Siak (
Jawi: ), is a
regency
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
(''kabupaten'') of
Riau
Riau is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of Sumatra along the Strait of Malacca. The province shares land borders with North Sumatra to the northwest, West Sumatra to the west, and Jambi to the south. Accord ...
Province, on the island of
Sumatra,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. It has an area of 8,556.09 km² and had a population of 376,742 at the 2010 Census and 457,940 at the 2020 Census, comprising 236,494 male and 221,446 female. The administrative centre of the regency is located at
Siak Sri Indrapura. The northern part of this regency is covered by the
Bukit Batu Biosphere Reserve.
Previously the area was part of the
Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura
The Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura, often called Sultanate of Siak (Indonesian: Kesultanan Siak Sri Inderapura; Jawi: ), was a kingdom that was located in the Siak Regency, Riau from 1722 to 1949 CE. It was founded by ''Raja Kechil,'' who w ...
. At the beginning of the independence of Indonesia, Sultan Syarif Kasim II, the Sultanate of Siak was the last state to join the kingdom of the Republic of Indonesia. Later this region was formed into an area under the Siak Kewedanan Bengkalis which later changed its status to the Regency of Siak. In 1999 under Law No. 53 of 1999, Siak Sri Indrapura was declared the capital of Siak Regency.
Administrative districts
Siak Regency is divided into fourteen administrative districts (''kecamatan''), listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, and the number of villages (rural ''desa'' and urban ''kelurahan'') in each district.
Transportation
Water
From
Pekanbaru
Pekanbaru is the capital of Indonesian province of Riau, and a major economic center on the eastern part of Sumatra Island. Its name is derived from the Malay words for 'new market' ('pekan' is market and 'baru' is new).
It has an area of , w ...
, Siak can be reached by river from Pekanbaru's Port, There is usually a boat that operates every 4-5 times a week with a travel time of around 2–4 hours. In addition to Pekanbaru, this port also serves other destinations including
Bengkalis, Selat Panjang, and
Batam
Batam is the largest city in the province of Riau Islands, Indonesia. The city administrative area covers three main islands of Batam, Rempang, and Galang (collectively called Barelang), as well as several small islands. Batam Island is the ...
(via Buton Bengkalis).
Land

Other than by river, Siak can also be reached by road, From
Pekanbaru
Pekanbaru is the capital of Indonesian province of Riau, and a major economic center on the eastern part of Sumatra Island. Its name is derived from the Malay words for 'new market' ('pekan' is market and 'baru' is new).
It has an area of , w ...
which is about a 3 to 4 hour journey. In addition Siak has a bridge that connects Siak with its capital which is named '' Tengku Agung Sultana Latifah '' which is the name of a previous Sultan of Siak. This bridge was inaugurated on 11 August 2007 and was known as the longest bridge in Indonesia until 2010, until the construction of the
Suramadu Bridge in Surabaya was finished.
Tourism

Tours of Siak include the
Siak Sri Indrapura Palace
Siak Sri Indrapura Palace or Siak Palace ( id, Istana Siak Sri Inderapura or id, Istana Asserayah Hasyimiah or id, Istana Matahari Timur) is an ''istana'' (royal palace) of the Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura that is located at Siak Regency, Ri ...
, which is a historic palace of the Sultanate of Siak. The palace is very famous, many tourists visit to see the grandeur of the palace and the objects located within, such as the golden throne which belonged to the Sultan, the royal dining chairs and a Komet Music Box of which only one other remains in the world. This palace is open from 10 am to 4 pm.
Borders
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Regencies of Riau