# Karawang Regency

Karawang Regency is a regency (kabupaten) of West Java, Indonesia. The town of Karawang is its administrative centre. The regency covers an area of 1,911.09 km$^2$ and had a population of 2,127,791 people at the 2010 Census, which grew to 2,361,019 at the 2020 Census. The official estimate for mid-2023 was 2,526,002 - comprising 1,277,610 males and 1,248,392 females. The regency borders Bekasi and Bogor Regencies in the west, the Java Sea in the north, Subang Regency in the east, Purwakarta Regency in the southeast, and Cianjur Regency in the south. The regency lies on the eastern outskirts of Metropolitan Jakarta, just outside the Jabodetabek region, and is the site of considerable industrial activity (like factories).
The area continues to grow which marked the establishment of new factories by domestic and multinational companies in industrial areas. However, due to ever-expanding Jakarta (primarily from the eastward expansion of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road and the Cikopo-Palimanan Toll Road), it has seen a heavy influx of housing developments as well as a surge of people.

## Administrative districts

Karawang Regency is divided into thirty districts (kecamatan) comprising 309 administrative villages (desa and Kelurahan). The districts are listed below with their areas and populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimate for mid-2023. The table includes the locations of the district headquarters, the number of administrative villages in each district (a total of 297 rural desa and 12 urban kelurahan - for which latter please see West Karawang and East Karawang), and its postal code.
| Kode Wilayah | Name of District (kecamatan) | Area in km$^2$ | Pop'n 2010 Census | Pop'n 2020 Census | Pop'n mid 2023 Estimate | Admin centre | No. of villages | Post code |
| 32.15.02 | Pangkalan | 97.38 | 35,245 | 38,408 | 42,261 | Ciptasari | 8 | 41362 |
| 32.15.28 | Tegalwaru | 109.45 | 34,154 | 37,626 | 40,295 | Cintalaksana | 9 | 41364 |
| 32.15.04 | Ciampel | 117.63 | 39,340 | 44,104 | 45,394 | Kutapohaci | 7 | 41363 |
| 32.15.03 | Telukjambe Timur (East Telukjambe) | 45.86 | 126,616 | 135,914 | 135,361 | Telukjambe | 9 | 41360 |
| 32.15.27 | Telukjambe Barat (West Telukjambe) | 66.63 | 48,803 | 54,957 | 57,278 | Karangmulya | 10 | 41361 |
| 32.15.05 | Klari | 72.76 | 155,336 | 181,111 | 208,293 | Duren | 13 | 41371 |
| 32.15.13 | Cikampek | 38.71 | 107,020 | 115,369 | 122,873 | Dawuan Tengah | 10 | 41373 |
| 32.15.29 | Purwasari | 31.58 | 63,274 | 75,934 | 85,212 | Sukasari | 8 | 41377 |
| 32.15.16 | Tirtamulya | 46.60 | 44,274 | 49,599 | 51,620 | Citarik | 10 | 41372 |
| 32.15.14 | Jatisari | 54.85 | 72,003 | 78,565 | 82,937 | Mekarsari | 14 | 41375 |
| 32.15.24 | Banyusari | 55.30 | 51,012 | 55,425 | 57,628 | Gembongan | 12 | 41374 |
| 32.15.25 | Kotabaru | 33.56 | 119,710 | 131,136 | 142,390 | Wancimekar | 9 | 41376 |
| 32.15.15 | Cilamaya Wetan | 77.95 | 75,318 | 78,279 | 81,667 | Mekarmaya | 12 | 41386 |
| 32.15.23 | Cilamaya Kulon | 66.74 | 59,780 | 64,566 | 67,709 | Sukamulya | 12 | 41384 |
| 32.15.19 | Lemahabang | 54.22 | 60,758 | 64,711 | 67,645 | Karangtanjung | 11 | 41383 |
| 32.15.17 | Telagasari | 53.47 | 60,163 | 68,183 | 71,256 | Talagasari | 14 | 41381 |
| 32.15.21 | Majalaya | 33.04 | 44,016 | 64,557 | 84,001 | Majalaya | 7 | 41370 |
| 32.15.26 | Karawang Timur (East Karawang) | 31.22 | 118,001 | 146,326 | 162,884 | Adiarsa Timur (East Adiarsa) | 8 | 41313 & 41314 |
| 32.15.01 | Karawang Barat (West Karawang) | 38.76 | 155,471 | 161,554 | 166,906 | Tanjungmekar | 8 | 41311 & 41312 42315 & 41316 |
| 32.15.18 | Rawamerta | 51.56 | 48,657 | 53,608 | 55,618 | Sukamerta | 13 | 41382 |
| 32.15.20 | Tempuran | 93.15 | 58,608 | 64,976 | 66,790 | Pancakarya | 14 | 41385 |
| 32.15.07 | Kutawaluya | 55.60 | 53,741 | 59,086 | 62,551 | Waluya | 12 | 41358 |
| 32.15.06 | Rengasdengklok | 36.59 | 104,494 | 109,718 | 119,195 | Rengasdengklok Selatan (South Rengasdengklok) | 9 | 41352 |
| 32.15.22 | Jayakerta | 41.24 | 59,929 | 65,557 | 69,343 | Jayamakmur | 8 | 41351 |
| 32.15.10 | Pedes | 69.63 | 70,168 | 78,187 | 81,334 | Payungsari | 12 | 41353 |
| 32.15.30 | Cilebar | 69.28 | 39,421 | 43,494 | 46,438 | Kertamukti | 10 | 41350 |
| 32.15.11 | Cibuaya | 112.35 | 48,660 | 52,050 | 54,630 | Pejaten | 11 | 41356 |
| 32.15.09 | Tirtajaya | 110.63 | 61,919 | 70,166 | 72,229 | Sabajaya | 11 | 41357 |
| 32.15.08 | Batujaya | 78.38 | 75,336 | 77,966 | 82,369 | Batujaya | 10 | 41354 |
| 32.15.12 | Pakisjaya | 65.81 | 36,564 | 39,887 | 41,895 | Tanjungbungin | 8 | 41355 |
| | Totals | 1,911.09 | 2,127,791 | 2,361,019 | 2,526,002 | Karawang | 309 | |
The 12 urban villages (kelurahan) comprise all 8 villages in Karawang Barat District (Adiarsa Barat, Karangpawitan, Karawang Kulon, Mekarjati, Nagasari, Tanjungmekar, Tanjungpura and Tunggakjati), plus 4 (out of 8 villages) in Karawang Timur District (Adiarsa Timur, Karawang Wetan, Palumbonsari and Plawad).

## History

On 9 December 1947, a massacre was carried out in Rawagede (now located in the village of Balongsari, Rawamerta, Karawang), between Karawang and Bekasi, by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. A total of 431 residents became victims of this massacre.

## Topography

Most of Karawang Regency consists of a broad coastal plain; it lies on the northern coast of Java and is the result of the deposition of sedimentary rocks formed by loose materials, especially marine sediments and volcanic alluvium. While in the middle of the regency are hills mostly formed by sedimentary rocks, in the south there is a mountain (Sanggabuana) with a height of about 1,291 metres above sea level. The regency is roughly equidistant from Jakarta and Bandung, and the two metropolitan areas have a combined home population of over 40 million people.

## Demography

The estimated population in mid-2023 was 2,526,002 comprising 1,277,610 males and 1,248,392 females. The general population is ethnically Sundanese, with Islam adherents comprising 98.17% of the population according to the 2010 census.

## Sport

The football club Persika Karawang, which plays in Liga 2, is based in Karawang's Singaperbangsa Stadium. The city had also hosted the Madura United F.C. between 2010 and 2012 when it was known as Pelita Jaya Karawang.

## Industrial estates

Currently, according to the data of the Indonesian Industrial Zone Association (HKI), there are at least nine major industrial areas, namely Karawang New Industry City (KNIC), Karawang International Industrial City (KIIC), Bukit Indah City, Surya Cipta Industrial Area, Karawang Jabar Industrial Estate, Podomoro Industrial Park, Kujang Industrial Area, Karawang Mitrakarawang Industry, GT Tech Park Karawang, and Artha Industrial Hill.

## New airport

A new main airport for Greater Jakarta and the heavily populated surrounding area was planned for bids in 2014; the site is located within the regency (in Ciampel and Pangkalan districts), to provide relief to severely congested Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, the nation's largest gateway, as well as overloaded Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung. The new airport is expected to have space for 4 long runways 2,136 by 19 metres (7,008 ft × 62 ft) and 2 jumbo terminals. The current airport takes up some 18 square kilometers of land, in all likelihood a similar allocation of land will be required.

## Transportation

Trans-Java main rail line runs across the central part of the Regency, with a stop at Karawang Station. Likewise, Jakarta's main airport is also mulled for the regency. The Jakarta–Cikampek Toll Road runs through the regency, connecting to the Cipularang Toll Road which goes to Purwakarta and Bandung. This district is also crossed by the fast Jakarta-Bandung train line.

## Karawang adipati (regents) during the Mataram and colonial periods

* Prince Singaperbangsa (1633-1677), under the title Adipati Kertabumi III
* Raden Anom Wirasuta (1677-1721), son of Singaperbangsa
* Raden Jayanegara (1721-1731), son of Wirasuta, under the title Adipati Panatayuda II
* Raden Singanegara (1752-1786), son of Jayanegara, under the title Adipati Panatayuda IV
* Raden Singasari (1786-1809), son-in-law of Singanegara, under the title Raden Adipati Aria Singasari
* Raden Aria Sastradipura (1809-1811), son of Singanegara
* Raden Adipati Suryalaga (1811-1813), eldest son of Raden Adipati Suryalaga, adipati of Sumedang
* Raden Aria Sastradipura (1811-1820), son of Singanegara
* Raden Adipati Suryanata (1821-1829), son-in-law of Sastradipura
* Raden Adipati Suryawinata (1829-1849), younger brother of Suryanata
* Raden Muhammad Enoh (1849-1854), under the title Raden Sastranegara
* Raden Adipati Sumadipura (1854-1863), son of Sastradipura, under the title Raden Tumenggung Aria Sastradiningrat I, builds the pendopo (regent palace) and the Grand Mosque of Purwakarta
* Raden Adikusumah (1883-1886), under the title Raden Adipati Sastradiningrat II
* Raden Surya Kusumah (1886-1911), son of Adikusumah, under the title Raden Adipati Sastradiningrat III
* Raden Tumenggung Aria Gandanagara (1911-1925), younger brother of Surya Kusumah, under the title Raden Adipati Sastradiningrat III
* Raden Adipati Aria Suryamiharja (1925-1942)
* Raden Panduwinata (1942-1945), under the title Raden Kanjeng Pandu Suriadiningrat, last bupati to reside in Purwakarta, moves to Subang.