Luwu Regency

Luwu Regency (Kabupaten Luwu in Indonesian) is a regency in South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. On 20 April 1999, the northern districts of the original regency were separated to form North Luwu Regency. Subsequently, on 25 February 2003, some districts of North Luwu Regency were further split off to establish East Luwu Regency. Additionally, the former capital of Luwu Regency, Palopo, was designated as an independent municipality (city) on 10 April 2002, splitting the residual area of the regency into two geographically separate sections. The current Luwu Regency covers a land area of 3,000.25 km2. It had a population of 287,472 at the 2010 Census and 365,608 at the 2020 Census. The official population estimate as of mid 2025 was 391,114 (comprising 197,342 males and 193,772 females). The administrative capital is now located in Belopa. The first regent of the reduced Luwu Regency was H. M. Basmin Mattayang, who served from 2004 to 2009. He was succeeded by Ir. H. Andi Mudzakkar, who became regent following Luwu's first direct election and served from 2009 to 2014. Mudzakkar was re-elected for a second five-year term in 2014. In 2019, Drs. H. M. Basmin Mattayang, M.Pd., returned as regent for a second term. On 21 February 2024, Muhammad Saleh assumed the position of regent. Luwu is known for its natural resources, which include rice, cocoa, coconut, bananas, sago (sagu), rambutan, and langsat. History Luwu derives its name from the Luwu Kingdom, one of the three largest and oldest kingdoms in South Sulawesi. The other two were the Gowa-Tallo Kingdom (which later became Gowa Regency and Makassar) and the Bone Kingdom (which became Bone Regency). The name "Luwu" has been known since the 13th century when the first king of the Lontara period of Luwu was crowned. The history of Luwu is divided into two periods: the Galigo period and the Lontara period. The Galigo period is named after La Galigo or I La Galigo, an ancient literary work considered the longest epic in the world. It was discovered by B.F. Matthes in 1888. According to R.A. Kern, a Dutch historian, the Galigo period represents a pre-historic era. However, other historians have described La Galigo as pseudo-history. In I La Galigo, three places are frequently mentioned: Wara, Luwu, and Wewangriu, which are collectively referred to as Tompotikka. Sanusi Daeng Mattata, the author of Luwu dalam Revolusi, stated that the name "Luwu" is derived from riulo, which means "divinely extended from above." This name is linked to a sacred oral tradition in Luwu. According to this tradition, the world was divinely extended from the sky, prepared, and blessed with abundant natural resources. The origin of the name "Luwu" is also linked to the words malucca (from the Bugis Ware' language) and malutu (from the Palili' language), both of which mean "turbid" or "dark." Turbid refers to being full of content, like the color of a river during a flood, while dark symbolizes forests and sago plants near the coast. Over time, malucca and malutu evolved into malu, which eventually became Luwu. C. Salombe, in his book, stated that the word "Lu" in "Luwu" is derived from the word lau, which means "sea" or "east." Salombe explained that the people of Luwu refer to those living in the mountains or the west as "Toraja." The term To Raja or To Riaja translates to "people of the highlands" or "people in the west." Conversely, the Toraja people refer to those living near the coast, in the east, or in the lowlands as "Luwu" or "Lu." Geographic condition Geographically, Luwu Regency is situated between 2°3’45” and 3°37’30” South Latitude and 119°15” and 121°43’11” East Longitude. Its administrative borders are as follows: Luwu Regency is divided into two geographically separate areas, with the city of Palopo located between them. The northern area consists of six districts: Walenrang, Walenrang Timur (East Walenrang), Lamasi, Walenrang Utara (North Walenrang), Walenrang Barat (West Walenrang), and Lamasi Timur (East Lamasi). These districts are collectively referred to as "Walmas." The southern area includes the remaining sixteen districts, as listed below. Climate Luwu regency has a tropical rainforest climate (Af), characterized by heavy to very heavy rainfall throughout the year. The following climate data is for Belopa, the seat of the regency. Administration In 2010, Luwu Regency comprised 21 administrative districts (Kecamatan). However, an additional district, Basse Sangtempe Utara, was later created from part of Basse Sangtempe District. The 22 districts are listed below, along with their populations from the 2010 and 2020 censuses, as well as the official estimates as of mid 2025. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centers, the number of administrative villages in each district (a total of 207 rural desa and 20 urban kelurahan), and their postal codes. Note: (a) including one kelurahan - the district admin centre as named in each case. (b) including 4 kelurahan (Balo-Balo, Senga, Tampumia Radda and Tanamanai). (c) including 2 kelurahan - Pammanu and Sabe. (d) the 2010 population of the new Basse Sangtempe Utara District was included in the 2010 total of Basse Sangtempe District. (e) including 2 kelurahan - Padang Sappa and Padang Subur. (f) including the kelurahan of Bulo. On 24 October 2014, approximately 1,000 protesters expressed their anger that the House of Representatives did not include the proposed Central Luwu Regency in the planned creation of 65 new regencies and autonomous cities. The protesters, local residents, believed that Central Luwu was ready to become a separate regency, consisting of the six districts of Walenrang, East Walenrang, West Walenrang, North Walenrang, Lamasi, and East Lamasi. This would effectively leave the sixteen districts south of Palopo City to form a new South Luwu Regency. Natural resources and culinary The most well-known dish in Luwu is kepurung (also called kapurung, pugalu, bugalu, or kapeda), made from the sago plant (Metroxylon sagu). Another dish made from sago is dange. Other local foods include pacco and bagea. Luwu is also known for producing fruits like durian, langsat (Lansium parasiticum), rambutan, and others. Culture Luwu is the origin of La Galigo, the longest epic in the world, created before the Mahabharata. Some manuscripts of La Galigo are preserved in European museums, including the Leiden University Library. The La Galigo manuscript tells the story of Sawerigading and is well-known in Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Gorontalo, and throughout Malaysia. On 25 May 2011, the La Galigo manuscript in the Leiden University Library was inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, recognizing its world significance and outstanding universal value. References