Agats
Town
Agats at noon
Nickname:  Kota Seribu Papan (Town of a Thousand Planks)[1]
Agats Location in Western New Guinea
Coordinates: 5°32′30″S 138°08′00″E / 5.54167°S 138.13333°E / -5.54167; 138.13333
Country	Indonesia
Province	South Papua
Regency	Asmat Regency
Population  (2020 Census)
• Total	23,869[2]
Time zone	UTC+9 (IEST)
Postcode	99777
Area code	(+62) 902
Villages	12

Agats is a town in Asmat Regency, South Papua, Indonesia. An elevated settlement on a tidal plain, a Dutch outpost was set up in Agats in 1938 and the town became notable for the cultural practices of the Asmat people. Following the formation of Asmat Regency in 2002, the town became its administrative seat.

Administrative villages

Agats District consists of 12 villages (kampung), namely:

1. Asuwetsy
2. Bis Agats
3. Bisman
4. Bou
5. Briten (Biriten/Beriten)
6. Kaye
7. Mbait
8. Per
9. Saw
10. Suwru
11. Uwus
12. Yamoth (Yomoth)

History

Though Agats had been populated by the Asmat people for some time, as a largely waterfront settlement, the first non-native settlement originated in the late 1930s when a Catholic mission was established in the area, and later in 1938 the Dutch East Indies government established an outpost there.^[3] Due to the Second World War, however, the Dutch abandoned the Agats post in 1942 due to the Japanese presence.^[4]

In 1953, the Catholic mission was made permanent and the following year the Dutch government of Netherlands New Guinea established a permanent post in Agats, banning headhunting practices. During this period, Asmat woodcarving became popular, with collectors, museum representatives, ethnographers and scientists visiting the area.^[4] One such person, Michael Rockefeller, disappeared after departing Agats for Southern Asmat in 1961, and was presumed dead.^[5]

On 29 May 1969, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Agats was established, with American Alphonse Sowada becoming its first bishop.^[6] The Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress (Museum Kebudayaan dan Kemajuan Asmat) was opened in Agats in 1973.^[4] The Asmat Cultural Festival, held annually in the town, began in 1981.^[7]

After Asmat became its own regency in 2002, Agats – being its administrative seat – saw a boost in building due to a need for government facilities and an increase of migrants, largely Bugis and Moluccans,^[8] with the annual population growth of Agats being as high as 22 percent between 2005 and 2011 compared to 3 percent for Asmat Regency.^[9] In recent years, the wooden roads in Agats have begun to be replaced by concrete ones by the regency's government.^[10]

Following a major famine which struck Asmat Regency, in 2018 Indonesian President Joko Widodo offered to relocate residents of more remote areas to Agats, though the relocation faced significant resistance.^[11]

Geography

Agats is located on the delta of the Asewets River, in a tidal lowland area.^[12] Due to this, during high tides the water may rise up to 5 metres (16 ft) above sea level, resulting in the unique construction of the town in which all buildings and roads are elevated with wooden, and more recently concrete, structures.^[13]

Administratively, the urban settlement is located within the kampung of Bis Agats, which had a population of 8,998 in 2016.^[14][15]

Transport and facilities

Agats is served by pioneer, government-subsidized flights from Merauke and Mimika through the nearby Ewer Airport (IATA: EWE), in addition to passenger boats to Timika and Merauke.^[1] Both the airport and the river port are planned for upgrades in 2019, allowing the airport to take larger ATR aircraft and the river port to take larger "Tol Laut" ships.^[17][18] Recently introduced electric motorcycles are used for transport in the city, with electrical charging stations run by PLN.^[19]

A public hospital is present in Agats.^[20] As the water of the Asewetz next to the town is brackish and polluted, the town largely depends on rainwater and bottled water, in addition to pumped water from another river nearby.^[21]

Gallery

• 
  Icon of Asmat Regency
• 
  Mosque of Saiful Bukhori
• 
  Salib Suci Cathedral Church, seen in 2014
• 
  Interior of Salib Suci cathedral
• 
  Port of Agats
• 
  Exterior of the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress
• 
  Paper mulberry spirit masks at the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress
• 
  Asmat carving at the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress
• 
  A male crocodile specimen on display at the Asmat Museum of Culture and Progress
• 
  Asmat Queen Art Shop
• 
  Asmat tribesman in Syuru village at Agats
• 
  Canoes
• 
  Local office of Indonesian oil company Pertamina
• 
  A shop in Syuru village, Agats
• 
  A house built on stilts
• 
  Homes on the Asewet River.
• 
  Papuan woman
• 
  Ceremonial house in Syuru village
• 
  Streetside shopper
• 
  Wooden walkways in Syuru village
• 
  Asewet River
• 
  Javanese youths in Agats
• 
  Woman of Agats, date unknown
• 
  Man of Agats, date unknown
• 
  Man of Agats, date unknown
• 
  Man of Agats, date unknown
• 
  Man of Agats, date unknown
• 
  Man of Agats, date unknown
• 
  Man of Agats, date unknown

References