Sorong | |
---|---|
City of Sorong Kota Sorong | |
Motto(s): Setara – Bersahabat – Dinamis (Equal – Friendly – Dynamic) | |
Location in Western New Guinea and Indonesia | |
Coordinates: 0°52′S131°15′E / 0.867°S 131.250°E | |
Country | Indonesia |
Region | Papua |
Province | Southwest Papua |
Government | |
• Mayor | Lambert Jitmau |
• Vice Mayor | Pahimah Iskandar |
Area | |
• Total | 1,105.0 km2 (426.6 sq mi) |
Population (mid 2023 estimate) | |
• Total | 294,978 |
• Density | 270/km2 (690/sq mi) |
[1] | |
Time zone | UTC+9 (Indonesia Eastern Time) |
Postcodes | 98414 |
Area code | (+62) 951 |
Website | sorongkota |
Sorong is the largest city and the capital of the Indonesian province of Southwest Papua. The city is located on the western tip of the island of New Guinea with its only land borders being with Sorong Regency. It is the gateway to Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands, species rich coral reef islands in an area considered the heart of the world's coral reef biodiversity. [2] It also is the logistics hub for Indonesia's thriving eastern oil and gas frontier. Sorong experienced rapid growth during the decade from 2010, and further growth is anticipated as Sorong becomes linked by road to other frontier towns in Papua's Bird's Head Peninsula. The official estimate of population as at mid 2023 was 294,978 - comprising 154,543 males and 140,435 females. [1] The suburban area of Sorong city contains tropical rainforest and mangrove forest that has increasingly become popular as ecotourism attractions especially for birdwatching or wildlife watching. [3]
The origin of Sorong's name comes from the word Soren, which means "deep and wavy ocean" in the Biak language. The name was first used by the Biak-Numfor people who sailed to different islands before they finally decided to settle down in Raja Ampat Islands. When the Biak-Numfor people came to the place called "Daratan Maladum", they decided to call it Soren. After centuries of contact with Chinese merchants, European missionaries, and people from Maluku and Sangihe-Talaud, the name underwent further change into Sorong. [4]
Dutch influence over the region was minimal until the 20th century, when a colonial post was established on Doom Island in 1906, serving as the Dutch administrative center of the region. [5] In the 1930s, the Dutch oil company Nederlandsch Nieuw Guinee Petroleum Maatschappij (NNGPM) had discovered oil off the coast of Sorong. [6] The newly established oil fields led to the expansion of Dutch colonial influence in Western New Guinea, and had made Sorong into a valuable military target. During World War II, Sorong was occupied by the Empire of Japan in 1942, and would serve as the center of operations for Japanese forces during the Western New Guinea campaign. The Battle of Sansapor in June 1944 would effectively end Japanese control over the Bird's Head Peninsula, and by August 1944 any remaining Japanese presence in the region was removed by the US 6th Division. [7] After the Indonesian War of Independence, the colonial administration would attempt to expand oil production with the construction of the 58 kilometer Klamono-Sorong pipeline. [8] However, oil production declined after the war, and by 1961 oil production had dropped another 33%. This decline in production contributed to the demise of the Dutch colonial administration, as the Dutch administration over the territory could no longer be defended as economically viable. Under Indonesian administration, oil production would return to pre-war levels, and by 1967 production had more than trebled from 1961 levels. [8] Today, the city still remains as one of the major oil and gas producers of Indonesian New Guinea.
In 1972, Sorong was reformed into an autonomous city, and then reformed into an administrative city in 1996. [9] Administrative cities were abolished in 1999, granting Sorong full city status, and separating Sorong City from the Sorong Regency. [10]
At the 2010 Census, the city comprised six districts (distrik), but the number has subsequently been increased to ten by the splitting of existing districts. These are tabulated below with their populations at the 2010 Census [11] and 2020 Census, [12] together with the official estimates for mid-2023. [1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (all classed as urban kelurahan, 41 in total) in each district, and its post code.
Kode Kemendagri | Name of District (distrik) | Area in km2 | Pop'n 2010 Census | Pop'n 2020 Census | Pop'n mid 2023 Estimate | Admin centre | No. of villages | Post code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
92.71.03 | Sorong Barat (West Sorong) | 127.74 | 35,306 | 38,578 | 39,936 | Klawasi | 4 | 98412 |
92.71.10 | Maladum Mes (a) | 126.40 | (b) | 11,412 | 12,258 | Tanjung Kasuari | 4 | 98411 |
92.71.04 | Sorong Kepulauan (c) (Sorong Islands) | 200.11 | 9,711 | 11,801 | 13,351 | Doom Timur | 4 | 98413 |
92.71.02 | Sorong Timur (East Sorong) | 69.39 | 26,804 | 40,374 | 44,424 | Klamana | 4 | 98418 |
02.71.05 | Sorong Utara (North Sorong) | 127.21 | 45,001 | 37,029 | 39,503 | Malanu | 4 | 98410 |
92.71.01 | Sorong (district) | 48.81 | 31,264 | 19,083 | 18,216 | Remu | 4 | 98416 |
92.71.06 | Sorong Manoi | 135.97 | 42,539 | 55,482 | 56,268 | Malawei | 5 | 98415 |
92.71.08 | Klaurung | 88.83 | (b) | 15,145 | 16,801 | Klablim | 4 | 98417 |
92.71.09 | Malaimsimsa | 102.50 | (b) | 32,600 | 33,269 | Klabulu | 4 | 98419 |
92.71.07 | Sorong Kota (Sorong town) | 78.04 | (b) | 21,446 | 20,952 | Kampung Baru | 4 | 98414 |
Totals | 1,105.00 | 190,625 | 284,410 | 294,978 | 41 |
Note: (a) A coastal strip along the northern edge of the city. (b) the populations as at 2010 of the four new districts established after 2010 are included in the figures for the districts from which they were split off.
(c) Sorong Kepulauan District comprises 25 islands off the west coast of Sorong but within the city limits, including Doom, Soop, Raam and Umbre Islands.
The city had a population of 190,625 at the 2010 Census [11] and 284,410 at the 2020 Census; [12] the official estimate (as at mid 2023) was 294,978 (comprising 154,543 males and 140,435 females). [1] In mid 2022, 47.34% of the city population were Protestant, 44.82% were Muslim, and 7.55% Catholic, with minorities of Buddhists and Hindus. [13]
Sorong experiences a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af), as there is no real dry season throughout the year. The wettest month is June, with a total rainfall of 373 millimetres (14.7 in), while the driest month is February, with a total rainfall of 180 millimetres (7.1 in). The excessive rainfall is caused by the monsoon. The temperature variation remains constant throughout the year. The temperature difference between the hottest month and the coolest month is 1.2 °C (2.2 °F). The hottest month is November, with an average temperature of 27.8 °C (82.0 °F), while the coolest month is July, with an average temperature of 26.6 °C (79.9 °F).
Climate data for Sorong, West Papua | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.6 (87.1) | 30.5 (86.9) | 30.5 (86.9) | 30.7 (87.3) | 30.6 (87.1) | 30.0 (86.0) | 29.4 (84.9) | 29.5 (85.1) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.0 (87.8) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.4 (86.7) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.1 (80.8) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.9 (80.4) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.6 (81.7) | 27.3 (81.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.3 (75.7) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.9 (75.0) | 24.0 (75.2) | 24.3 (75.7) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.5 (76.1) | 24.3 (75.7) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 194 (7.6) | 180 (7.1) | 198 (7.8) | 243 (9.6) | 368 (14.5) | 373 (14.7) | 321 (12.6) | 277 (10.9) | 234 (9.2) | 207 (8.1) | 186 (7.3) | 188 (7.4) | 2,969 (116.8) |
Average relative humidity (%) | 81 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 82 | 82 | 83 | 83 |
Source 1: Climate-Data.org (average temps & precipitation) [14] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Weatherbase (humidity) [15] |
A container port was built in Sorong with an annual container-handling capacity of 500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) at a cost of Rp.800 billion (US$93.6 million). Construction began in early 2012 and was intended to be completed in mid-2013, [16] but was delayed and was inaugurated on 20 September 2021.
The state-owned oil company Pertamina operates a dockyard in Sorong. [17] The city is served by Domine Eduard Osok Airport. [18]
The phrase "Sorong to Samarai" is commonly used throughout Papua New Guinea and Indonesian Papua to express solidarity and oneness and makes reference to both Sorong, a town in Southwest Papua, Indonesia and Samarai, a small township being one of the easternmost point located in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. It is sometimes used by Papuan independence activists in reference to Papuan unification, in opposition to the common Indonesian phrase of "Sabang to Merauke". In 2016, the ARIA Music Awards-nominated Papua New Guinean-Australian musician Airileke released a single titled "Sorong Samarai". [19]
In addition to its sister cities, Sorong cooperates with:
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 nation 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 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.
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Jayapura is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Papua. It is situated on the northern coast of New Guinea island and covers an area of 940.0 km2 (362.9 sq mi). The city borders the Pacific Ocean and Yos Sudarso Bay to the north, the country of Papua New Guinea to the east, Keerom Regency to the south, and Jayapura Regency to the west.
West Papua, formerly Irian Jaya Barat, is an Indonesian province located in Indonesia Papua. It covers most of the two western peninsulas of the island of New Guinea: the eastern half of the Bird's Head Peninsula and the whole of the Bomberai Peninsula, along with nearby smaller islands. The province is bordered to the north by the Pacific Ocean, to the west by Southwest Papua Province, 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. With an estimated population of 569,570 in mid-2023, West Papua is the least populous province in Indonesia after South Papua, following the separation off in 2022 of the western half of the Bird's Head Peninsula to create the new province of Southwest Papua, containing 52% of what had been West Papua's population.Its population density is similar to Russia.
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Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago located off of the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula, Southwest Papua province, Indonesia. It comprises over 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals around the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Kofiau.
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Tambrauw Regency is a regency of Southwest Papua Province, Indonesia, in the Bird's Head Peninsula of Papua Island. It was created on 29 October 2008 from what had been an eastern part of Sorong Regency, originally as part of the province of West Papua. Much of the regency is located on the Tamrau Mountains that the local government declarated Tambrauw as a "conservation regency".
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Southwest Papua is the 38th province of Indonesia to be created, and was split off from West Papua on 8 December 2022. Despite being named southwest, it is a misnomer and this province is actually located in the northwest edge of Papua. The province comprises the Greater Sorong area which consists of Sorong City, Sorong Regency, South Sorong Regency, Maybrat Regency, Tambrauw Regency, and Raja Ampat Regency. The Bill (RUU) on the Establishment of the Southwest Papua Province was passed into law and therefore it became the 38th province in Indonesia with effect from 8 December 2022.