KALIMANTAN TIMUR

also called East Kalimantan, provinsi (province), east-central Borneo, Indonesia, fronting the Celebes Sea to the northeast and the Makassar Strait to the southeast. It is bounded on the north and northwest by the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and by the Indonesian provinces of Kalimantan Barat on the west and Kalimantan Tengah and Kalimantan Selatan on the southwest. Kalimantan Timur covers an area of 81,637 square miles (211,440 square km) and embraces the islands of Sebalik (southern half), Bunyu, Tarakan, Panjang, Derawan, and Bilangbilangan in the Celebes Sea. An uninterrupted mountain range, the Iran Mountains, runs north-south, parallel to the western boundary of Kalimantan Timur. The range has spurs that run northeastward in the central and northern parts of the province and nearly reach the coast. The mountains are surmounted by nonvolcanic peaks including Mount Murud (7,999 feet ), Mount Kongkemul (6,735 feet ), and Mount Batubrok (7,349 feet ). Northern rivers include the Sebulku, Sembakong, Sesayap, Kayau, and Besau. They flow eastward to the Celebes Sea and have created a number of estuaries at their mouths along the coast. The Mahakam River, together with its tributaries, the Tolen and Belayan, has formed an inland basin covered by swamps that includes the Semayang, Melintang, and Jempang lakes in the southeastern part of the province. The mountains are covered by dense tropical rain forests of teak, oak, pine, alder, maple, and ash. Heavy rainfall has resulted in advanced laterization and consequent impoverishment of the soils. Agriculture, based on shifting cultivation, is the principal means of livelihood; rice, corn (maize), cassava, potatoes, red pepper, fruits, and vegetables are the major crops. Livestock and poultry are raised, and riverine and deep-sea fishing are economically important. Industries and crafts include food processing, rice milling, pharmaceutical production, sawmilling, wood carving, weaving, plaiting, beadworking, basket and mat making, and iron smelting. There is an oil refinery near Balikpapan, and oil and natural gas are extracted from offshore fields in the southeast. Roads are confined to the southeastern coastal plains and connect Samarinda, the provincial capital, with Tenggarong and Balikpapan. Internal communication is mainly by riverboat and coastal vessels; Balikpapan has an airport. The population consists mostly of the Iban, Kayan, Kelabitic Marut, and Tidong ethnic groups. Islam is the dominant religion, although many Iban have become Christians. The Kutai Game Reserve is located near Bontang on the eastern coast of the province. Pop. (1989 est.) 1,796,700.