Siberut
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | South East Asia |
| Coordinates | 1°23′S 98°54′E / 1.383°S 98.900°E |
| Archipelago | Mentawai Islands |
| Area | 3,877.9 km2 (1,497.3 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,129 ft (344.1 m) |
| Highest point | Taitaibeuleleu |
| Administration | |
Indonesia | |
| Province | West Sumatra |
| Regency | Mentawai Islands |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 44,834 (mid 2024 estimate) |
| Pop. density | 11.56/km2 (29.94/sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Mentawai. 10% of the population are from other parts of Indonesia. |
1°23′S 98°54′E / 1.383°S 98.900°E Siberut (/ˌsiːbəˈruːt/ see-bə-ROOT) is the largest and northernmost of the Mentawai Islands, located 150 kilometres west of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean. It covers an area of 3,877.9 km2 including at least 33 smaller offshore islands, and had a population of 35,091 at the 2010 Census and 40,220 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 44,834. A part of Indonesia, the island is the most important home for the Mentawai people. The western half of the island was set aside as the Siberut National Park in 1993. Much of the island is covered with rainforest, but is subject to commercial logging.
Smaller islands adjacent to the southeast coast of Siberut include Masalor, Siloinak, Karamajet and Masokut, the most southern of which lie in the Bunga Laut Strait which separates the island from Sipora to the south.
The island is known for its range of primates, including the Kloss gibbon (Hylobates klossii), pig-tailed langur (Simias concolor), Siberut langur (Presbytis siberu) and Mentawai macaque (Macaca pagensis).
Siberut was affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake tsunami, but without any known loss of human life. One report stated that the island may have been raised up to two metres by the earthquake.