North Kalimantan

North Kalimantan, propinsi (or provinsi; province), northeast Borneo, Indonesia. It is bounded by the East Malaysian states of Sarawak to the west and Sabah to the north, by the Celebes Sea to the east, and by the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur) to the south. North Kalimantan also embraces a number of islands in the Celebes Sea, including Sebatik (southern half), Bunyu, and Tarakan, among others. The capital of North Kalimantan is Tanjung Selor, on the eastern coast.

An uninterrupted mountain range, the Iran Mountains, runs northeast to southwest, parallel to North Kalimantan’s border with Sarawak. The range has spurs that run northeastward in the central and northern parts of the province and that nearly reach the coast. The mountains are surmounted by nonvolcanic peaks, including Gunung Kiung (5,443 feet [1,659 metres]) and Gunung Harun (4,513 feet [1,376 metres]). Rivers include the Sebuku, Sembakung, Sesayap, Kayan, and Bahau. They flow eastward to the Celebes Sea and have created a number of estuaries at their mouths along the coast.

Shifting agriculture is the principal occupation; rice, corn (maize), cassava, potatoes, red pepper, fruits, and vegetables are among the major crops. Livestock and poultry are raised, and riverine and deep-sea fishing is economically important. Manufacturing activities include food processing, rice milling, pharmaceutical production, sawmilling, wood carving, weaving, plaiting, beadworking, basket and mat making, and iron smelting.

Riverboats and coastal vessels have continued to serve as a primary means of transportation and communication within the province. There are airports at Tanjung Selor and Tarakan, and smaller airfields accommodate sparse but regular flights into the inland areas. The massive Kayan Mentarang National Park is one of the largest conservation areas in Southeast Asia, encompassing more than 5,200 square miles (13,600 square km) in the deep interior near the Malaysian border.

Among the indigenous Dayak groups (a term generally applied to non-Muslim indigenous peoples who trace their ancestry to the interior regions of Borneo) in North Kalimantan are the Kenyah, the Kelabitic Murut, and the Tidong. Area 29,138 square miles (75,468 square km). Pop. (2010) 524,656; (2015) 639,639.