Baubau is a city located on the southwest coast of Buton Island in the Southeast Sulawesi province of Indonesia. It officially attained city status on June 21, 2001, following the passage of Law Number 13 of 2001. The city covers an area of 293.87 square kilometres, with approximately 30 square kilometres consisting of water.
As the economic center of the Buton Island region and the second-largest city in its province, Baubau holds significant historical importance. It served as the former capital of the Sultanate of Buton, the seat of the colonial administration for Eastern Sulawesi, and the cultural center of the Butonese people. While it was briefly the capital of the entire Southeast Sulawesi regency, that status shifted to the neighboring city of Kendari in 1955.