Tapanuli

Tapanuli is a geographic and cultural region in northern Sumatra, Indonesia, forming the southern part of the Batak homeland within North Sumatra province. The area encompasses highland and lowland landscapes, including forested river basins such as the Batang Toru region.

Administratively, the core area of Tapanuli is divided into three regencies: North Tapanuli (Tapanuli Utara), Central Tapanuli (Tapanuli Tengah), and South Tapanuli (Tapanuli Selatan). The region is traditionally inhabited by Batak communities, including Mandailing and Angkola groups, and it maintains distinctive languages and customary practices.

The economy is largely agricultural, with crops such as coffee, cocoa, and palm oil; fishing is important along coastal areas, and forestry and mining occur in parts of the region. The area also includes significant natural habitats that support biodiversity and conservation interests.

Tapanuli is notable for the Batang Toru forest, home to the Tapanuli orangutan, Pongo tapanuliensis, identified as a distinct species in 2017. This species has a small and fragmented population and is listed as endangered or critically endangered, with survival closely tied to intact forest habitat. Environmental pressures from deforestation, infrastructure development, and land-use change pose ongoing challenges.

Historically, Tapanuli has been used to describe the southern Batak lands and appears in various administrative delineations. Today it remains a term for both a cultural region and a set of administrative districts within North Sumatra.