a penitential colony for political prisoners was established further inland at Tanahmerah, although it would take ten more years for the first Dutch government post to be established in the Mappi area. In 1936 a military post known as Mappi Post was set up on a hill named Tamao, at the confluence of the Digoel and Kawarga River, to prevent Headhunting raids which were creating unrest and migrations, and assert Dutch control over the area. [2] Following the Japanese invasion of New Guinea in 1942 and the subsequent bombing of the post by Japanese aircraft in 1943, [3] the post was essentially abandoned and only manned by a coastwatcher. In 1944, the Australian Army moved in, installing a radar station which had been previously operating in Bupul, with the goal of spotting Japanese airplanes coming from the west to attack Merauke. [4] However, as the Japanese airfields were wiped out by allied aerial bombardments, the radar station became useless and the Australian Army departed in 1945. [5]

Shortly after the war in 1946, the administrative center of the Mappi district was moved from the Mappi Post to the village of Kepi, [2] [6] a protestant mission with a church was established there, and catholic religious orders soon followed, such as the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours in 1948. [7] The Dutch were also successful in eradicating the Headhunting raids in the area, the last one occurring in 1949. [8] The brothers of Our Lady of the Seven Dolours introduced a regional project with an agricultural centre in Mappi. This Welfare Plan Mappi and the Regional Plan, which encouraged the cultivation of cocoa and rubber, were joint ventures of the mission and the Dutch government. [9] The christian missionaries carried on their work after the withdrawal of the Dutch from the area in 1962, and the subsequent transfer of Western New Guinea to Indonesia.

in 2002, following the separation of Mappi Regency from the Merauke Regency, the town became its administrative seat.

Geography

Kepi is located along the Obaa river, and is surrounded by swamps. During the rainy monsoon, the rivers in the region regularly overflow their banks and often flood large areas for several months.

Climate

Kepi has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.

Climate data for Kepi
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Average high °C (°F)31.6
(88.9)		31.5
(88.7)		31.6
(88.9)		31.4
(88.5)		30.7
(87.3)		29.6
(85.3)		28.9
(84.0)		29.3
(84.7)		30.3
(86.5)		31.5
(88.7)		32.1
(89.8)		31.9
(89.4)		30.9
(87.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)27.2
(81.0)		27.1
(80.8)		27.2
(81.0)		27.2
(81.0)		26.7
(80.1)		25.8
(78.4)		25.3
(77.5)		25.3
(77.5)		25.9
(78.6)		26.8
(80.2)		27.4
(81.3)		27.5
(81.5)		26.6
(79.9)
Average low °C (°F)22.9
(73.2)		22.8
(73.0)		22.9
(73.2)		23.0
(73.4)		22.8
(73.0)		22.1
(71.8)		21.7
(71.1)		21.4
(70.5)		21.6
(70.9)		22.1
(71.8)		22.7
(72.9)		23.2
(73.8)		22.4
(72.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches)313
(12.3)		312
(12.3)		372
(14.6)		337
(13.3)		312
(12.3)		211
(8.3)		216
(8.5)		201
(7.9)		217
(8.5)		233
(9.2)		268
(10.6)		305
(12.0)		3,297
(129.8)
Source: Climate-Data.org [10]

Demographics

At the 2020 Census the population was 8,394, according to the Indonesian Government Badan Pusat Statistik (2021).

Transport

Kepi is served by regular flights from Merauke and Mimika through the nearby Kepi Airport. The town can also be reached by boats going up the Oba river, itself connected to the Digul and the Odamun rivers through the Mappi river.

Notes

  1. ↑ Gerrit J. van Enk & Lourens de Vries (1997). p.14.
  2. 1 2 Boelaars, Jan H. M. C. (1981). pp.4–5.
  3. ↑ Donald F. Thomson. (1953). p.3.
  4. ↑ Simmonds, Ed (2002). pp.26–30
  5. ↑ Arnold, Anthony Peter (2013), p. 328.
  6. ↑ Steenbrink, Karel. (2008). p.549.
  7. ↑ Steenbrink, Karel (2015). pp.342–343.
  8. ↑ Steenbrink, Karel (2015). pp.343–344
  9. ↑ Ipenburg, A. N. (2004)
  10. ↑ "Climate: Kepi". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved July 25, 2020.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papua (province)</span> Province of Indonesia

Papua is a province of Indonesia, comprising the northern coast of Western New Guinea together with island groups in Cenderawasih Bay to the west. It roughly follows the borders of Papuan customary region of Tabi Saireri. It is bordered by the sovereign state of Papua New Guinea to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the north, Cenderawasih Bay to the west, and the provinces of Central Papua and Highland Papua to the south. The province also shares maritime boundaries with Palau in the Pacific. Following the splitting off of twenty regencies to create the three new provinces of Central Papua, Highland Papua, and South Papua on 30 June 2022, the residual province is divided into eight regencies (kabupaten) and one city (kota), the latter being the provincial capital of Jayapura. The province has a large potential in natural resources, such as gold, nickel, petroleum, etc. Papua, along with five other Papuan provinces, has a higher degree of autonomy level compared to other Indonesian provinces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korowai people</span> Indigenous ethnic group of Indonesia

The Korowai, also called the Kolufo, are the people who live in southeastern Papua in the Indonesian provinces of South Papua and Highland Papua. Specifically their tribal area is split by the borders of Boven Digoel Regency, Mappi Regency, Asmat Regency, and Yahukimo Regency. They number about 3,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Papua (province)</span> Province in Indonesia

West Papua, formerly Irian Jaya Barat, is a province of Indonesia. It covers the two western peninsulas of the island of New Guinea, the eastern half of the Bird's Head Peninsula and the Bomberai Peninsula, along with nearby smaller islands. The province is bordered to the north by the Pacific Ocean, to the west by the Halmahera Sea and the Ceram Sea, to the south by the Banda Sea, and to the east by the province of Central Papua and the Cenderawasih Bay. Manokwari is the province's capital and largest city. West Papua is the second-least populous province in Indonesia. It had a population of 1,134,068 at the 2020 Census, and the official estimate for mid 2022 was 1,183,307. However the total area and population was reduced by the Parliamentary decision on 17 November 2022 to create a 38th province of Indonesia, comprising Sorong city and the regencies of Sorong, South Sorong, Raja Ampat, Maybrat and Tambrauw; this new province, called Southwest Papua, came into existence from 8 December 2022. The reduced West Papua Province thus had a mid-2022 population estimated at only 561,403.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western New Guinea</span> Region of Indonesia on the island of New Guinea

Western New Guinea, also known as Papua, Indonesian New Guinea, Indonesian Papua, West Papua New Guinea, is the western, Indonesian half of the island of New Guinea. Since the island is alternatively named as Papua, the region is also called West Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asmat people</span> Ethnic group of New Guinea

The Asmat are an ethnic group of New Guinea, residing in the province of South Papua, Indonesia. The Asmat inhabit a region on the island's southwestern coast bordering the Arafura Sea, with lands totaling approximately 18,000 km2 (7,336 mi2) and consisting of mangrove, tidal swamp, freshwater swamp, and lowland rainforest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merauke Regency</span> Easternmost place and regency in Indonesia

Merauke Regency is a regency in the far south of the Indonesian province of South Papua. It covers an area of 45,025.91 km2, and had a population of 195,716 at the 2010 Census and 230,932 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 232,357, comprising 121,237 males and 111,120 females. The administrative centre is the town of Merauke; this was projected since 2013 to become an independent city (kota) separate from Merauke Regency, but the alteration has been deferred. It is also the provincial capital of South Papua since 2022. This is the largest regency in Indonesia, with an area of 45,026 km2, slightly larger than Estonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frans Kaisiepo</span>

Frans Kaisiepo was a Papuan politician and Indonesian nationalist. He served as the fourth Governor of Papua Province. In 1993, Kaisiepo was posthumously declared a National Hero of Indonesia for his lifelong efforts to unite West Irian with Indonesia. As the representative of Papua province, he was involved in the Malino Conference, where the formation of the United States of Indonesia was discussed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marind people</span> Indigenous ethnic group of South New Guinea

The Marind or Marind-Anim are an ethnic group of New Guinea, residing in the province of South Papua, Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yam languages</span> Family of Papuan languages

The Yam languages, also known as the Morehead River languages, are a family of Papuan languages. They include many of the languages south and west of the Fly River in Papua New Guinea and Indonesian West Papua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mappi Regency</span> Regency in South Papua, Indonesia

Mappi Regency is a regency (kabupaten) in the Indonesian province of South Papua. It was split off from Merauke Regency on 12 November 2002. It covers an area of 25,609.94 km2, and had a population of 81,658 at the 2010 Census and 108,295 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 111,141. The administrative centre is the town of Kepi.

Korowai (Kolufaup) is a Trans-New-Guinean language spoken in South Papua, Indonesia. It is spoken by the Korowai people who live along the Becking River.

Yaqay is a Papuan language spoken in Indonesia by over 10,000 people. It is also called Mapi or Sohur; dialects are Oba-Miwamon, Nambiomon-Mabur, Bapai.

Marind is a Papuan language spoken in Malind District, Merauke Regency, Indonesia by over ten thousand people. Dialects are Southeast Marind, Gawir, Holifoersch, and Tugeri. Bian Marind, also known as Boven-Mbian, is divergent enough to not be mutually intelligible, and has been assigned a separate ISO code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Trikora</span> 1961–1962 Indonesian military operation

Operation Trikora was an Indonesian military operation which aimed to seize and annex the Dutch overseas territory of Netherlands New Guinea in 1961 and 1962. After negotiations, the Netherlands signed the New York Agreement with Indonesia on 15 August 1962, relinquishing control of Western New Guinea to the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marthen Indey</span>

Major TNI Marthen Indey (1912–1986) was a colonial police officer in New Guinea, Dutch East Indies who later became nationalist fighter in the Indonesian National Revolution and a supporter of Papua becoming part of Indonesia. He was declared a National Hero of Indonesia in 1993 along with two other people of Papuan descent, Frans Kaisiepo and Silas Papare.

The Brazza River is a river in Papua province, Indonesia. The Brazza River has its source at over 3000 meters of elevation in the Jayawijaya or Maoke Mountains of central Papua in Yahukimo Regency, and flows south to the lowland rainforests of Asmat Regency before meeting the Pulau River, which flows southeast to the Arafura Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Papua</span> Province of Indonesia

South Papua, officially the South Papua Province, is an Indonesian province located in the southern portion of Papua, following the borders of Papuan customary region of Anim Ha. Formally established on 11 November 2022 and including the four most southern regencies that were previously part of the province of Papua and before 11 December 2002 were all part of a larger Merauke Regency, it covers an area of 117,849.16 km2. It had a population of 522,215 according to the official estimates for mid 2022, making it the least populous province in Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okaba</span> Village in South Papua, Indonesia

Okaba is a coastal town in Merauke Regency, South Papua, Indonesia.

Bupul is an inland village in Merauke Regency, South Papua, Indonesia.

Isyaman is an inland village in Mappi Regency, South Papua, Indonesia.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.