West Kalimantan () is a

province of Indonesia Provinces are the first-level administrative divisions of Indonesia. They were formerly called first-level provincial regions (), before the Reform era. Provinces have a local government, consisting of a governor () and a regional legislativ ...

. It is one of five Indonesian provinces comprising

Kalimantan Kalimantan (; ) is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area, and consists of the provinces of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan. The non-Ind ...

, the Indonesian part of the island of

Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...

. Its capital and largest city is

Pontianak Pontianak, also known as Khuntien in Teochew and Hakka, is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, founded first as a trading port on the island of Borneo, occupying an area of 118.21 km2 in the delta of the Kapuas R ...

. It is bordered by

East Kalimantan East Kalimantan (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo/Kalimantan. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the cu ...

and

Central Kalimantan Central Kalimantan () is a provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is one of five provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. It is the largest province in Indonesia by area since 2022, bordered by West Kalimantan to the west ...

to the east, the

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

n state of

Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...

to the north, and the

Bangka Belitung Islands The Bangka Belitung Islands (; Jawi: ) is a province of Indonesia. Situated off the southeastern coast of Sumatra, the province comprises two main land masses — the islands of Bangka and Belitung — and numerous smaller islands. Bangka B ...

to the west and the

Java Sea The Java Sea (, ) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South Ch ...

to the south. The province has an area of 147,037 km², and had a population of 4,395,983 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 5,414,390 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 5,623,328 (comprising 2,887,209 males and 2,736,119 females), and was projected to rise to 5,695,500 at mid 2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Provinsi Kalimantan Barat Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.61) Ethnic groups include the Dayak, Malay,

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

, Javanese,

Bugis The Bugis people, also known as Buginese, are an Austronesian ethnic groupthe most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi (the others being Makassarese and Torajan), in the south-western province of Sula ...

, and Madurese. The borders of West Kalimantan roughly trace the mountain ranges surrounding the vast watershed of the

Kapuas River The Kapuas River ( Old Indonesian spelling: Kapoeas River) is a river in the Indonesian part of Borneo island, at the geographic center of Maritime Southeast Asia. At in length, it is the longest river on the island of Borneo, the longest ri ...

, which drains most of the province. The province shares land borders with

to the southeast,

to the east, and the Malaysian territory of

to the north. West Kalimantan is nicknamed "The Province of a Thousand Rivers". The nickname references the geography of the province, which features hundreds of rivers of varying size, most of which are navigable. Several major rivers are still the main route for freight to the hinterland, despite road infrastructure now reaching most districts. Although a small part of West Kalimantan region is seawater, West Kalimantan has dozens of large and small islands (mostly uninhabited) spread along the

Karimata Strait The Karimata Strait (alternatively, Carimata or Caramata; ) is a wide strait that connects the South China Sea to the Java Sea, separating the Indonesian islands of Belitung to the west and Borneo (Kalimantan) to the east. It is the widest stra ...

and

Natuna Sea The Natuna Sea () is an extensive shallow sea located around the Natuna Regency, extending south of the Riau Islands, east of the Lingga Regency and west of Borneo, to the Bangka Belitung Islands. The islands of the Badas and Tambelan Arc ...

that borders the province of

Riau Islands The Riau Islands () is a provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia consisting of a group of islands located in the western part of the country. It was established in 2002 after being separated from the neighboring Riau Province. The capit ...

. The total population in the province, according to the 2010 census totalled 4,395,983 inhabitants and at the 2020 Census it was 5,414,390,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. but by mid 2023 it was officially estimated to have reached 5,623,328.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Provinsi Kalimantan Barat Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.61)

History

The history of West Kalimantan was dominated with Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms ruling over the region and Borneo as a whole after that this kingdoms converted into muslim sultanate. Its modern history in 17th century. The Malays are the native Muslims of West Kalimantan and established their Sultanates of Sambas since 1609 in Sambas territory, along with Mempawah Sultanate established since 1740 ruled in between Pontianak and Sambas territory. The Mempawah Sultanate brought in workers from China at the beginning of the kingdom. The same policy followed by the Sambas Sultanate around 1750, which brought in workers from China to work in the gold mines in the area. The high Chinese population in this province was due to a republic founded by Chinese miners called the

Lanfang Republic The Lanfang Republic (, Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''Làn-fông Khiung-fò-koet''), also known as Lanfang Company (), was a Kongsi republic in Western Borneo in the territory of Sultanate of Sambas. It was established by a Hakka Chinese named Luo Fa ...

(蘭芳共和國: Republik Lanfang), an autonomous state allied with

and

Sambas Sultanate The Sultanate of Sambas () was a traditional Malay state on the Western coast of the island of Borneo, in modern-day Indonesia. History At first governed by governors, Sambas became a kingdom in 1609 with the descendant of Sepudak. She marri ...

, as a sub-state of the

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

. The government of Lanfang was ended in West Kalimantan after the Dutch Invasion in 1884. West Kalimantan was under Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945, when Indonesia declared its Independence. During the Japanese occupation, more than 21,000 people in Pontianak (including sultans, men, women and children) were kidnapped, tortured and massacred by Japanese troops during the Pontianak incidents. All the Malay Sultans on Kalimantan were executed and the Malay elite was devastated by the Japanese. Most of the victims were buried in several giant wells in Mandor (88 km from Pontianak). After the end of the war, Japanese officers in Pontianak were arrested by allied troops and brought in the

International Military Tribunal for the Far East The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo Trial and the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, was a military trial convened on 29 April 1946 to Criminal procedure, try leaders of the Empire of Japan for their cri ...

. A monument called Makam Juang Mandor was created to memorialize the event. On 12 May 1947, the West Kalimantan Autonomous region was established. It was led by

Syarif Hamid II of Pontianak Sultan Hamid II (born Syarif Abdul Hamid Alkadrie; 12 July 1913 – 30 March 1978) was the 7th Pontianak Sultanate, Sultan of Pontianak and the only President of the State of West Kalimantan from 1946 to its disestablishment in 1950. He was th ...

, who supported the Dutch endeavour to establish a federal

United States of Indonesia The United States of Indonesia (, ; abbreviated as RIS or RUSI, also known as Federal Republic of Indonesia) was a short-lived federal state to which the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies (except Netherlands N ...

(RUSI), of which West Kalimantan would have been a component. Following the 5 April 1950 arrest of Sultan Hamid for complicity in the APRA coup attempt against the RUSI government led by

Royal Netherlands East Indies Army The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (; KNIL, ; ) was the military force maintained by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its colony of the Dutch East Indies, in areas that are now part of Indonesia. The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherl ...

(KNIL) officer

Raymond Westerling Raymond Pierre Paul Westerling (31 August 1919 – 26 November 1987) was a Dutch military officer of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. He orchestrated a counter-guerrilla operation in Sulawesi during the Indonesian National Revolution ...

, there were demands from the public for a merger into the

Republic of Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, which took place on 22 April. On 15 August, The West Kalimantan autonomous region became part of Kalimantan Province, and two days later, the RUSI ceased to exist, and was replaced with a unitary Republic of Indonesia. West Kalimantan was the site of substantial fighting during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation under the

Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...

government in the mid-1960s. After

Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...

deposed Sukarno in 1965, the confrontation was quickly resolved. Domestic conflict continued, however, for another ten years between the new Suharto government and fighters organized during the confrontation and backed by the banned

Indonesian Communist Party The Communist Party of Indonesia ( Indonesian: ''Partai Komunis Indonesia'', PKI) was a communist party in the Dutch East Indies and later Indonesia. It was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world before its violent disbandment in ...

(PKI). During the 1930s the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

government initiated a " transmigration plan" to move people from heavily populated islands such as

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

, to the less populated islands of

Irian Jaya New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; , fossilized , also known as Papua or historically ) is the world's second-largest island, with an area of . Located in Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Austral ...

and Kalimantan. In the 1960s the Indonesian government granted the Madurese rights to clear forests for palm oil cultivation. This conflicted with the local Dayak tribes' traditional way of life. The tensions between the two ethnic groups resulted in major eruptions of violence in 1996, the

Sambas riots The Sambas riots were an outbreak of inter-ethnic violence in Indonesia, in 1999 in the regency of Sambas, West Kalimantan Province and involved the Madurese on one side and an alliance of the indigenous Dayak people and Sambas Malays on the o ...

in 1999 and the

Sampit conflict The Sampit conflict, Sampit war or Sampit riots was an outbreak of inter-ethnic violence in Indonesia, beginning in February 2001 and lasting through the year. The conflict started in the town of Sampit, Central Kalimantan, and spread throughout ...

in 2001, resulting in thousands of deaths.

Geography

Boundary

West Kalimantan Province is located in the western part of the island of Borneo, or in between the lines 2°08'N and 3°05'S and between 108°0'E and 114°10'E. The province is traversed by the Equator (latitude 0°), precisely through the city of

. West Kalimantan has a tropical climate, with often high temperatures accompanied by high humidity. Other specific characteristics are that the West Kalimantan region is one of the provinces in Indonesia which has a land border with another country, namely the State of

East Malaysia East Malaysia (), or the Borneo States, also known as Malaysian Borneo, is the part of Malaysia on and near the island of Borneo, the world's third-largest island. East Malaysia comprises the states of Sabah, Sarawak, and the Federal Territory ...

. Even with this position, West Kalimantan is currently the only province in Indonesia that have officially has an access road to get in and out of a neighbouring country. West Kalimantan and Sarawak have open roads approximately 400 km long, spanning Pontianak-Entikong-

Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...

(Sarawak, Malaysia) and can be reached about six to eight hours of travel. In the northern part of the province, there are four regencies that directly borders Malaysia, namely Sambas,

Sanggau Sanggau Regency (; Hakka: Sîang-ngau) is a regency in the north-central section of West Kalimantan province of Indonesia. On 18 December 2003, the regency's eastern portion was split off to create a new regency called Sekadau, leaving Sanggau ...

Sintang Sintang Regency is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency of West Kalimantan province of Indonesia. It covers an area of 21,638.2 km2, and had a population of 364,759 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 421,306 at the 2020 Censu ...

and

Kapuas Hulu Kapuas Hulu Regency is a List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, regency in West Kalimantan province of Indonesia. Located around the upper drainage area of the Kapuas River, it has a total land area of 31,318.25 square kilometres or around 2 ...

, which stretch along with the Kalingkang Mountains-Kapuas Hulu. Most of West Kalimantan is low-lying land, with a total area of 147,037 km2, or 7.53 percent of the total Indonesian land area or 1.13 times the size of the island of

. This region stretches straight from north to south along more than 600 km and about 850 km from west to east. Judging from the size of the territory, West Kalimantan is Indonesia's third largest province by area, after Papua (421,891 km²) and

(152,600 km²). The largest regency is

(31,318 km² or 21.3 percent of the provincial area), followed by

Ketapang Ketapang, or ''Tau-pang'' in Teochew, is the administrative capital of Ketapang Regency (''Kabupaten Ketapang''), one of the regencies of West Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. Ketapang town is located at and is a tow ...

(30,019 km² or 20.4 percent) and

(22,026 km² or 15.0 percent), with the rest spread over the nine other regencies and two cities.

Topology

In general, West Kalimantan land is low-lying and has hundreds of rivers are safe when navigable, slightly hilly which extend from west to east along the valley Kapuas and Natuna Sea / Strait Karimata. Most of the land area is a swampy mix of peat and mangrove forests. The land area is flanked by two mountain ranges, namely, Kalingkang Mountains in the North and the Schwaner Mountains in the south along the border with the province of Central Kalimantan. Judging from the soil texture, the majority of West Kalimantan's area consists of the soil type PMK (podsolic red-yellow), which covers an area of about 10.5 million hectares, or 17.28 per cent of the total area of 14.7 million hectares. Next, the ground OGH (organosol, gley and hummus) and the alluvial soil of about 2.0 million hectares, or 10.29 per cent sprawled across Dati II, but most likely in the coastal district. Influenced by the vast lowlands, the heights of the mountains are relatively low as well as non-volcanically active. The highest mountain is Mount Baturaya in Serawai District of Sintang Regency which has an altitude of 2,278 metres above sea level, far lower than Mount Semeru (East Java, 3,676 metres) or Mount Kerinci (Jambi, 3,805 metres). Mount Lawit is located in Kapuas Hulu District, Embaloh Hulu and more formerly known in West Kalimantan. It only is the third highest because it has a high 1,767 metres, while the second highest is Mount Batusambung (in Ambalau District) with a height of up to 1,770 metres.

Lakes and Rivers

West Kalimantan is an area that could be called "The Thousand Rivers Province". The nickname is in line with the geographical conditions that have hundreds of large and small rivers, among others, which can be and often are navigable. Several major rivers are still the lifeblood and mainline to transport the countryside, although the road infrastructure has been able to reach most districts. The longest river is the

(or sungai Kapuas), which is the longest river in Indonesia (1,086 km), along which 942 km are navigable. Other great rivers are the Melawi, (navigable 471 km), Pawan (197 km), Kendawangan (128 km), Jelai (135 km), Sekadau (117 km), Sambas (233 km ), and Landak (178 km). Although rivers are very numerous in West Kalimantan, there are only two significant lakes in the province. These are Lake Sentarum and Lake Luar I, which are in

. Lake Sentarum has an area of 117,500 hectares, which sometimes is almost dry in the dry season, and Lake Luar I, which has an area of approximately 5,400 hectares. Both of these lakes have potential as tourist attractions.

Government and administrative divisions

Until 1999 the province was composed of six regencies (''kabupaten'') and the independent City (''kota'') of Pontianak. A seventh regency, Bengkayang, was formed on 20 April 1999 from part of Sambas Regency, and an eighth, Landak, was formed on 4 October 1999 from part of Mempawah Regency. A second independent city, Singkawang, was formed on 21 June 2001 from part of Bengkayang Regency. On 18 December 2003 Sekadau Regency was cut out of Sanggau Regency, and Melawi Regency was cut out of Sintang Regency, while on 2 January 2007 North Kayong Regency was cut out of Ketapang Regency, and on 17 July 2007 Kubu Raya Regency was cut out of Mempawah Regency. West Kalimantan is thus now subdivided into two cities and twelve regencies. About 29 per cent of the province's population lives in the Greater Pontianak area. The capitals, areas and populations at the 2010 and 2020Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. Censuses (as well as the official estimates as at mid 2023Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Provinsi Kalimantan Barat Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.61) of the regencies and cities are: Notes: (a) Mempawah Regency population total above excludes a Special Enclave (''Daerah Kantong''), with 5,469 population in 2010. The province comprises two of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to the

People's Representative Council The House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (, DPR-RI or simply DPR) is one of two elected chambers of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the national legislature of Indonesia. It is considered the lower house, while th ...

. The West Kalimantan I Electoral District consists of the 7 regencies and 2 cities listed above as "Western group", and elects 8 members to the People's Representative Council. The West Kalimantan II Electoral District consists of the 5 regencies listed above as "Eastern group", and elects 4 members to the People's Representative Council.

Proposed new province of Kapuas Raya

On 25 October 2013, the Indonesian People's Representative Council (DPR) began reviewing draft laws on the establishment of 57 prospective regencies and 8 new provinces; one of the proposed new provinces is Kapuas Raya (Great Kapuas) in West Kalimantan. This proposed measure has been held in abeyance since 2013, but if and when the bill is approved, this will make Kapuas Raya the seventh largest province in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

after

South Papua South Papua, officially the South Papua Province (), is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province located in the southern portion of Western New Guinea, Papua, following the borders of the Papuan customary region of Anim Ha. Formally establ ...

Riau Riau (Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the central eastern coast of the island of Sumatra, and extends from the eastern slopes of the Barisan Mountains to the Malacca Strait, including s ...

South Sumatra South Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the southeast of the island of Sumatra. The capital and largest city of the province is the city of Palembang. The province borders the provinces of Jambi to the north ...

and the newly-reduced

Papua (province) Papua is a provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, comprising the northern coast of Western New Guinea together with island groups in Cenderawasih Bay to the west. It roughly follows the borders of the Papuan customary region of Tabi Sai ...

, as the total area of Kapuas Raya, encompassing five regencies, will measure 81,897.81 square km, or 55.7 per cent of the current size of West Kalimantan. Ever since 2005, the five regencies in the eastern part of West Kalimantan (Sanggau, Sekadau, Sintang, Melawi and Kapuas Hulu) have floated a concept to establish Kapuas Raya due to the distance issues from the respective regencies to the province capital

. The distance between the farthest regency of Kapuas Hulu and Mempawah is 661 km, followed by Melawi (439 km), Sintang (395 km), Sekadau (315 km) and Sanggau (267 km).

Ecology

There are three National Parks in the province: Danau Sentarum, Gunung Palung and Betung Kerihun. Currently,

illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, purchase, or sale of timber in violation of laws. The harvesting procedure itself may be illegal, including using corrupt means to gain access to forests; extraction without permission, or from a p ...

for trees such as

dipterocarp Dipterocarpaceae is a family of flowering plants with 22 genera and about 695 known species of mainly lowland tropical forest trees. Their distribution is pantropical, from northern South America to Africa, the Seychelles, India, Indochina, Indo ...

and plantations of

palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...

and

pulpwood Pulpwood can be defined as timber that is ground and processed into a fibrous pulp. It is a versatile natural resource commonly used for Papermaking, paper-making but also made into low-grade wood and used for chips, energy, pellets, and engineered ...

threaten many rare species in the province due to the effects of

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

. Peat bog fires and droughts or flooding during ENSO episodes also threaten the area and are worsened by ongoing

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

. Dr Hotlin Ompusunggu has received the 2011 Whitley Award for her conservation work in West Kalimantan. She has been fighting against illegal logging by the trade-off with low-cost quality dental and medical treatment to 60,000 villagers on condition they involve in reforestation and conservation work.

Education

* SMA Negeri 4 Pontianak public school

Demographics

Ethnic groups

The largest ethnic groups in West Kalimantan are the Dayak (34.93%) and Malays (33.84%). The Dayaks are tribes in the hinterland, while the ethnic Malay mainly lives in the beach and river coastal areas. The third-largest ethnic group is the Javanese (9.74%), who live mainly in areas of transmigration. In fourth place are the ethnic Chinese (8.17%), who are largely found in urban areas such as Singkawang and Pontianak. Next in fifth place are the Madurese (6.27%), who live mainly in Pontianak and Kubu Raya. The next largest ethnic groups (sixth to tenth) are the

(3.13%), Sundanese (1.13%),

Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...

(0.60%), Daya (0.52%) and Banjar (0.33%), while others constitute 1.33%. File:Istana Kadriyah Pontianak.jpg, Kadariah Palace, the palace of the

Sultanate of Pontianak The Pontianak Kadriyah Sultanate ( Jawi: ) was a Malay state that existed on the western coast of the island of Borneo from the late 18th century until its disestablishment in 1950. It was founded in 1771 by Sultan Syarif Abdurrahman Ibni A ...

File:Dayak warior accssories.jpg, Dayak warrior parade in an event commemorating Youth Pledge Day at the Anjungan, West Kalimantan. File:Kwan Im Pontianak.jpg, Kwan Im Buddhist temple in North Pontianak.

Languages

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

is a language commonly used by people in West Kalimantan for interracial communication, but there are other indigenous

Malayic languages The Malayic languages are a branch of the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Austronesian language family. The two most prominent members of this branch are Indonesian and Malay. Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia and has evolved ...

including

Pontianak Malay Pontianak Malay (Pontianak Malay: ''Bahase Melayu Pontianak'', Jawi: بهاس ملايو ڤونتيانق) is a Malayic language primarily spoken by the Malay people in Pontianak and the surrounding areas in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is also ...

spoken in the capital

, and dialects of Sambas, Mempawah, Matam and Ketapang. The Sanggau, Sintang and Sekadau Malay dialects spoken in the northern part of the province itself are similar to

Sarawak Malay Sarawak Malay ( Standard Malay: ''Bahasa Melayu Sarawak'' or ''Bahasa Sarawak'', Jawi: , Sarawak Malay: ''Kelakar Sarawak'') is a Malayic language native to the State of Sarawak. It is a common language used by natives of Sarawak and also as ...

; meanwhile, Pontianak Malay is more closely related to Malaysian and Riau Malay languages. There are also various types of

Dayak languages The Dayak (; older spelling: Dajak) or Dyak or Dayuh are the native groups of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic groups, located principally in the central and southern interior of Borneo, each with its ...

; according to research by Institut Dayakologi, 188 dialects are spoken by the Dayaks; one language named Ot Danum is said to stand alone and is not a dialect of other Dayak groups. Dialect, however, lies in some sub-Uut Danum Dayak tribe itself. As the sub-tribe language Dohoi for example, to say eat only consist of a minimum of 16 vocabularies, ranging from the most delicate to the most rugged. For example, ngolasut (was fine), germ (general), dekak (for older or respected), ngonahuk (rough), monirak (the rough) and Macuh (for the spirits of the dead). Chinese languages such as Teochew and Khek/

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka-speaking Chinese, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas, are a southern Han Chinese subgroup whose principal settlements and ancestral homes are dispersed widely across the provinces of southern China ...

are also spoken.

Religion

According to the 2020 census, the largest religious group in West Kalimantan (60%) is Islam. Muslim majority areas in West Kalimantan are the inhabited coastal regions where the majority are Malays, such as Sambas, Mempawah,

, North Kayong, Kubu Raya,

and

. In Melawi and

Singkawang Singkawang ( Dayak Salako: ''Sakawokng''), or San-Khew-Jong ( zh, c=山口洋, p=Shānkǒuyáng; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ), is a coastal city and port located in the province of West Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. It is located at a ...

approximately 50% of the population are Muslims. Islam is also practiced by Javanese, Madurese and

located in West Kalimantan. In rural areas inhabited by the Dayak predominantly Christian as in Bengkayang, Landak,

and Sekadau. The

in West Kalimantan mostly adhere to Buddhism and Christianity (Catholic / Protestant).

Culture

Traditional Dance

Tari Monong / Manang is a traditional dance of West Kalimantan society. This dance is a healing dance. When there are people who are sick but do not heal, usually the family will hold Tari Monong / Manang. The dancer will act as a shaman healer who issued a special spell. Thus, the patient will be motivated to get better. Tari Zapin Tembung is a type of social dance in the communities of West Kalimantan. Tari Menoreh Getah is a traditional dance which describes the motion of life of rural communities in West Kalimantan that meet their daily needs. Based on the idea that dance is worked by elements of dance movement Malay and Dayak in West Kalimantan. Tari Mandau is a dance which symbolises of the fighting spirit of the Dayak community in defence of dignity and status.

Traditional Clothes

West Kalimantan men wear traditional clothing in the form of headgear decorated with feathers of hornbills, sleeveless shirt (vest), knee-length trousers and fabric that serves as a belt. Usually, West Kalimantan men also wear jewellery, such as a beaded necklace. Women usually wear cloth covering the chest, as well as layers of fabrics which serves as setagen and woven fabrics. Jewellery is worn in the form of hornbill feathers as a headdress, beaded necklace and bracelet on the arm. This custom clothing comes from the Dayak tribe. The classical attire for the Malays in West Kalimantan includes Telok Belanga (for men) and Baju Kurong (for women). Wearing Baju Telok Belanga and Baju Kurong is especially popular during weddings and other traditional functions.

Songket ''Songket'' or sungkit is a '' tenun'' fabric that belongs to the brocade family of textiles of Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It is hand-woven in silk or cotton, and intricately patterned with gold or silver threads. The metallic threads ...

weaving is also popular, especially in Sambas (located in the northwestern part of the province).

Traditional Weapons

The ''mandau'' is a traditional weapon commonly used by people in West Kalimantan. A ''mandau'' is a kind of machete and some are used for everyday purposes. Other weapons are a shield, blowgun, spear, and sickle. The mandau is used for the purposes of war, decorated with human hair as a symbol of courage. The shield, which is called ''kelikit'', has the size of a full-sized man with ornate carvings in black and red. Other weapons are blowpipe with arrows tipped with poison sap of a tree called ''ipoh''.

Traditional Houses

One of the cultural houses in West Kalimantan is called "Rumah Panjang" (

longhouse A longhouse or long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room building for communal dwelling. It has been built in various parts of the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. Many were built from lumber, timber and ...

) because its size length and made of wood. This house is the residence of the Dayak tribe, the function of this custom home is actually a place to stay for a couple of heads of families and also usually used for meetings. They can also be found in other provinces of Kalimantan as well as the neighbouring

in Malaysia. "Rumah Radakng" which is also a kind of longhouse located in Pontianak and the surrounding area. This house has a length of approximately 380 meters high and 7 meters including the most luxurious custom home in West Kalimantan in the meantime. "Rumah Batok" is a traditional house owned by the Dayak tribe Badayuh, this house has a unique shape because it has a round shape and height of up to approximately 12 meters to the top. Malay traditional house is a house owned by ethnic Malays, which is located in the city of Pontianak. These traditional houses are usually used as a place of deliberation, performing arts, wedding place citizens and other events.

Festivals

Robo-robo tradition. Robo-robo derived from the Robo or Rabu (Wednesday). Robo-Robo tradition held on the last Wednesday of Safar based on the Islamic Calendar, which symbolizes a blessing. According to the story, this rite is a warning or trail the arrival of Rajkumar Mas Surya Negara of the Kingdom Matan (Martapura) to the Kingdom of Mempawah (Pontianak). The ritual begins when the Maharaja (King), Queen Mempawah, sons and daughters and the retainer and the guard departed from Castle Village, Mempawah use bidar boat, the boat kingdom of Amantubillah Palace. The ship will sail to the mouth of the River Mempawah located in the village of Kuala Mempawah with the distance of about one hour. At the river, the mouth will do some sort of ceremony "welcome" to the sea as when Opu Daeng Menambon arrived at the river mouth for the first time. Robo-robo itself was intended as a warning Haulan series of important events began on Monday night to Tuesday, the last month of Safar to commemorate the death of Opu Daeng Manambun. For the citizens of Bugis descent in the ordinance, robo-robo usually celebrated with family meals at home. Not only at home, but eating together also carried students in various schools both elementary to high school on Wednesday morning.

Notes

References

* J. Braithwaite, V. Braithwaite, M. Cookson & L. Dunn, ''Anomie and Violence: Non-truth and Reconciliation in Indonesian Peacebuilding'' (ANU E-Press: 2010

* Davidson, Jamie S. and Douglas Kammen (2002). Indonesia's unknown war and the lineages of violence in West Kalimantan. ''Indonesia'' 73:53. * Yuan, Bing Ling (1999). Chinese Democracies – A Study of the Kongsis of West Borneo (1776–1884).

External links

Go West Kalimantan

Golddiggers, Farmers, and Traders in the "Chinese Districts" of West Kalimantan, Indonesia
{{Authority control . Provinces of Indonesia Kapuas basin