Islam first arrived in the Raja Ampat archipelago in the 15th century due to political and economic contacts with the Bacan Sultanate.

[1] During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sultanate of Tidore had close economic ties with the island.

[3] The southern part of the island is the region of Sailolof Kingdom based in Sailolof, which was founded by Fun Mo, a Moi not related to the other kings but later married Pinfun Libit, daughter of Waigeo's king.

[4] Salawati Island (with small offshore islets) comprises five administrative districts (kecamatan) of Southwest Papua Province.

Altogether the five districts cover an area of 1,623 km21, and had a combined population of 8,739 in mid 2023.