Editing Natuna Regency (section)

== Government and politics ==
=== Administrative districts ===
As of 2010, the Regency was divided into twelve [[Districts of Indonesia|districts]] (''kecamatan''), but on 10 December 2014 three additional districts were created by dividing existing districts, and two further districts have subsequently been created by similar division. The seventeen districts are tabulated below from north to south with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census<ref name="Biro Pusat Statistik 2011"/> and the 2020 census,<ref name="Badan Pusat Statistik 2021"/> together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.<ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kabupaten Natuna Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103).</ref> The table also includes the location of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (70 rural ''desa'' and 7 urban ''kelurahan'') within each district and its postcodes.

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Kode <br>Wilayah|| Name of <br>District<br>(''kecamatan'')|| English name || Area<br />in<br />km<sup>2</sup> || Pop'n<br />2010<br />census|| Pop'n<br />2020<br />census
!Pop'n<br />mid 2023<br />estimate||Admin<br>centre|| No.<br>of <br>Villages||Post<br />code||No.<br>of<br>Islands
|-
| 21.03.10 || Pulau Laut <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Pulau Laut Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103042)</ref>|| (Laut Island) || align="right" | 37.58 || align="right" | 2,169||align="right"| 2,319||align="right"| 2,370||Air Payang||align="center"| 3||29789||align="center"| 9
|-
| 21.03.08 || Bunguran Utara <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Bunguran Utara Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103041)</ref>|| (North Bunguran) ||align="right"| 398.09 || align="right" | 3,817||align="right"| 4,525||align="right"| 4,061||Kelarik||align="center"| 6||29775||align="center"| 14
|-
| 21.03.24 || Pulau Seluan <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Pulau Seluan Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103046)</ref>|| (Seluan Island) ||align="right"| 7.08 || align="right" | <sup>(a)</sup>||align="right"| <sup>(a)</sup>||align="right"| 845||Seluan||align="center"| 2||29775||align="center"| 1
|-
| 21.03.15 || Bunguran Timur Laut <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Bunguran Timur Laut Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103051)</ref>|| (Northeast Bunguran) ||align="right"| 298.97 || align="right" | 4,306||align="right"| 5,372||align="right"| 5,679||Tanjung||align="center"| 7||29776||align="center"| 10
|-
| 21.03.16 || Bunguran Tengah <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Bunguran Tengah Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103052)</ref>|| (Central Bunguran) ||align="right"| 85.83 || align="right" | 2,834||align="right"| 3,677||align="right"| 3,797||Harapan Jaya||align="center"| 3||29778||align="center"| 0
|-
| 21.03.07 || Bunguran Timur <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Bunguran Timur Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103050)</ref>|| (East Bunguran) ||align="right"| 148.77 || align="right" |22,800||align="right"|27,806||align="right"| 28,286||Ranai||align="center"| 7 <sup>(b)</sup>||29777||align="center"| 8
|-
| 21.03.05 || Bunguran Barat <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Bunguran Barat Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103040)</ref>|| (West Bunguran) ||align="right"| 247.95 || align="right" |10,893||align="right"|7,854||align="right"| 7,937||Sedanau||align="center"| 5 ||29782||align="center"| 15
|-
| 21.03.20 || Bunguran Batubi <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Bunguran Batubi Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103044)</ref>||  ||align="right"| 214.45 || align="right" | <sup>(c)</sup>||align="right"|3,882||align="right"| 3,934||Batubi Jaya||align="center"| 5||29787||align="center"| 2
|-
| 21.03.18 || Bunguran Selatan <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Bunguran Selatan Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103053)</ref>|| (South Bunguran) ||align="right"| 234.23 || align="right" | 2,537||align="right"| 3,349||align="right"| 3,507||Cemaga||align="center"| 4||29783||align="center"| 13
|-
| 21.03.11 || Pulau Tiga <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Pulau Tiga Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103043)</ref>|| (East Tiga Island) ||align="right"| 41.68 || align="right" | 4,826||align="right"| 3,727||align="right"| 3,884||Sabang Mawang Barat||align="center"| 6||29788||align="center"| 14
|-
| 21.03.21 || Pulau Tiga Barat <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Pulau Tiga Barat Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103045)</ref>|| (West Tiga Island) ||align="right"| 17.38 || align="right" | <sup>(d)</sup>||align="right"| 2,109||align="right"| 2,326||Pulau Tiga||align="center"| 4||29786||align="center"| 4
|-
| 21.03.04 || [[Midai]]<ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Midai Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103030)</ref>|| (Midai Island) ||align="right"| 13.77 || align="right" | 5,007||align="right"| 3,604||align="right"| 3,492||Sabang Barat||align="center"| 3||29784||align="center"| 2
|-
| 21.03.22 || Suak Midai <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Suak Midai Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103031)</ref>|| (Midai Island) ||align="right"| 12.42 || align="right" | <sup>(e)</sup>||align="right"| 1,739||align="right"| 1,797||Batu Belanak||align="center"| 3||29785||align="center"| 0
|-
| 21.03.09 || Subi <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Subi Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103061)</ref>|| (Subi Islands) ||align="right"| 139.12 || align="right" | 2,577||align="right"| 3,064||align="right"| 2,343||Subi||align="center"| 6||29779||align="center"| 24
|-
| 21.03.23 || Pulau Panjang <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Pulau Panjang Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103063)</ref>|| (Panjang Island) ||align="right"| 7.12 || align="right" | <sup>(f)</sup>||align="right"| <sup>(f)</sup>||align="right"| 854||Pulau Panjang||align="center"| 2||29779||align="center"| 2
|-
| 21.03.06 || [[Serasan District|Serasan]]<ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Serasan Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103060)</ref>|| (West Serasan) ||align="right"| 44.72 || align="right" | 4,506||align="right"| 5,266||align="right"| 5,236||[[Serasan]]|| align="center" | 7||29781||align="center"| 31
|-
| 21.03.19 || Serasan Timur <ref>Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 26 September 2024, ''Kecamatan Serasan Timur Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.2103062)</ref>|| (East Serasan) ||align="right"| 29.36 || align="right" | 2,731||align="right"| 3,202||align="right"| 3,320||Arung Ayam||align="center"| 4||29780||align="center"| 10
|-
| 21.03 || ''Totals'' || ||align="right"| ''1978.49'' ||align="right"| ''69,003''||align="right"| ''81,495''||align="right"| ''86,760''||''Ranai''||align="center"| ''77''|| ||align="center"| ''159''
|}

Notes: (a) the populations of the new Pulau Seluan District are included in the figures for Bunguran Utara District, from which it was split off in 2022. <br>(b) comprising 4 ''kelurahan'' (Bandarsyah, Batu Hitam, Ranai Darat and Ranai Kota) and 3 ''desa''. (c) the 2010 population of the new Bunguran Batubi District is included in the figure for Bunguran Barat District, from which it was split off in 2014. <br>(d) the 2010 population of the new Pulau Tiga Barat District is included in the figure for Pulau Tiga District, from which it was split off in 2014. <br>(e) the 2010 population of the new Suak Midai District is included in the figure for Midai District, from which it was split off in 2014. <br>(f) the populations of the new Pulau Panjang District are included in the figures for Subi District, from which it was split off in 2022.

===Maritime administration and Chinese claim===
Indonesia's [[exclusive economic zone|EEZ]] extends 200 nautical miles (370&nbsp;km) from its shores (as per the 1982 UNCLOS), which, around Natuna, means it is slightly intersected by China's [[nine-dash line]], defining its widely disputed claim to most of the [[South China Sea]]. In 2014–2015, the presence of the [[Indonesian National Armed Forces]] on the islands was reinforced, which the [[Government of Indonesia|Indonesian government]] hoped would reduce the chance of any conflict.<ref name="BBC14" /> Then from late 2019, Chinese fishing vessels increased illegal activity within the EEZ, escorted by a [[China Coast Guard|Chinese Coast Guard]] vessel. Indonesia responded with a formal diplomatic protest to Beijing<ref>[https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2019/12/31/indonesia-issues-protest-to-beijing-over-chinese-vessel-trespassing-in-natuna.html Indonesia issues protest to Beijing over Chinese vessel trespassing in Natuna], [[Jakarta Post]], 31 December 2019</ref> and then deployed to the region a further 600 troops and eight [[Indonesian Navy|navy]] warships, along with aerial support. The naval presence included [[Ahmad Yani-class frigate|Ahmad Yani-class]] [[frigate]]s, [[Bung Tomo-class corvette|Bung Tomo-class]] [[corvette]]s, and [[Parchim-class corvette|Kapitan Pattimura-class]] [[Anti-submarine warfare|ASW]] corvettes, while aerial support came from [[Naval aviation]] [[CASA/IPTN CN-235|CN-235 MPA]] aircraft, four [[Indonesian Air Force]] [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16s]] and a [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-2x9]], with [[British Aerospace|BAE]] [[BAE Systems Hawk|Hawk]] aircraft nearby on alert. A visit to the area by President Joko Widodo in early January 2020 reinforced Indonesia's resolve not to tolerate such incursions.<ref>[https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1501646-20200108.htm Indonesia deploys warships, jets amid China spat], [[RTHK]], 9 Jan 2020</ref>

During a November 2024 state visit by Indonesian President [[Prabowo Subianto|Probowo Subianto]] to China, Indonesia and China signed a memorandum of understanding for "joint maritime development" in the area of the two countries "overlapping claims" near the Natuna Islands.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2024-11-11 |title=Will Indonesia-China development pact validate Beijing's South China Sea claims? |url=https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3286097/indonesias-china-pact-natuna-islands-criticised-grave-mistake-risks-territorial-rights |access-date=2024-11-12 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}</ref> Indonesia's Foreign Ministry subsequently issued a statement that the memorandum did not impact Indonesia's sovereignty or rights in the area and stating that in Indonesia's view the Chinese claims do not have a legal basis.<ref name=":4" /> Critics of the memorandum who were quoted by the [[South China Morning Post]] contended that the wording could support China's position regarding the South China Sea claims.<ref name=":4" />