Kalimantan

I

Introduction

Kalimantan or Indonesian Borneo, region comprising four provinces of Indonesia and covering the eastern, southern, south-western, and central portions of the island of Borneo. Kalimantan is referred to as Indonesian Borneo to distinguish it from the eastern Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam in the west and north of the island. The four provinces are South Kalimantan (Kalimantan Selatan, or Kalsel as it is often known), Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tenggah, or Kalteng), East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur, or Kaltim), and West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat, or Kalbar). Kalimantan has an area of 539,460 sq km (208,286 sq mi) and makes up about three quarters of the land area of Borneo.

II

Land and Resources

Mount Raya in the south-westerly Schwaner Range is the region's highest mountain at 2,278 m (7,474 ft). A mountainous interior—notably the Muller Range in the centre—divides Kalimantan from eastern Malaysia; the main uplands are the Schwaner and south-easterly Meratus ranges. Much of Kalimantan is low-lying, barely rising above sea level. The coast is largely swampy. The forested interior is often inaccessible except by boat along the rivers flowing from the mountains to the coast. Historically, the major rivers—the Kapuas in the south-west, the Mahakam in the east, and the Barito in the south-east—were the only arteries of communication. The Kapuas, more than 1,000 km (621 mi) in length, is the longest river in Indonesia, reaching deep into the Bornean interior.

Kalimantan has a tropical climate with an average annual rainfall of over 3,000 mm (118 in) in many areas. However, recent research has indicated that it also experiences periodic dry periods. These are thought to be the cause of the catastrophic forest fires that on occasion afflict the region.

III

Population

The four provinces of Kalimantan have a population of about 9.1 million (1990 census). The major urban centres are to be found on or near the coast. Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan) is situated about 20 km (12 mi) from the sea, at the confluence of the Barito and Martapura rivers; Balikpapan (East Kalimantan) is a town that owes its prosperity to the province's oil industry; Samarinda (East Kalimantan) is located on the Mahakam River; Pontianak (West Kalimantan) lies at the confluence of the Kapuas and Landak rivers; and Tarakan (East Kalimantan) lies on an island at the mouth of the Hentarang River. These cities and towns are populated largely by Muslim Malays (with some Indonesians of Chinese descent), who have settled there from other parts of the Indonesian archipelago. In the interior, settlements tend to be found near rivers and the population is predominantly composed of indigenous Dayak groups. Missionary work has led to the conversion of many Dayaks to Christianity, although the Dayak religion is also officially recognized by the government. The Dayaks comprise a complex mosaic of some 200 ethnic groups, of which the largest are the Iban, who live mainly in the Kapuas River basin of West Kalimantan; the various “Barito” groups of South Kalimantan; and the Bidayuh, or Land Dayaks of West Kalimantan.

Dayak livelihoods were traditionally based on shifting cultivation, river fishing, and hunting and gathering; Malay Muslims relied on settled agriculture (especially swamp-rice farming), trading, and coastal fishing. This distinction became less stark as Dayaks took up settled agriculture and both groups (especially the Malay Muslims) sought employment in modern sectors of the economy. Indonesia's contentious land-settlement or “transmigration” scheme—aimed at encouraging a population shift away from the more densely to the less densely populated islands—also opened up areas of the interior to settlement by Malay Muslims.

IV

Economy

Most of the population of Kalimantan is employed in agriculture. However, a significant proportion of the region's wealth comes from timber and oil and gas. Oil production began in the early 20th century, mainly in East Kalimantan. Coal has been mined in South and East Kalimantan since 1846; there are also deposits of gold, diamonds, and uranium. Timber is an important industry in East and South Kalimantan. Despite the income generated from oil and timber industries, the incidence of poverty in Kalimantan is relatively high, even by Indonesian standards.

In addition to oil and timber, the logging of large areas of Kalimantan cleared land for agricultural use, and extensive plantation crop estates (cocoa, rubber, and oil palm) were established. Tourism, especially ecotourism, exploits Kalimantan's cultural and natural wealth.