Western Kalimantan ( Kalimantan Barat ) is a province ( propinsi ) of the Republic of Indonesia, located in the island of Borneo. It extends between 108° and 114° of longitude is and between 2°6' of northern latitude and 3°5' of southern latitude. It is thus crossed almost in its medium by the equator. It is bordered in the west by the China Sea of the South, in the east by the provinces of central Kalimantan and Eastern Kalimantan and with north by the international border with the Malaysia.
The surface of the province is of 146.807 km ². Its population was of 3.722.200 in 2000. Its capital is Pontianak.
Population
The independent groups in the province are the Malais, the Daya and the Chinese. The presence of the latter goes back to the end of the XVIIIe century, when the Chinese start to be interested in gold in the interior. These Chinese are primarily of origin Teochew, most, and Hakka. The most important communities are in Singkawang, to approximately 250 km in the north of Pontianak, the provincial capital, where the Chinese form some 43% of the population of the city (151 600 inhabitants in 2004), and in Pontianak, where they constitute approximately 24% of the population (464 500 inhabitants in 2004).There are also strong minorities of transmigrating Madurais and Javanese.
History
The name of Sukadana is attested as of XIVe century after J. - C. the Nagarakertagama , a poem epic writes in 1365 in the Javanese kingdom of Majapahit, indeed mentions it among the few hundred “regions tributary” of the kingdom. Actually, the territory controlled by Majapahit did not extend that on part of the east and center of Java. The tributary regions were in fact of the counters forming a sales network whose Majapahit was the center.With rise, at the 15th century, sultanate of Malacca like main port of Southeast Asia, Islam is diffused on the coasts of Borneo. In the years 1620, Sukadana is vassal principality of Surabaya in the east of Java.
In 1771 an Arab adventurer, Syarif Abdul Rahman Al Kadri, attracted by rumors on the existence of diamond mines in the area, bases Pontianak on the site of an old maritime counter. It is combined with the VOC ( Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie or “Dutch Compagnie of the Eastern Indies”), which recognizes it like sultan of Pontianak in 1779.
Little time after the foundation of the sultanate, in 1775, of the Chinese founds a kongsi (economic association) to exploit gold in the interior.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the west of Borneo is marked by the competition between English and Dutchman. The Dutchmen sign treaties with the various States of the coast, of which the sultanate of Pontianak. This Dutch interest for the area runs up against the resistance of the Chinese kongsi which control the gold mines of the interior.
The expansion of Pontianak, with the support of the Dutchmen, is marked by the catch of Sambas in north with the Bugis and the destruction of Sukadana in the south. Pontianak is in competition with the pirate State of Sambas for the control of the inhabitants of the upstream of the rivers and the Chinese companies ( kongsi ) which work the diamond and gold mines. Then the Dutchmen withdraw themselves from Pontianak.
The special territory of Western Kalimantan
During the creation of the Republic of the United States of Indonesia on December 14th, 1949, the sultan Hamid II of Pontianak is the signatory representing a " special territory of Kalimantan occidental" ( Daerah Istimewa Kalimantan Barat ) corresponding to the current province.
Tourism
- Pontianak : Few curiosities are the palate of Kadariah in the district of Kampung Dalam, the provincial museum and the floating market. One finds the beach with Kijing and on the island of Temajoh. There is also in Pontianak a " Monument of Equateur".
- In the village of Saham not far from Pontianak, one finds a betana or " house longue" traditional Daya. Long 186 m and broad 6 m, she is inhabited by nearly 70 people.
- Pasir Panjang : To 17 km of Singkawang in the department of Sambas the beach of Pasir Panjang is, where one finds residences comfortable. In the hills with the top of Singkawang, Gunung Poteng is a fresh and pleasant place for in love ones with nature.
- Sambas : One finds there the palate, preserved well, of the sultans of Sambas, which contains some antiquities.
Environment
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the national park of Gunung Palung in the department of Ketapang covers as well areas of marshes as of the tropical forest. It is one of the rare places where the Orang-outan still lives in freedom.
- the forest of Sanggau has hot sources, lakes and caves
- the forests of Baning and Kelam are in the department of Sintang
- the forest of Bentuang Karimun and the lake Sentarum is in the department of Kapuas Hulu.
External bonds
- The Gunung Palung Orang Utan Project
- Inside Indonesia : '' Has history off diversity ''
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