Tegal Regency

Tegal Regency (Javanese:ꦏꦧꦸꦥꦠꦺꦤ꧀ꦠꦺꦒꦭ꧀) is one of the regencies in the northwest part of Central Java province of Indonesia, with an area of 983.9 km (379.9 sq mi). The administrative center used to be in Tegal City, in the northwest corner of the regency, but then Tegal City was administratively separated from the regency and formed into its own territory. The city was later replaced as the administrative center of Tegal Regency by Slawi Town, which is a suburb about 20 km (12 mi) to the south of the city and within the district boundary. The regency had a population of 1,394,839 at the 2010 Census and 1,596,996 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 1,674,803 (comprising 848,602 males and 826,201 females).
The name of Tegal comes from the word Tetegal which means fertile soil capable of producing agricultural crops. Another source states that Tegal's name is believed to come from the word Teteguall - the name given by a trader from Portugal named Tome Pires who stopped at the Port of Tegal in the 1500s.
Tegal Regency was established on 18 May 1601 when Ki Gede Sebayu was appointed as a Juru Demung in Tegal by the Sultan of Mataram, and began to develop this area.
The northern part of Tegal Regency is lowland, while in the southern part is a mountain, Mount Slamet, rising to a peak of 3,428 m. At the border with Pemalang Regency, there are a series of steep hills down which large rivers flow, namely Kali Gung and Kali Erang, both of which are water-eyed upstream of Mount Slamet.
Tegal Regency is located in the northwest part of Central Java province, with geographical location 108° 57 ' 06" - 109° 21' 30" E and 6° 02' 41" - 7° 15' 30" S. Tegal Regency has a strategic location that are in the road of Semarang - Tegal - Cirebon and Semarang - Tegal - Purwokerto - Cilacap, with port facilities located in Tegal City.
Tegal Regency is bordered to the north by the Java Sea, to the east by Pemalang Regency, to the south by Banyumas Regency and Brebes Regency, to the west by Brebes Regency, and to the northwest by the city of Tegal.
Administratively, Tegal Regency is divided into 18 districts (kecamatan), which are sub-divided into administrative villages - 281 rural villages (desa) and 6 urban villages (kelurahan). The districts are listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2024. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, and the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 281 rural desa and 6 urban kelurahan).
Notes: (a) comprising 5 kelurahan (Kagok, Kudaile, Pakembaran, Procot and Slawi Wetan) and 5 desa. (b) including one kelurahan (Dampyak).
The nine districts of Lebaksiu, Pangkah, Slawi, Dukuhwaru, Adiwerna, Dukuhturi, Talang, Tarub and Kramat are part of the Tegal Metropolitan Area; of these, Adiwerna, Dukuhturi and Talang are southern suburbs of Tegal City.
From its establishment, the administrative center of Tegal Regency was located in Tegal City. However, following the issuance of Government Regulation No. 2/1984, its administrative centre was moved from the Tegal City area to the town of Slawi. Beginning in late 1989, Slawi was developed into the capital of Tegal Regency. The districts and villages (rural desa and urban kelurahan) in Tegal Regency are:
Tegal Regency is the 4th most densely populated regency in Central Java (after Kudus Regency, Sukoharjo Regency and Klaten Regency), based on the 2023 official estimates. The main population distribution lies to the south of Tegal City and along the Tegal - Slawi Highway.
In daily life, the people of Tegal Regency use Banyumasan-Javanese Language with Tegalese dialect, which is now known as Tegalese Language.
The people of Tegal Regency have many businesses in the home industry sector, including casting, metalworking, textile, shuttlecock, furniture, and pottery. There are also industrial plants of chalk and powder raw materials in the area of Margasari District as the main supplier of powder in Tegal Regency.
The people of Tegal Regency also work in agriculture and plantation sectors, especially in the southern part of Tegal Regency especially in the Districts of Bumijawa and Bojong.
In the marine and fisheries sector, coastal residents, especially in Suradadi Subdistrict, work as fishermen in Java Sea to South China Sea including (Riau Islands). The catches are sold to the fishing port of Jakarta, Cirebon, Pekalongan and Tegal City. Coastal residents of Tegal Regency are also many who open shrimp farming business, and milkfish (also the sale of seeds).
In the livestock sector, the people of Tegal Regency have many businesses in the field of poultry farms, like Tegal Duck (Indian Runner) for the supply of salted egg industry in Brebes. In the countryside there are also goat, cow and buffalo, which are traditionally cultivated.
The people of Tegal Regency are also many who go to work to other cities in Java Island especially in Jakarta and to other islands. Most of the business opened is Tegal Stall (Indonesian : Warung Tegal or "warteg") which is incorporated in Cooperative of Tegal Stalls (Indonesian : Koperasi Warung Tegal or "Kowarteg"), that selling martabak telur (from Lebaksiu District), and others. The days before Idul Fitri, the people of Tegal Regency go home from the region where they work to meet their family and bring the money from their work/ business.
Schools in Tegal Regency include the following:
Typical Drink