Sambas Regency

Sambas Regency is the most northerly regency in West Kalimantan Province of Indonesia. The regency is one of the original regencies in West Kalimantan, but on 20 April 1999 the southern districts were removed from Sambas Regency to form a new Bengkayang Regency (then including the town of Singkawang). The residual regency now covers 5,938.48 km², and had a population of 496,120 at the 2010 census^[2] and 629,905 at the 2020 census;^[3] the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 654,912 (comprising 330,813 males and 317,368 females).^[1] The administrative centre is at the town of Sambas.

Sambas Regency Kabupaten Sambas
Regency
Coat of arms
Location within West Kalimantan
Sambas Regency Location in Kalimantan and Indonesia Show map of Kalimantan Sambas Regency Sambas Regency (Indonesia) Show map of Indonesia
Coordinates: 1.4167°N 109.3333°E / 1.4167; 109.3333
Country	Indonesia
Province	West Kalimantan
Capital	Sambas
Government
• Regent	Satono
• Vice Regent	Heroaldi Djuhardi Alwi
Area
• Total	5,938.48 km2 (2,292.86 sq mi)
Population  (mid 2024 estimate)[1]
• Total	654,912
• Density	110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+7 (IWST)
Area code	(+62)
Website	sambas.go.id

History

The famous Sambas Treasure, a collection of 9th century Buddhist sculptures, was found near Sambas Town. It is now part of the British Museum's collection.

In the Sambas riots in 1999, Malays and Dayaks joined to massacre the Madurese during the conflict. Madurese were mutilated, raped, and killed by the Malays and Dayaks; 3,000 of them died in the massacres, with the Indonesian government doing little to stop the violence.^[4]

Following the establishment of Bengkayang Regency on 27 April 1999, the administrative centre of Sambas Regency was formally moved from Singkawang (now in the new regency) to Sambas (town) on 15 July.

Adjoining regencies and city

North	Lundu, Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysia
South	Singkawang, Indonesia
West	Natuna Sea, Indonesia
East	Bengkayang Regency, Indonesia

Population

At the 2010 census, Sambas Regency had a population of 496,120. According to the 2020 census had grown to 629,905 people. By mid 2024, the population was estimated at 654,912 (consisting of 333,922 males and 320,990 females), with an average density of 110.3 people per km².^[1]

Watershed

Sambas has three watersheds (total: 516,200 ha): the Sambas watershed (258,700 ha), the Paloh watershed (64,375 ha), and the Sebangkau watershed (193,125 ha).

Administrative districts

When Sambas Regency was originally created, it consists into the districts of Bengkayang, Ledo, Pemangkat, Sambas, Samalantan, Sanggau Ledo, Singkawang, Sungai Raya, Seluas and Teluk Keramat. In 1956, a new district named Selakau was established by splitting off from the northern part of Singkawang district. In 1958, two new districts were cut out from Pemangkat district, namely Jawai (from northern part) and Tebas (from eastern part). In 1963, another two districts were established (Paloh district was split off from the northern part of Teluk Keramat district and Sejangkung district was split off from the northeastern part of Sambas district). On 12 December 1981, when Singkawang became administrative city within the regency, it was split into three separate districts, namely Roban, Pasiran and Tujuhbelas. On 17 June 1996, Sajingan Besar district was established by splitting off from the five villages of three different districts (two from Sejangkung, two from Teluk Keramat, and one from Paloh) and Jagoi Babang (from the northern part of Seluas district). After Bengkayang Regency was established in 1999, the southern districts (including the administrative city of Singkawang), became part of the newly-created regency.

In 2001, two new districts were established (Galing district was split off from the eastern part of Teluk Keramat district and Subah district was split off from the southern part of Sambas district). In 2003, another two districts were established (Semparuk district was split off from the eastern part of Pemangkat district and Tekarang district was split off from the northern part of Tebas district). In 2004, three new districts were established (Sebawi and Sajad district were cut out from the western and eastern parts of Sambas district, respectively and South Jawai district was cut out from the southern part of Jawai district). In 2006, new district named Tangaran was carved out from the western part of Teluk Keramat district. A year later, two more districts were established (Selakau Timur district was split off from the eastern part of Selakau district and Salatiga district was split off from the southern part of Pemangkat district).

Sambas Regency thus now consists of nineteen districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census^[2] and the 2020 census,^[3] and the official estimates as at mid 2024.^[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (all classed as rural desa), and its post code.

Kode Wilayah	Name of District (kecamatan)	Year formed	Area in km2	Pop'n census 2010	Pop'n census 2020	Pop'n estimate mid 2024	Admin centre	No. of villages	Post code
61.01.07	Selakau	1956 (from Singkawang)	96.05	30,072	37,811	39,512	Sungai Nyirih	11	79452
61.01.19	Selakau Timur (East Selakau)	2007 (from Selakau)	186.10	10,200	12,515	12,837	Selakau Tua	4	79451
61.01.05	Pemangkat	1958	97.05	44,589	53,248	54,048	Pemangkat Kota	8	79455
61.01.13	Semparuk	2003 (from Pemangkat)	71.97	23,765	30,176	31,365	Semparuk	5	79457
61.01.18	Salatiga	2007 (from Pemangkat)	66.82	14,671	18,315	18,912	Salatiga	5	79456
61.01.04	Tebas	1958	636.85	63,613	80,268	83,227	Tebas Kuala	23	79461
61.01.12	Tekarang	2003 (from Tebas)	68.71	13,293	17,541	18,506	Tekarang	7	79468
61.01.01	Sambas	1952	220.03	44,979	57,295	59,627	Sambas (town)	18	79460
61.01.10	Subah	2001 (from Sambas)	752.74	17,527	23,762	25,333	Balai Gemuruh	11	79417
61.01.15	Sebawi	2004 (from Sambas)	100.89	15,598	20,248	21,227	Sebawi	7	79464
61.01.14	Sajad	2004 (from Sambas)	116.58	9,936	13,641	14,614	Tengguli	4	79462
61.01.03	Jawai	1957	231.25	35,042	47,307	50,352	Sentebang	13	79454
61.01.16	Jawai Selatan (South Jawai)	2004 (from Jawai)	107.70	17,660	22,167	22,938	Matang Terap	9	79154
61.01.02	Teluk Keramat (Keramat Bay)	1952	403.96	58,675	74,182	76,977	Sekura	25	79469
61.01.11	Galing	2001 (from Teluk Keramat)	420.99	19,653	24,864	25,808	Galing	10	79453
61.01.17	Tangaran	2006 (from Teluk Keramat)	138.19	20,789	25,838	26,635	Simpang Empat	8	79465
61.01.06	Sejangkung	1963 (from Sambas)	528.23	22,318	27,538	28,308	Parit Raja	12	79463
61.01.09	Sajingan Besar (Great Sajingan)	1996 (from three districts)	1,037.06	9,848	13,286	14,137	Kaliau	5	79467
61.01.08	Paloh	1963 (from Teluk Keramat)	657.31	23,892	29,903	30,909	Liku	8	79466
	Totals		5,938.48	496,120	629,905	654,912	Sambas (town)	193

List of Sambas Regents and Vice Regents

Regent	Vice Regent	Took Office	Last Office	Notice
R. Djenal Asikin Judadibrata		1950	1951
Sudjana		1951	1952
Raden Prayitno Tjokro Hadi Suryo		1952	1954
Raden Abubakar Arya Diningrat		1954	1955
Loemban Tobing		1955	1958
Muhammad Zaini Noer		1958	1960
Firdaus		1960	1967
Muhammad Nurdin		1967	1973
Soemardji		1973	1978	First Period
		1978	1983	Second Period
Saksono		1983	1988
Saidi A.S.		1988	1990
Tamar Abdulsalam		1990	1991
Syafei Djamil		1991	1996
Tarya Aryanto		1996	2001
Burhanuddin A. Rasyid	Prabasa Ananta Tur	2001	2006	First Period
Burhanuddin A. Rasyid	Djuliarti Djuhardi Alwi	2006	2011	Second Period
Djuliarti Djuhardi Alwi	Pabali Musa	2011	2016
Atbah Romin Suhaili	Hairiah	2016	2021
Satono	Fahrur Rofi	2021	present