Southwest Papua

Southwest Papua (Indonesian: Papua Barat Daya; Indonesian pronunciation: [papʊa barat daja]) is the 38th province of Indonesia to be created and was split off from West Papua (province) on 8 December 2022. Despite being named "southwest", this is actually a misnomer and this province is actually located at the northwest corner of Indonesian Papua. The province comprises the Greater Sorong area (Indonesian: Sorong Raya; Indonesian pronunciation: [ˌsɔrɔŋ ˈraja]) which consists of Sorong City, Sorong Regency, South Sorong Regency, Maybrat Regency, Tambrauw Regency, and Raja Ampat Regency. The Bill (RUU) on the Establishment of the Southwest Papua Province was passed into law (by Act No. 29 of 2022), and it became the 38th province in Indonesia with effect from 8 December 2022.

Southwest Papua is located at the northwestern tip of an area called the Doberai Peninsula or the Bird's Head Peninsula. The westernmost tip of this province is the Raja Ampat Regency Regional Marine Protected Area, which has a high diversity of marine life such as coral reefs, giant turtles, manta rays and whale sharks. The Raja Ampat Islands consists of various islands such as Batanta, Misool, Salawati, and Waigeo. The capital of Southwest Papua is Sorong, an oil and gas producer and an entry hub to Papua. The province of Southwest Papua contains ecosystems including tropical rainforests and mountains. Tambrauw Regency is a popular birdwatching destination and has declared its area as Conservation Regency in order to promote ecotourism.