Sula Islands, North Maluku

The Sula Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Sula) are a group of islands in North Maluku in Indonesia. Its three main islands are Mangole, Sanana (Sula Besi/Xulla Besi) and Taliabu, with smaller islands Lifamatola and Seho. It is administered as Kepulauan Sula Regency (Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula), with its administrative capital at Sanana on the island of the same name.

According to government data Sula Islands District’s food crops include vegetables, groundnuts, cassava, sweet potatoes, durian, mangosteen and mango. As of 2005 the area of agriculturally active land was 24743.56 hectares with production amounting to 33,608.62 tons per year. Taliabu-Sanana District is the main producer of cloves, nutmeg, cocoa, copra and other coconut products.

Fishery production is very diverse with and estimated sustainable potential of 40273.91 tons per year of which only 22.8 percent is currently exploited. Forestry is considered a potential industry with the natural forest-based Classification Map TGHK RTRWP suggesting a forest area of 471,951.53 hectares, but much of tis is protected or hard to access due to steep slopes and transportation logistics and the islands’ main plywood company, PT Barito Pacific Timber Group (in Falabisahaya, West Mangole) has closed.

Industrial activity is very limited. There is a gold mine in East Mangoli District (at Waitina and Kawata) and coal mines are located in the peninsula of West Sulabesi District, East Taliabu and Sub Sanana (Wai Village Ipa. Reserves of coal are estimated around 10.4 million tonnes.

At early begin, Sula Islands regency was part of West Halmahera regency, together with North Halmahera regency and South Halmahera regency.
The tourism sector in these islands is supported by a number of attractions, both natural and historical attractions. Natural attractions such as beaches Wai Ipa, Manaf beaches in District Sanana, Pagama marine parks in District East Mangole, Island Overlay and hot springs on the coast Losseng, East Taliabu District, and more. The historical attractions include: Air Kalimat and Pasir Anjing in Jorjoga, Kukusang Mountain and Mananga cave in west Taliabu, Fat Fina Koa (Batu Nona) and more.


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