North Tapanuli Regency

North Tapanuli Regency Kabupaten Tapanuli Utara
Regency
Welcome gate to North Tapanuli Regency in Siborongborong
Seal
Motto(s):  Tano Batak ("Land of Batak")
Country	Indonesia
Province	North Sumatra
Regency seat	Tarutung
Government
• Regent	Jonius Taripar Parsaoran Hutabarat
• Vice Regent	Deni Lumbantoruan  [ id ]
• Chairman of Regency's Council of Representatives	Poltak Pakpahan (PDI-P)
• Vice Chairpeople of Regency's Council of Representatives	Fatimah Hutabarat (Nasdem) and Reguel Simanjuntak (Golkar)
Area
• Total	3,793.71 km2 (1,464.76 sq mi)
Population  (mid 2024 estimate) [1]
• Total	326,993
• Density	86/km2 (220/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+7 (WIB)
Website	www.taputkab.go.id

North Tapanuli Regency (Tapanuli Utara - in Indonesian, "Utara" means "North") is a landlocked regency in North Sumatra province, Sumatra, Indonesia. Its capital is Tarutung. The regency covers an area of 3,793.71 square kilometers and it had a population of 278,897 at the 2010 Census ^[2] and 312,758 at the 2020 Census; ^[3] the official estimate as of mid-2024 was 326,993 (comprising 163,845 males and 163,148 females). ^[1]

Administrative districts

The regency is divided into fifteen districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census ^[2] and the 2020 Census, ^[3] together with the official estimates as of mid-2024. ^[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totalling 241 rural desa and 11 urban kelurahan), and its postcode.

Kode Wilayah	Name of District (kecamatan)	Area in km2	Pop'n Census 2010	Pop'n Census 2020	Pop'n Estimate mid 2024	Admin centre	No. of villages	Post code
12.02.11	Parmonangan	257.35	13,021	14,578	15,026	Manalu	14	22453
12.02.03	Adiankoting	502.90	13,876	15,109	15,535	Adiankoting	16	22461
12.02.04	Sipoholon	189.20	22,265	24,156	25,306	Sipoholon	14	22452
12.02.01	Tarutung	107.68	39,500	42,831	44,958	Tarutung	31 (a)	22411 -22417 (b)
12.02.02	Siatas Barita	92.92	13,063	14,197	14,703	Simorangkir	12	22417 -22419
12.02.05	Pahae Julu	165.90	11,740	13,494	14,168	Onan Hasang	19	22463
12.02.06	Pahae Jae	203.20	10,569	12,092	12,673	Pasar Sarulla	13	22465
12.02.08	Purbatua	191.80	7,164	8,168	8,469	Parsaoran Janji Angkola	11	22464
12.02.07	Simangumban	150.00	7,300	8,369	8,671	Aek Nabara	8	22466
12.02.13	Pangaribuan	459.25	26,751	29,765	31,034	Pakpahan	26	22472
12.02.14	Garoga	567.58	15,581	18,214	19,013	Garoga Sibargot	13	22473
12.02.12	Sipahutar	408.22	24,536	27,828	29,067	Sipahutar	25	22471
12.02.09	Siborongborong	279.91	44,170	50,641	53,726	Pasar Siborongborong	21	22474
12.02.10	Pagaran	138.05	16,539	18,795	19,647	Sipiltak	14	22458
12.02.15	Muara (c)	79.75	13,182	14,521	14,997	Hutana Nagodang	15	22476
	Totals	3,793.71	279.257	312,758	326,993	Tarutung	252

Note: (a) including 7 of the urban kelurahan of the district's 11 kelurahan. (b) except for the two desa of Jambur Nauli and Sihujur, which have the postcode of 22452.
(c) Muara District is a northern near-exclave of the regency, mainly situated on the southern shore of Lake Toba and connected to Siborongborong District by a narrow strip of land.
It includes the island of Pulau Sibandang (12 km² in area, with 2,357 inhabitants in 2020), which is situated in the lake.

Soda Pond

Soda Pond or Aek Kara is located at the bottom of Parbubu I Hill village

Soda Pond, or Aek Rara / Air Soda is located at the bottom of Parbubu I Hill village. The pond's natural spring water generates bubbles and a soda aroma can be smelled. It is safe for swimming, but the use of goggles is recommended. The locals regularly use the water from the pond to water nearby rice paddy fields. ^[4]

References

1. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, Kabupaten Tapanuli Utara Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1205)
2. Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
3. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
4. "Aek Rara, Kolam Air Soda di Tarutung". April 14, 2012.

2°00′10″N99°04′15″E / 2.0028°N 99.0707°E / 2.0028; 99.0707