East Kalimantan
This province is the location of the oldest Hindu kingdom in Indonesia, Kutai, the existence of which is attested to by a stone manuscript, or Prasasti, which is now kept in the National Museum in Jakarta. The manuscript is written in the Pallava alphabet and the Sanskrit language. The replica of this manuscript can be seen in the Governor's Office in Samarinda.
Inscriptions on seven stone pillars erected in the 5th century BCE on the command of a local ruler, King Mulavarman, records his victories, his generosity to Brahmins, his princely genealogy.
Until 2012, East Kalimantan was divided into ten regencies and four cities. The city of Tarakan and four Regencies were split off to form a new province of North Kalimantan on 25 October 2012, leaving the following regencies and cities to comprise the reduced East Kalimantan.
On the 22nd of October 2012, the Indonesian House of Representatives agreed to the creation of a new province named North Kalimantan out of four of the Regencies in East Kalimantan, namely Malinau Regency, Nunukan Regency, Tana Tidung Regency and Bulungan Regency, together with one city, Tarakan.
Illegal logging has removed much of the original forests of the province. Less than half the original forest remains in places such as the Kayan Mentarang the Kutai national parks.
The projects that supports tropical rainforest conservation includes a WWF project and Samboja Lestari lodge, one of Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation's reforestation and orangutan rehabilitation projects.
East Kalimantan's economy heavily depends on earth resources such as oilfield exploration, natural gas, coal and gold. Balikpapan has an oil refinery plant that was built by Dutch governance before World War II, destroyed during World War II, and rebuilt after Indonesian independence.
| Other developing agriculture and tourism. | economic sectors include - |
In 2012, Russia's state railway firm Joint Stock Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the East Kalimantan Governor over railway lines to transport coal and other freight. The 1st stage will connect an area near Balikpapan port to West Kutai Regency in a 183-kilometer line and is estimated to cost about $1.8 billion. It will commence in 2013 and by 2017 it is hoped that it carry 20 million tons of coal annually. The 2nd phase will connect a line to Murung Raya in Central Kalimantan with a 60 kilometer line, which will cost an estimated $600 million.
In addition to Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan has a unique natural site, Labuan Cermin Lake at Biduk-biduk district which features fresh water on top with about 2 meters thickness and sea water underneath it. Both fresh water fish and sea water fish live in the lake inhabiting their respective habitat layer. "Cermin" means mirror in Indonesian language and the lake was named so due to the clarity of the water.
North Kalimantan was formally inaugurated as the 34th province of Indonesia on April 15, 2013. The new province was previously part of East Kalimantan Province and Irianto Lambrie will be acting as the governor of it until a new governor is chosen by their people in an election.
Related Sites for East Kalimantan
- Balikpapan, East Kalimantan | Indonesia Travel Guide read East Kalimantan
- East Borneo - East Kalimantan Tourism - Travel to Indonesia : รข€¦ read East Kalimantan
- East Kalimantan Map - Map of East Kalimantan - East Kalimantan ... read East Kalimantan
- East Kalimantan Map - Peta Kalimantan Timur - East Borneo Map read East Kalimantan
