The island of Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, accounting for two-thirds (532,205 sq. km) of its total territory (743,330 sq. km). The shape of the island of Kalimantan, its length, geographical features and natural characteristics are of interest to many tourists. This is a place where many wildlife lovers aspire to the shores from all over the world.
Where is the island of Kalimantan
Located in the heart of the Malay Archipelago, washed by four seas, Kalimantan contains three states: Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia, which occupies the largest part of the land and consists of four provinces named according to the cardinal points: Central, Western, South, East. The Malaysian part is located on 26% of the total territory and is divided into the states of Sabak and Sarawak.
How long is Kalimantan
Kalimantan, which occupies the third place on the planet in terms of its size, is a truly fabulous territory, captivating with the beauty of wildnature with impenetrable tropical jungles, many full-flowing rivers, diverse flora and fauna, certain representatives of which are found only here. From southwest to northeast, the length of the island of Kalimantan is approximately 1100 kilometers. There are several interpretations of its name: "Land of Mango", "Diamond River" and in honor of the local tribe - Clementans. The length of the island of Kalimantan in km, its coordinates, area and nature are of interest to many travelers who dream of getting to these parts with impenetrable jungle.
History of the island
The first settlers who came from Africa appeared on the island of Kalimantan quite a long time ago - about 50,000 years ago. By the 15th century, Borneo became part of the Indonesian empire of Majapahit, its inner part was inhabited by the natives, and the northern tip until the 18th century belonged to the flourishing Brunei Sultanate in those years. Europeans began to develop the territory of Kalimantan in the 16th century and settled down on it quite quickly; the Dutch even founded the East India Company, whose goal was to export natural we alth from the newly discovered lands.
Later, the island of Kalimantan (photo attached) became a colonial possession of Holland, which finally subjugated it in the 19th century. During World War II, it was under Japanese occupation. The independent Republic of Indonesia was recognized in 1950.
A little about Dayaks
The island of Kalimantan (the photo vividly conveys all the untouched beauty of these magical places) is kept away fromrapidly developing civilization.
There are no ancient historical monuments and resort entertainment. The indigenous inhabitants of the island are the Dayaks, otherwise known as "headhunters" (for the custom of bringing the heads of warriors of hostile tribes to their camp). They stubbornly adhere to the traditions laid down for centuries. The number of natives is about a million people, and they live according to the law of the jungle and hunt monkeys and birds with the help of ancient tools. It is unlikely that against the background of such a rhythm of life they are interested in the length of the island of Kalimantan in km. Dayaks live in long houses called lamins; each with about 50 people. Pride in one's people, heroism and hospitality are expressed in traditional dances - a truly unusual and bewitching sight.
The total population of the island of Kalimantan is about 10 million people, most of them inhabit the banks of rivers and cultivate land. City dwellers like trade and various crafts.
Provinces of Kalimantan
Central Kalimantan is the largest province of the island, covering an area of 153,564 sq. kilometers. At first glance, this territory looks like a continuous impenetrable jungle forest, although its southern part is a swampy area cut by a large number of rivers, and mountains are located in the northern direction. The highest of them is Bukit Raya, reaching a height of 2278 meters and located on the border of Central and Western Kalimantan. the most beautifulthe city of the island is Palankaraya, originally conceived as the capital of Indonesia.
South Kalimantan (36985 sq. km) is a rich fertile province, famous for its huge plantations of iron and rubber trees and divided by the Miratus mountain range into two parts: mountainous with dense tropical forest and lowland with a large number of rivers, the longest of which – Barito (length 600 km). The capital of South Kalimantan is the city of Bandajarmasin, characterized by numerous canals and interesting urban architecture. The symbol of the city is the Sabilal Mukhtadin Mosque, famous for its tall minarets. The floating markets located on the Burito River and river channels attract the most attention with their unusualness. Not far from Bandazharmasin there are diamond mines where precious stones are mined. Borneo is developing diamond and oil deposits, and oil production is the backbone of the economy of Indonesia and Brunei.
East Kalimantan covers an area of 194,849 sq. km and is the second largest part of the island with the main city of Samarinda, which is a major trading port located in the delta of the Mahakam River and famous for buildings on stilts and rafts. Samarinda is famous for its folk crafts: jewelry with pearls, woven rattan gizmos, the finest fabrics for sarongs.
West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan (146,807 sq. km) is an area with thinned tropical forests and peat bogs. Here, as in the southern partislands, there are a large number of rivers, and most of them are full-flowing all year round. Barito, Mahakam and Kapuas are navigable for several hundred kilometers. By the way, there are two Kapuas rivers on the island, one of which flows in West Kalimantan and is considered the longest river in Indonesia (1040 km) and the longest island river on the planet. The second Kapuas, 600 km long, is a tributary of the Barito and flows in the central part of the island. The capital of West Kalimantan is the coastal city of Pantianak, which crosses the equator line. Attractions worthy of the attention of tourists are the Abdurrahman Mosque, the Sultan's Kadriarh Palace, the Museum of Ceramics and Porcelain and the City Museum with a fascinating composition dedicated to the culture of ancient peoples.
Characteristic features of Kalimantan
Numerous national parks scattered across the island demonstrate the splendor of tropical nature, diversity and uniqueness of flora and fauna. The fauna of Kalimantan is rich and varied: there are 222 species of mammals alone, of which 44 are endemic. Here you can meet large monkeys, elephants, woolly wing, a large number of varieties of bats, leopard, crocodile, two-horned rhinoceros. There are a huge number of birds in the forests - about 600 species. The most famous of them: a bird - a rhinoceros, a parrot, an argus. The fauna of arthropods and insects is so abundant that it has not yet been fully studied. Of the trees, pandanus, bamboo, multi-stemmed ficus,which is a whole grove formed by aerial roots of one plant, capable of reaching a height of 15-30 meters.
Lush forests are represented by large trees growing up to one and a half kilometers in height. Among them are sandalwood and rasamala. The wood of these representatives of the plant world is highly valued and is the basis for obtaining aromatic essential oils, resins and balms. The tops of the mountains are covered with grassy meadows and thickets of shrubs. The shores of Kalimantan are mostly swampy and low-lying, with few convenient bays. A long intermittent barrier of coral reefs stretches along the entire coast.
