Balabalagan Islands

Last updated

Balabalagan Islands (also spelled Bala-balakang and historically known as Little Paternoster Islands) are an Indonesian archipelago forming an administrative district of Mamuju Regency located in the Makassar Strait off the east coast of Kalimantan (Borneo), between it and Sulawesi and closer to the latter island. The archipelago is also located near the geographic center of Indonesia.

In the 19th century, the islands were recorded as numbering 14, with the largest named Sebunkatang; the channels were shallow and unnavigable, but provided a fertile fishing ground for the island natives, called Biajoo. [1] The islands rest on a coral reef, itself placed on an undersea bank which extends out from Kalimantan, presenting a major hazard to navigation; the Admiralty Pilot has warned that "No vessel should venture among [them] without local knowledge." [2] The islands cover a land area of only 1.47 km2 and had a population of 2,201 at the 2020 Census. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borneo</span> Island in Southeast Asia

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, with an area of 748,168 km2 (288,869 sq mi). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda Islands, located north of Java, west of Sulawesi, and east of Sumatra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Indonesia</span> Geography of the country of Indonesia

Indonesia is an archipelagic country located in Southeast Asia, lying between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is located in a strategic location astride or along major sea lanes connecting East Asia, South Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. Indonesia's various regional cultures have been shaped—although not specifically determined—by centuries of complex interactions with its physical environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalimantan</span> Region in Indonesia

Kalimantan is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dayak people</span> Indigenous ethnic group of Borneo

The Dayak or Dyak or Dayuh are one of the native groups of Borneo. It is a loose term for over 200 riverine and hill-dwelling ethnic groups, located principally in the central and southern interior of Borneo, each with its own dialect, customs, laws, territory, and culture, although common distinguishing traits are readily identifiable. Dayak languages are categorised as part of the Austronesian languages. The Dayak were animist in belief; however, since the 19th century there has been mass conversion to Christianity as well as Islam due to the spreading of Abrahamic religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Kalimantan</span> Province of Indonesia

West Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of five Indonesian provinces comprising Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital and largest city is Pontianak. It is bordered by East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan to the east, the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the west and the Java Sea to the south. The province has an area of 147,307 km2, and had a population of 4,395,983 at the 2010 Census and 5,414,390 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 5,541,376. Ethnic groups include the Dayak, Malay, Chinese, Javanese, Bugis, and Madurese. The borders of West Kalimantan roughly trace the mountain ranges surrounding the vast watershed of the Kapuas River, which drains most of the province. The province shares land borders with Central Kalimantan to the southeast, East Kalimantan to the east, and the Malaysian territory of Sarawak to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Kalimantan</span> Province in Indonesia

South Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is the smallest province in Kalimantan, the Indonesian territory of Borneo. The provincial capital was Banjarmasin until 15 February 2022 when it was legally moved to Banjarbaru. The population of South Kalimantan was recorded at just over 3.625 million people at the 2010 Census, and at 4.07 million at the 2020 Census. The official estimate as at mid 2022 was 4,182,080. One of the five Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan, it is bordered by the Makassar Strait in the east, Central Kalimantan in the west and north, the Java Sea in the south, and East Kalimantan in the north. The province also includes the island of Laut, located off the eastern coast of Kalimantan. The province is divided into 11 regencies and 2 cities. South Kalimantan is the traditional homeland of the Banjar people, although some parts of East Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan are also included in this criteria. Nevertheless, South Kalimantan, especially the former capital city Banjarmasin has always been the cultural capital of Banjarese culture. Many Banjarese have migrated to other parts of Indonesia, as well as neighbouring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. In addition, other ethnic groups also inhabit the province, such as several groups of the Dayaks, who mostly live in the interior part of the province, as well as the Javanese, who mostly migrated from Java due to the Transmigration program which dated from the Dutch colonial era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Java Sea</span> Shallow sea between Java and Kalimantan, in Indonesia

The Java Sea is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South China Sea. It is a part of the western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natuna Regency</span> Regency in Riau Islands, Indonesia

Natuna Regency is an islands regency located in the northernmost part of the Province of Riau Islands, Indonesia. It contains at least 154 islands, of which 127 of them are reported as uninhabited. This archipelago, with a land area of 1,978.31 km2 out of a total area of 264,198.37 km2 area, contains 15 districts, including the island district of Pulau Laut, Bunguran/Greater Natuna Island, the island district of Pulau Tiga, the island district of Midai, the island district of Subi, and the island district of Serasan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahakam River</span> River in Kalimantan, Indonesia

The Mahakam River is third longest and volume discharge river in Borneo after Kapuas River and Barito River, it is located in Kalimantan, Indonesia. It flows 980 kilometers from the district of Long Apari in the highlands of Borneo, to its mouth at the Makassar Strait.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taman Mini Indonesia Indah</span> Theme park in Jakarta, Indonesia

Taman Mini "Indonesia Indah" is a culture-based recreational area located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. Since July 2021, it is operated by PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan, dan Ratu Boko, a subsidiary of the state-owned tourism holding company InJourney. It was operated by Yayasan Harapan Kita, a foundation established by Siti Hartinah, the first lady during most of the New Order and wife of Suharto, and run by Suharto's descendants since his death until 2021. It has an area of about 100 hectares. The project cost some US$ 26 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nunukan Regency</span> Regency in North Kalimantan, Indonesia

Nunukan Regency is a regency of North Kalimantan Province in Indonesia. It was created on 4 October 1999 from the northern districts of Bulungan Regency. Nunukan Regency shares international borders with the Malaysian states of Sabah to the north and Sarawak to the west, and inter-regency borders with Tana Tidung Regency and Malinau Regency to the south, as well as the coastal city of Tarakan in the east. The regency covers an area of 14,247.50 km2 and it had a population of 140,841 at the 2010 census and 199,090 at the 2020 census. The official estimate as at mid 2022 was 208,303.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethnic groups in Indonesia</span> Overview of ethnic groups in Indonesia

There are 1,340 recognised ethnic groups in Indonesia. The vast majority of those belong to the Austronesian peoples, with a sizeable minority being Melanesians. Indonesia has the world's largest number of Austronesians and Melanesians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bintan Regency</span> Regency in Riau Islands, Indonesia

Bintan Regency is an administrative area in the Riau Islands Province of Indonesia. Bintan Regency includes all of Bintan Island and also includes many outlying islands including the Tambelan Archipelago and Badas Islands situated between Bintan and West Kalimantan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarakan</span> City in North Kalimantan, Indonesia

Tarakan is an island and co-extensively the sole city within the newly established Indonesian province of North Kalimantan. The island city is located in northern Borneo, midway along the coast of the province. The city boundaries are co-extensive with the island. 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 conflict. It is the sole city within the newly established Indonesian province of North Kalimantan. According to Statistics Indonesia, the city had a population of 193,370 at the 2010 Census and 242,786 inhabitants at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 248,972 (comprising 128,895 males and 120,077 females.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Indonesia</span> Overview of the geology of Indonesia

This is a brief summary of the geology of Indonesia. Indonesia is located between two major tectonic plates, the Australian Plate and the newly-separated Sunda Plate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berau Regency</span> Regency in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Berau Regency is one of the seven regencies in East Kalimantan province in Indonesia. The capital is the town of Tanjung Redeb. It has an area of 36,962.37 km2 and had a population of 179,079 at the 2010 census and 248,035 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 272,887.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kutai</span> Historical region in what is now East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Kutai is a historical region in what is now known as East Kalimantan, Indonesia on the island of Borneo and is also the name of the native ethnic group of the region, numbering around 300,000 who have their own language known as the Kutainese language which accompanies their own rich history. Today, the name is preserved in the names of three regencies in East Kalimantan province which are the Kutai Kartanegara Regency, the West Kutai Regency and the East Kutai Regency with the major river flowing in the heart of the region known as the Mahakam River. Kutai is known to be the place of the first and oldest Hindu kingdom to exist in East Indies Archipelago, the Kutai Martadipura Kingdom which was later succeeded by the Muslim Kutai Kartanegara Sultanate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palaran Stadium</span> Stadium in Indonesia

Palaran Stadium is a sports venue located in Samarinda, the capital city of East Kalimantan province. It is a multi-purpose stadium centering the East Kalimantan Main Stadium Sports Complex. It was opened in 2008 and has a seating capacity of 35,000. It is the largest stadium on the island of Borneo. The stadium was the main venue for the 2008 Indonesia National Games. It is the first Indonesian all-seater stadium. Since 2018, the stadium has not been utilized for any sport events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital of Indonesia</span> National capital in Indonesia

The capital of the Republic of Indonesia is Jakarta, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Southeast Asia. Previously known as Batavia, it was the de facto capital of the Dutch East Indies. In the early 20th century, the Dutch East Indies government attempted to relocate the capital from Batavia to Bandung. During Indonesia's struggle for independence, the Indonesian government moved the capital to Yogyakarta and then to Bukittinggi, where it remained for a short time until the restoration of control to Jakarta. In 2019, during his annual state of the union address at the parliament, President Joko Widodo announced a plan to relocate the capital to Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. As part of the plan, part of Kutai Kartanegara Regency and Penajam North Paser Regency in East Kalimantan will be carved out to create a new province-level planned city, and the capital will be relocated to a more central location within Indonesia. On 17 January 2022, the name was revealed to be Nusantara. Although Jakarta is no longer a capital since 17 August 2024, it is expected that the province will join with Banten or West Java as a city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samarinda Islamic Center Mosque</span> Mosque in Indonesia

Samarinda Islamic Center Mosque, also known as Baitul Muttaqien Mosque, is a mosque located in the subdistrict of Teluk Lerong Ulu, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, which is one of the largest mosques in Southeast Asia. It situates at the foreground of Mahakam River, and it has seven minarets and a huge dome.

References

  1. George Wright (1834). A New and Comprehensive Gazetteer. Thomas Kelly. p.  384. balabalagan.
  2. Michael Leifer (n.d.). International Straits of the World: Malacca Singapore and Indonesia. Sijthoff & Nordhoff. ISBN   9028607781. Note that Google Books has mislabeled book.
  3. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.

2°31′20″S117°56′10″E / 2.52222°S 117.93611°E / -2.52222; 117.93611