Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau (a ferry harbour), and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main transportation ports to the city. The city has a population of 469,884[1], making it the second-largest city in East Kalimantan, after the capital Samarinda.
Geography
The topography of the municipality of Balikpapan is generally hilly (85%), with only small areas of flatland (15%), particularly along the coast and surrounding the hilly areas. The hills are less than 100 meters higher than the adjacent valleys. The altitude of Balikpapan ranges from 0 to 80 meters above sea level.
Most of the soil in Balikpapan contains yellow-reddish podsolic soil and alluvial and quartz sand, making it extremely prone to erosion.
History
Prior to the oil boom of the early 1900s, Balikpapan was an isolated Bugis fishing village. Balikpapan's name (lit. balik is behind and papan is a plank) comes from a folk story where a local king threw his newborn daughter into the sea to protect her from his enemies. The baby was tied beneath some planks, which were discovered by a fisherman.[citation needed]
In 1897, a small refinery company began the first oil drilling.[2] Construction of roads, wharves, warehouses, offices, barracks, and bungalows started when a Dutch oil company arrived in the area. On January 24, 1942, Balikpapan became a war theatre between the Japanese army and the Allied Forces, resulting in heavy damage to the oil refinery and other facilities. Several campaigns followed until the 1945 Battle of Balikpapan, which concluded the Allied Forces' Borneo campaign, after which they took control of the Borneo island.
Extensive wartime damage curtailed almost all oil production in the area until major repairs were performed by the Royal Dutch Shell company. Shell continued operating in the area until Indonesian state-owned Pertamina took it over in 1965.[2] Lacking technology, skilled manpower, and capital to explore the petroleum region, Pertamina sublet petroleum concession contracts to multinational companies in the 1970s.
With the only oil refinery site in the region, Balikpapan emerged as a revitalized center of petroleum production. Pertamina opened its regional headquarters in the city, followed by branch offices established by international oil companies. Hundreds of labourers from other parts of Indonesia, along with skilled expatriates who served as managers and engineers, flocked into the city.
source : wikipedia
Geography
The topography of the municipality of Balikpapan is generally hilly (85%), with only small areas of flatland (15%), particularly along the coast and surrounding the hilly areas. The hills are less than 100 meters higher than the adjacent valleys. The altitude of Balikpapan ranges from 0 to 80 meters above sea level.
Most of the soil in Balikpapan contains yellow-reddish podsolic soil and alluvial and quartz sand, making it extremely prone to erosion.
History
Prior to the oil boom of the early 1900s, Balikpapan was an isolated Bugis fishing village. Balikpapan's name (lit. balik is behind and papan is a plank) comes from a folk story where a local king threw his newborn daughter into the sea to protect her from his enemies. The baby was tied beneath some planks, which were discovered by a fisherman.[citation needed]
In 1897, a small refinery company began the first oil drilling.[2] Construction of roads, wharves, warehouses, offices, barracks, and bungalows started when a Dutch oil company arrived in the area. On January 24, 1942, Balikpapan became a war theatre between the Japanese army and the Allied Forces, resulting in heavy damage to the oil refinery and other facilities. Several campaigns followed until the 1945 Battle of Balikpapan, which concluded the Allied Forces' Borneo campaign, after which they took control of the Borneo island.
Extensive wartime damage curtailed almost all oil production in the area until major repairs were performed by the Royal Dutch Shell company. Shell continued operating in the area until Indonesian state-owned Pertamina took it over in 1965.[2] Lacking technology, skilled manpower, and capital to explore the petroleum region, Pertamina sublet petroleum concession contracts to multinational companies in the 1970s.
With the only oil refinery site in the region, Balikpapan emerged as a revitalized center of petroleum production. Pertamina opened its regional headquarters in the city, followed by branch offices established by international oil companies. Hundreds of labourers from other parts of Indonesia, along with skilled expatriates who served as managers and engineers, flocked into the city.
source : wikipedia