West Kalimantan

Indonesia

West Kalimantan, Indonesian Kalimantan Barat, propinsi (or provinsi; province), western Borneo, Indonesia. It is bounded by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak to the north, by the Indonesian provinces of East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur) to the northeast and Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah) to the southeast, and by the Java Sea to the south and the Karimata Strait to the west. It includes the individual islands of Pelapis, Maya, Laut, Temaju, Bawal, Pengiki, and Padangtikar, as well as the Lemukutan islands and the Karimata island group in the Karimata Strait. The capital is Pontianak, in the north-central coastal region.

Most of the province, including the western coastal region, consists of swampy lowlands crisscrossed by the Landak, Kapuas, Pawan, and Kendawangan rivers and their tributaries. The Muller (Müller) Mountains and the Schwaner Mountains run sequentially from northeast to southwest and form about two-thirds of the southeastern boundary of the province. Most of the northern boundary is demarcated by the Kapuas Hulu Mountains, which meet the Muller Mountains in the northeast. Offshoots of the Muller and Schwaner mountains extend into the interior and form broad valleys drained by the Melawi and northeastern Kapuas rivers. The mountains have peaks that rise to an elevation of about 5,600 feet (1,700 metres). Dense forests of ironwood, teak, oak, and various conifers cover the mountains, and epiphytes (air plants, which grow on other plants rather than being rooted in the ground) abound.

Shifting agriculture forms the basis of the economy; rice, corn (maize), and cassava are raised. There are also some rubber and copra (dried coconut meat) plantations. Small-scale and cottage industries produce milled rice, palm oil, carved wood, handwoven cloth, and mats and baskets. Roads are few and connect Pontianak with other inland cities and with the coast. Rivers provide the principal means of internal transport. Most of the population consists of various indigenous peoples collectively called the Dayak. Area 56,876 square miles (147,307 square km). Pop. (2000) 4,016,353; (2010) 4,395,983.