Central Kalimantan

Central Kalimantan Kalimantan Tengah
Province
Tanjung Puting National Park
Flag Seal
Motto(s): Isen Mulang (Sangen) (Never Retreat)
Location of Central Kalimantan in Indonesia.
Coordinates: 2°13′S 113°55′E / 2.217°S 113.917°E / -2.217; 113.917Coordinates: 2°13′S 113°55′E / 2.217°S 113.917°E / -2.217; 113.917
Country	Indonesia
Capital	Palangka Raya
Government
• Governor	Sugianto Sabran
• Vice Governor	Said Ismail
Area
• Total	153,564.5 km2 (59,291.6 sq mi)
Area rank	2nd
Population (2014)[1]
• Total	2,368,654
• Density	15/km2 (40/sq mi)
Demographics[2]
• Ethnic groups	46.2% Dayak 21.67% Javanese 21.03% Banjarese 3.96% Malay 1.93% Madurese 1.29% Sundanese 0.77% Bugis 0.56% Batak 0.38% Flores 0.33% Balinese 1.44% Others[3]
• Religion (2017)[4]	70.08% Islam 16.40% Protestant 8.09% Hindu/Kaharingan 4.56% Catholic 0.65% Buddhism 0.1% other
• Languages	Indonesian (official) Malay Bugis Dayak Chinese (Hakka and Teochew)
Time zone	WIB (UTC+7)
Vehicle registration	KH
HDI	0.677 (Medium)
HDI rank	20th (2014)
Website	www.kalteng.go.id

Central Kalimantan (Indonesian: Kalimantan Tengah), is a province of Indonesia. It is one of five provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. Its provincial capital is Palangkaraya and in 2010 its population was over 2.2 million,^[1] while the latest official estimate (for January 2014) is 2,368,654.

The population growth rate was almost 3.0% per annum between 1990 and 2000, one of the highest provincial growth rates in Indonesia during that time; in the subsequent decade to 2010 the average annual growth rate slowed markedly to around 1.8%. More than is the case in other province in the region, Central Kalimantan is populated by the Dayaks, the indigenous inhabitants of Borneo.

History

Since the eighteenth century the central region of Kalimantan and its Dayak inhabitants were ruled by the Muslim Sultanate of Banjar. Following Indonesian independence after World War II, Dayak tribes demanded a province separate from South Kalimantan province.^[5]

In 1957 South Kalimantan was divided to provide the Dayak population with greater autonomy from the Muslim population in the province. The change was approved by the Indonesian Government on 23 May 1957 under Presidential Law No. 10 Year 1957, which declared Central Kalimantan the seventeenth province of Indonesia. President Sukarno appointed the Dayak-born national hero Tjilik Riwut as the first Governor and Palangkaraya the provincial capital.^[6]

Geography

Central Kalimantan is the third largest Indonesian province by area with a size of 153,564.5 km2, about 1.5 times the size of the island of Java. It is bordered by West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan provinces to the north, by the Java Sea to the south, by South Kalimantan and East Kalimantan provinces to the east, and by West Kalimantan province to west.

The Schwaner Mountains stretch from the north-east of the province to the south-west, 80% of which is covered in dense forest, peatland swamps, mangroves, rivers, and traditional agriculture land. Highland areas in the north-east are remote and not easily accessible. Non-volcanic mounts are scattered in this area including Kengkabang, Samiajang, Liang Pahang and Ulu Gedang.

The centre of the province is covered with tropical forest, which produces rattan, resin and valuable timber such as Ulin and Meranti. The southern lowlands are dominated by peatland swamps that intersect with many rivers. Sabangau National Park is a protected peatland area internationally acknowledged as sanctuary for the endangered Orangutan. Recently the peat swamp forests have been damaged by the Mega Rice Project, which unsuccessfully sought to turn large areas into rice paddies.

The province's climate is wet weather equatorial zone with an eight-month rainy season, and 4 months of dry season. Rainfall or precipitation is 2,776 - 3,393 mm per year with an average of 145 rainy days annually.

Administrative divisions

Central Kalimantan is administratively divided into thirteen regencies (kabupaten) - each headed by a regent - and one city (kotamayda), the latter being Palangka Raya (the provincial capital). These are as follows:

In addition to the civil service, Central Kalimantan also recognises a traditional governing system led by traditional leaders known as Demang. The province is divided into 67 traditional law areas known as Kademangan, headed by Demang. The system is intended to culturally recognise and preserve the customs and heritage of the Dayak tribes.

Railroads

Russia will build railroads from Central Kalimantan to East Kalimantan for coal transportation with estimated cost of US$2.4 billion. ^[8]

Demographics

See also

• Deforestation in Borneo
• Fauna of Borneo
• Heart of Borneo

References

External links

• Official website (in Indonesian)
• Official statistics for the province, provided by the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics, may be accessed (Indonesian language) at Badan Pusat Statistik Propinsi Kalimantan Tengah.