The Tukangbesi Islands are an archipelago off the coast of Sulawesi in southeastern Indonesia, lying east of Buton Island in the Banda Sea. Its four main islands, Wangiwangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, are collectively known by the acronym Wakatobi and are administered together as Wakatobi Regency. The name Tukang Besi, meaning ironworker or blacksmith in Indonesian, comes from the islands' long tradition of producing keris blades, which are still made there today. The waters between Buton and the archipelago are known as the Gulf of Kolowana Watabo, and the wider island group also includes smaller islands and atolls, including the Langkesi islands to the northeast; the islanders speak a distinct Tukang Besi language.
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