The Equator Monument

The Equator Monument

Come, Join and Visit Us ! Be good Adventurer.With a population of about 300,000 Pontianak, West Kalimantan's provincial capital, known as the city on the Equator, is a bustling economic hub as well as the center of administration in the province. Pontianak was initially the center of the Pontianak sultanate the last kingdom in West Kalimantan, which was established at the same time as that of the Dutch administration in the second half of the 18th century. The founder of the sultanate was Syarif Abdurrahman. As the seat of the kingdom, Pontianak was founded on October 23, 1771 on a spot covered by jungle at the mouth of the Kapuas Kecil and Landak rivers. Pontianak has since, served as a kind of cultural gateway through which influences from the outside reached the population of the hinterland. People from the hinterland also come to the city and mixed with Malays, Javanese, Chinese, Bugis and other peoples. For the Japanese, Pontianak has a special significance because the first battle occurred in this city. Pontianak lies on the Kapuas river where many houses are built over the water and are connected with each other by wooden bridges. Small boats sail up and down the river to transport people and goods from one place to another. Pontianak is known as a producer of oranges, although the fruits are actually grown in the Tebas district, 300 kilometers north of the city. Pontianak has some attractive tourism objects. The city is located on the equator, at the north of the rivers Kapuas and Landak.

The Kapuas is 1,143 kilometers long. It is the most important river in the area, and can be navigated by small boats weighing up to 1.000 tons up to Putussibau, the capital of the Kapuas Hulu regency, 814 kilometers from Pontianak. A small motorboat can even go further upstream.Pontianak's links with various other cities inside the province and outside are smooth. Air transportation is available to and from Jakarta (381 miles), Balikpapan (456 miles), Singapore (344 miles) and Kuching (Malaysia -118 miles). From Pontianak planes fly to various small towns throughout West Kalimantan where airstrips exist.

The Enchanting Kapuas And The Equator

The Enchanting Kapuas and the Equator; West Kalimantan is an important and very attractive province. It is rich in history, culture and places of interest for the tourist. The province borders on Sarawak, East Malaysia, to its west are the South China Sea and the Karimata Strait. To the east is the province of Central Kalimantan and to the south the province of South Kalimantan and the Java Sea. West Kalimantan is a big province with total area of 146,807 square kilometers, or about one-fifth of total land surface of Kalimantan Island, or about equal that of Java plus the island of Madura. Most of West Kalimantan is mountainous.

There is the well-known Muller mountain range in the east and the Schwaner mountains in the southeast. Various valuable minerals are found on and around those mountains, such as gold, mercury, manganese, bauxite, gypsum and kaolin. The lowland areas are found around Sambas, Pontianak and Ketapang, the most important towns. Around these towns are the wide lowlands and swamps. West Kalimantan has a number of important rivers for the transportation of goods and people. However, there are rivers that can be navigated only during the rainy season, when the water is high. During the dry season, these rivers run empty and cannot sailed. The most important rivers are the Kapuas, Sambas, Sekayam, Landak, Melawi and Pawan.