Tarakan, North Kalimantan

Tarakan, located on Tarakan Island is one of the major cities in northern Borneo, just across the border from Sabah, Malaysia. Once a major oil producing region during the colonial period, Tarakan had great strategic importance during the Pacific War and was among the first Japanese targets early in the war. It is the sole city within the newly established (in 2012) Indonesian province of North Kalimantan.

Etymology

The name Tarakan comes from the Tidung language: Tarak (meeting place) and ngakan (to eat); thus Tarakan was originally a meeting place for sailors and traders in the Tidung area to eat, rest and trade their catch.

History

According to legends, native Tidungs established their kingdom in Tarakan around 1076 CE. After moving their capital several times over the centuries, in 1571 CE they settled their kingdom on the eastern coast of Tarakan, apparently already under influence of Islam.

Dutch colonial interests first explored the island in 1863 when oil seepages were discovered. In 1905 an oil concession was granted to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Petroleum Maatschappij, a predecessor to Royal Dutch Shell. One year later oil production began with a yield of over 57,928 barrels of oil per year. Production continued to increase and in the 1920s Tarakan yielded over 5 million barrels a year, a third of the total oil production in the whole Dutch East Indies.

North Kalimantan

North Kalimantan (Indonesian: Kalimantan Utara) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. The territory now comprising the province had a population of approximately 525,000 according to the 2010 census; the latest official estimate (for December 2013) is 628,331.

North Kalimantan borders the Malaysian states of Sabah to the north and Sarawak to the west, and by the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan to the south.

Formed on 25 October 2012, it is the newest province in Indonesia. It covers 72,275.12 square kilometres. The province's territory had been part of East Kalimantan.

It was the fastest growing province in the nation for 2015 census, edging Papua and Riau which had phenomenal growth the prior 5-year period.

Transport

Tarakan Airport on the eponymous island serves the province, as well as an international ferry port with services to Malaysia from Tawau. There are no international land crossings – entrance into the mainland of the province is by ferry from Tarakan or by road from the south. Large stretches of the roads in this province are of unpaved muddy ditches.