Pontianak, Indonesia
Encyclopedia
Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesia
n province of West Kalimantan
. It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo
. Pontianak occupies an area of 107.82 km² in the delta
of the Kapuas River
. It is located precisely on the equator
, hence it is widely known as Kota Khatulistiwa (Equator City).
and was founded in 23 October 1771 around an old trading station on the Borneo coast. It is built on swampy ground that is subjected to regular flooding by the river, requiring buildings to be constructed on piles to keep them off the ground. It has its name due to the story that the founder had seen an appearance of Kuntilanak ghost at the place to be built for the palace, which he fought to save the people.
province. It has also strong trade link with the city of Kuching
, Malaysia. Trading activities are centred along the Kapuas River
, which range from the easternmost part of West Kalimantan province to the South China Sea
.
The University of Tanjung Pura, a state university, was established in Pontianak in 1963. In addition to this, there are other universities maintained by private institutions: Muhammadiyah University, University of Widya Dharma, University of Panca Bhakti, STMIK (Sekolah tinggi Manajemen Informatika dan Komputer), University of Panca Bhakti, State Islamic collage (STAIN), POLNEP (Politeknik Negeri Pontianak), etc.
in 2006 of 509,804. Pontianak is a multicultural city. It has a large population of Chinese
alongside the native Malay and Dayak local ethnic groups, living alongside Javanese, Bugis, Batak, Minang, Madurese, Sundanese, Balinese, Ambonese and Papuan migrating from all over the country. In fact, Chinese form the largest single ethnic group in the city. Most Chinese are of either Teochew
or Hakka
extraction. These Chinese people trace their origins to the Chaoshan region in the Guangdong province of China. Native Indonesians are mainly Malay and Dayak people
. Madurese and Javanese are also significant minorities.
is the lingua franca used amongst the Chinese people in Pontianak. This dialect is closely related to the Teochew used in Singapore
and Peninsular Malaysia
. Most citizens of Pontianak use Malay accent of Indonesian, which is somewhat similar to that used in Malaysia.
(Jalan Lintas Kalimantan) to Tebedu in Sarawak
.
Transportation to other parts of Indonesia is mainly via Supadio Airport
. There are more than 10 flights every day connecting Pontianak and Jakarta. There are also flights from and to Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Batam, Kuching, and Singapore. Sea transports connect Pontianak to Jakarta, Semarang, Cirebon, and some other cities, including regional cities such as Ketapang in southern part of West Kalimantan.
under the Koppen climate classification
. The city sees a copious amount of rain throughout the year, averaging 3210 mm of precipitation annually. Only in the month of July does the average monthly precipitation fall below 200 mm. Temperatures are consistent throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures of 30 degrees celsius and average low temperatures of 23 degrees celsius.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n province of West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of four Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital city Pontianak is located right on the Equator....
. It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. Pontianak occupies an area of 107.82 km² in the delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
of the Kapuas River
Kapuas River
The Kapuas 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 of Indonesia and one of the world's longest island rivers...
. It is located precisely on the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
, hence it is widely known as Kota Khatulistiwa (Equator City).
History
The city was formerly the capital of the independent Sultanate of PontianakPontianak Sultanate
Pontianak Sultanate or Kesultanan Pontianak is a monarchy in the province of Pontianak, Indonesia.-History:Pontianak Sultanate was founded in 1771 by explorers from Hadhramaut led by al-Sayyid Syarif Abdurrahman al-Kadrie, descendants of Imam Ali ar-Ridha...
and was founded in 23 October 1771 around an old trading station on the Borneo coast. It is built on swampy ground that is subjected to regular flooding by the river, requiring buildings to be constructed on piles to keep them off the ground. It has its name due to the story that the founder had seen an appearance of Kuntilanak ghost at the place to be built for the palace, which he fought to save the people.
Economy
Pontianak is renowned for its food and regional produce. The main industries are shipbuilding and the production of rubber, palm oil, sugar, pepper, rice and tobacco. It was formerly Borneo's main centre for gold extraction. Pontianak is also recognised for being a trade hub between overseas cities and other cities in West KalimantanWest Kalimantan
West Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of four Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital city Pontianak is located right on the Equator....
province. It has also strong trade link with the city of Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, Malaysia. Trading activities are centred along the Kapuas River
Kapuas River
The Kapuas 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 of Indonesia and one of the world's longest island rivers...
, which range from the easternmost part of West Kalimantan province to the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
.
Education
There are colleges and universities operated by both state institutions as well as private and religious institutions.The University of Tanjung Pura, a state university, was established in Pontianak in 1963. In addition to this, there are other universities maintained by private institutions: Muhammadiyah University, University of Widya Dharma, University of Panca Bhakti, STMIK (Sekolah tinggi Manajemen Informatika dan Komputer), University of Panca Bhakti, State Islamic collage (STAIN), POLNEP (Politeknik Negeri Pontianak), etc.
Demographics
The 2000 census put Pontianak's population at about 472,220., with an intercensal estimateIntercensal estimate
Intercensal estimate in the field of demographics is an estimate of population between official census dates. Some nations produce regular intercensal estimates while others do not...
in 2006 of 509,804. Pontianak is a multicultural city. It has a large population of Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
alongside the native Malay and Dayak local ethnic groups, living alongside Javanese, Bugis, Batak, Minang, Madurese, Sundanese, Balinese, Ambonese and Papuan migrating from all over the country. In fact, Chinese form the largest single ethnic group in the city. Most Chinese are of either Teochew
Teochew people
The Chaozhou people are Han people, native to the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong province of China who speak the Teochew dialect. Today, most Teochew people live outside China in Southeast Asia especially in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. They can also be found almost anywhere in the...
or Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
extraction. These Chinese people trace their origins to the Chaoshan region in the Guangdong province of China. Native Indonesians are mainly Malay and Dayak people
Dayak people
The Dayak or Dyak are the native people of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic subgroups, located principally in the interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily...
. Madurese and Javanese are also significant minorities.
Language
The Teochew dialect of Min NanMin Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
is the lingua franca used amongst the Chinese people in Pontianak. This dialect is closely related to the Teochew used in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia , also known as West Malaysia , is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula. Its area is . It shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Across the Strait of Malacca to the west lies the island of Sumatra...
. Most citizens of Pontianak use Malay accent of Indonesian, which is somewhat similar to that used in Malaysia.
Transportation
The most popular form of transport are motorcycles. Public transport includes minivans (local: opelet) and human-powered becaks (three-wheel pedicabs). There are some city buses serving certain routes only. Inter city buses take passengers to other nearby cities (2, 3, to 10 or more hours of travel), even to Kuching, a city in Malaysia. Road transportation to Malaysia is possible via the Trans-Kalimantan HighwayPan Borneo Highway
Pan Borneo Highway , also known as Trans Borneo Highway, , ' is a network of federal roads connecting Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah. The Pan Borneo Highway project is a joint project between the governments of Brunei and Malaysia...
(Jalan Lintas Kalimantan) to Tebedu in Sarawak
Sarawak
Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
.
Transportation to other parts of Indonesia is mainly via Supadio Airport
Supadio Airport
Supadio International Airport is an airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...
. There are more than 10 flights every day connecting Pontianak and Jakarta. There are also flights from and to Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Batam, Kuching, and Singapore. Sea transports connect Pontianak to Jakarta, Semarang, Cirebon, and some other cities, including regional cities such as Ketapang in southern part of West Kalimantan.
Climate
Pontianak features a tropical rainforest climateTropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
under the Koppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
. The city sees a copious amount of rain throughout the year, averaging 3210 mm of precipitation annually. Only in the month of July does the average monthly precipitation fall below 200 mm. Temperatures are consistent throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures of 30 degrees celsius and average low temperatures of 23 degrees celsius.
Subdivisions
Pontianak has six subdivisions.See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pontianak
- Tadashige Daigo re massacre at Pontianak