[1] The regency seat is located at the large town of Kotabaru at the northern tip of Laut Island.

The coal mines were mostly owned by nobles of small kingdoms in the islands such as Pagatan and Kusan.

On 1840, Kusan and Pagatan entered a personal union after the fourth king of Kusan, Jaya Sumitra, gave the kingdom to Arung Abdul Karim who was the king of Pagatan, thereby assuming control over the entire island of Laut.

On 1881, son of Jaya Sumitra, Prince Husin Kusuma took the title of fourth king of Laut Island.

Husin Kusuma soon died in 1900 when taking a hajj and was succeeded by Prince Aminullah who would become the last king of Laut.

[7][8] In 1905, the Dutch East Indies government declared the end of the small kingdoms' existence on the island, following the defeat of the Banjar Sultanate after the Banjarmasin War.

In the aftermath of the war and the Indonesian National Revolution, the returning Dutch proposed a puppet state of Southeast Borneo Federation in the region.

On 1 September 1945, Committee for Assisting Republic Indonesian (BPRI, Badan Pembantu Republik Indonesia) was formed in the town of Pagatan, and spread its branch across Laut Island.

On 6 December 1945, students and Republican militia passed a motion declaring the region to be part of the Indonesian Republic.

On 7 February 1946, a battle broke out between Republican militia and Dutch soldiers who tried to land on the beach of Laut island around the village of Kampung Baru.

[5] Southeast Borneo Federation were eventually dissolved by its own parliament and joined Indonesian Republic following transfer of sovereignty.

The decrease was caused by deflation and economic downturn during COVID-19 pandemic as well as general decline of mining industry.

[18] The agriculture sector, which is the second biggest in the regency, is dominated by commodities such as palm oil plantation, maize, and rice.

[18] The third biggest sector in the regency is mining that is dominated by coal production as well as iron ore that are exported mostly to India and China.

It is located in North Laut Island district in Kotabaru town, and classified as C-class hospital by Ministry of Health.

[23] Angkots are abundand in the town of Kotabaru as means to get around and regulated by regency government, divided into five fixed routes as of 2009.

This decision was met with protest from drivers and owners from angkots in town due to fear of being outcompeted.