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Kalimantan, Indonesia

Mentaya River at Sampit, Central KalimantanMentaya River at Sampit, Central Kalimantan
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mentaya_090829-0136.JPG
Author: Wibowo Djatmiko
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Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. Within Indonesia, however, Kalimantan refers to the whole island of Borneo, of which the Indonesian territory occupies 73%, while the remainder comprises Brunei and East Malaysia.

Kalimantan in Indonesia is also called Indonesian Borneo. It has a population of about 12 million people (2011 estimate), and has a total area of 582,593 sq km (224,940 sq mi). Kalimantan comprises four provinces, namely East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.

East Kalimantan is the second largest province in Indonesia. It measures 245,237.8 sq km (94,686.8 sq mi) and has a population of 3.6 million people. Its capital is Samarinda. Another major city here is Balikpapan.

Al-Qadar Mosque, Tenggarong, KalimantanAl-Qadar Mosque, Tenggarong, Kalimantan
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Masjid_Al-Qadar_Tenggarong.jpg
Author: Ezagren
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The oldest Hindu kingdom in Indonesia has been discovered in East Kalimantan. Called Kutai, it dates to AD 350-400. Information about this civilization comes from an inscribed stone tablet now kept in the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta.

South Kalimantan is the smallest of the four Indonesian provinces on Kalimantan. It also has a population of about 3.6 million people. Much of South Kalimantan comprises flat land with swamps covering some 8,000 sq km of it. The river Barito is the main river and transportation line into the interior.

South Kalimantan is said to be the origin of the people of Madagascar. These people were seafarers who arrived in Madagascar between the 3rd and the 10th centuries. Today, the economy of South Kalimantan is supported by timber and the mining for oil, gold and gemstones.

Lembuswana Mall in Samarinda, KalimantanLembuswana Mall in Samarinda, Kalimantan
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lembuswana_Mall,_Samarinda.jpg
Author: Ezagren
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West Kalimantan covers 146,807 sq km (56,682.5 sq mi) and has a population of 4.4 million people. Its capital Pontianak is located right on the Equator. This province has three national parks namely Danau Sentarum, Gunung Palung and Betung Kerihun.

Central Kalimantan is the only province sharing a border with the other three provinces of Kalimantan. It covers 153,564 sq km (59,291.4 sq mi) and has a population of 2.2 million people. This province has an annual population growth rate of 2.7% in 2010, the highest in Indonesia. The capital is Palangkaraya.

Visiting Kalimantan

Each major city will have its own airport. There are international flights by AirAsia connecting Balikpapan with Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Major Cities in Kalimantan

  1. Balikpapan, East Kalimantan
  2. Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan
  3. Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan
  4. Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan
  5. Pontianak, West Kalimantan
  6. Samarinda, East Kalimantan
  7. Singkawang, West Kalimantan

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.
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