Chicken Satay (Sate Ayam)

Satay, (known as sate in Indonesian) is a very popular food in Indonesia with a rich variety among Indonesia’s diverse ethnic groups’ culinary art. Indonesia is the home of satay, and satay is a widely renowned dish in almost all regions across the nation. As a result, many variations have been developed throughout the Indonesian Archipelago. Satay may have originated in Java, but it is also popular in many other Southeast Asian countries, such as: Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, as well as in The Netherlands which was influenced through its former colonies. In Indonesia, satay can be obtained from a traveling satay vendor, from a street-side tent-restaurant, in an upper-class restaurant, or during traditional celebration feasts.

Satay or sate is a dish consisting of chunks or slices of dice-sized meat (chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork, fish, etc.) on bamboo skewers (although the more authentic version uses skewers from the midrib of the coconut leaf). These are grilled or barbecued over a wood or charcoal fire, then served with various spicy seasonings (depends on satay recipe variants). Chicken Satay (Sate Ayam) is the most common dishes you can find easily in Indonesia. It’s originating from the island of Madura, East Java.

How to cook?

Ingredients

- 1/2 kg boneless Chicken, take off the skin and cut the meat in 2 cm cubes

- 3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)

- 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- 1 teaspoon of sugar

- Bamboo Skewers

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken with salt and sugar. Leave it for 1 hour.

2. Thread the chicken cubes onto satay skewers. Sprinkle with lime or lemon juice.

3. Fry the chicken skin to get the oil from it.

4. Brush the chicken with chicken oil and then grill the satay over hot charcoal. When the chicken is half done, brush again with the oil and dark sweet soya sauce. Continue grilling until the meat is cooked.

5. Serve with peanut sauce and plain rice  (nasi putih) or compressed rice (lontong)

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Pecel - Spicy and Delicious food from Madiun East Java

(Indonesia has many delicious food. One of them is pecel. We usually encounter Pecel in Madiun, Ponorogo, Kediri and surrounding areas)

Pecel is the typical food Madiun East Java Indonesia made of vegetable stew of spinach, bean sprouts, long beans, basil, leaves turi, Krai (a type of cucumber) or other vegetables are served with sauce doused pecel. The concept is similar to pecel dish salad dishes from Europe.

Both use fresh vegetables as main ingredients and uses toppings. The difference is, if a salad using mayonnaise as a topping, then use the sambal pecel pecel. The main ingredient of chilli pecel is peanuts and cayenne pepper mixed with other ingredients such as lime leaves, garlic, tamarind, pepper and salt.

Pecel often served with peanut peanut brittle, peanut brittle plates of shrimp or rice. Also pecel also usually served with warm white rice plus chicken or jerohan. How can the presentation of the plate or in a folded leaf, called Pincuk. This dish is similar to the gado-gado, although there are differences in the materials used. Pecel spicy flavor that characterizes the sting of this cuisine.

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KARIMUN JAWA ISLANDS

Natural scenic beauty such as coral reefs, seaweed, and seagrass in marine biota of diverse, mangrove forests, mountains and the remaining lowland tropical forests, all in a stretch of unspoiled islands making Karimunjawa as Sea National Park. This archipelago is administratively a district of Jepara regency, which is located about 45 miles northwest of the town of Jepara. Publications territorial area of 107,225 ha is, most of the ocean (100,105 ha), land area alone is 7120 ha. Region has a tropical climate influenced by the sea breeze blowing throughout the day with an average temperature of 26 sd 30 degrees Celsius, with a minimum temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and maximum temperature 34 degrees Celsius.

Karimunjawa is and island chain stretching in a northwesternly direction 83 km from Jepara. Central Java. This archipelago is a cluster of 27 island in the java sea. The reefs are a mixture of fringing, barrier, and patch with bottom depths ranging from 15 to 40 meters.

Five of these islands are domestically inhabited and together with 22 others from the four major zones; Zone I is the core sanctuary area and is out of bounds to all, Zone 2 is the wilderness area open to limited tourism, Zone 3 is the utilization area, Zone 4 is the buffer zone.

For visitor to the Park, expect a very pleasant welcome by the information staff, and an exciting range of flora and fauna to discover both above and below the water.The reefs harboring 35 types of hard corals, sponges, gorgonian, soft and red corals and an amazing 240 plus variety of fish.

A special bonus for the interpid is wreck diving at the island of Batu Kunci, Karang Kapal, Karang Ketel, and Batulawang. Best time for weather is April to November with the rainy season peaking between December and February.

Up to this date Karimunjawa has 12 dive sites. Most of the diving is done on the fringing reefs around the islands, as well as submerged reefs, and shipwrecks. The sites are all to the west of the main island

The wealth of flora and fauna make it Karimunjawa so fascinating. This area has several kinds of flora ecosystems, ie ecosystems of coral reefs, mangrove forests (seagrass), coastal forests, and lowland forest. On the other hand, the fauna also varied, such as deer and long-tailed monkeys and aquatic fauna that consists of 242 species of ornamental fish and aquatic genera 133. In addition, at this location there is also a rare species of fauna on the island berhabitat Bird and Geleang island, such as sea eagles and white chest and two species of turtle, the hawksbill and green turtles.

KARIMUNJAWA DIVING SITES

Menyawakan Island has much to offer to all sorts of divers, from novice to very experienced. The islands have been declared a national marine park and are protected. We have discovered several dive sites that are in good to excellent condition. We are placing mooring buoys on those locations, in corporation with the park authorities, and intend to protect them to the best of our ability. On the upside, one should perhaps mention the overall quality of the diving, the variety between fringing reefs, atolls and wrecks, the good variety of species, some of them rare, such as for example the Crocodile fish and Leafy Scorpion fish. Whale Sharks are being spotted all year round and recently one lucky group of divers had very close encounters with them on different locations on each of their three dives during one day... Macro divers also have a lot to be amazed of in the area and everyone loves the service given by the dive center!

The Wreck of Mitra
An Indonesian Pinisi freighter, which where put up on the reef by the Captain, who tried to save the cargo. Unfortunately for him, it sank immediately. See it for yourselves. As one of our guest divers once said after an early dive there: "even Steven Spielberg could not have done it better!"

The Wreck of Biblis
One of the the few wrecks in the world, which still has it huge bronze propeller intact. This wreck has been on the ocean floor for many years, so the coral life is amazing. Several big groupers are nearly always spotted on this wreck. Possibility to penetrate for trained wreck divers.

Karang Kapal
Is a very big submerged reef, where we from time to time find new drop-off's. This reef is so big, that there is still much to be explored. This dive site is home to very big Bump head Parrotfish, and the occasional White tip reef shark.

Taka Menyawakan
An exciting dive site, with spectacular coral cover which exceeds more than 250 different species, plentiful Bat fish and the wrecks of two ships! One of the wrecks is a Pelni ferry which sunk in the 50s. You will also see schooling Barracudas, Skipjack Tuna, Hawksbill turtles, Lobsters and Giant clams. Usually a strong current sweeps this reef, giving you an exciting ride all the way around it.

Ezdir Reef
This dive site is named after one of our frequent diver guests. It was discovered mid/late 2000. The quality and variety of corals are extremely good, so good that one group of divers did three dives on this site in one day, and it was the first site they wanted to visit when they returned to the resort again.

Hawksbill Point
Conveniently located on our own island of Menyawakan, this spot gives you the opportunity to come face to face with Hawksbill turtles and quite often Octopus too. Usually Crocodile fishes and Scorpion fishes are seen on your smooth drift back to the Resorts jetty.

The Wreck of Indonur
Dutch steam ship. Went down in 1963. A huge warehouse was on fire on the beach, it was mistaken for the lights of Semarang, and the captain went full speed up on the reef..... Come and see 6cm thick steel plates, torn apart like paper. Large riveted steam boilers. Great fish and coral life on the wreck is growing bigger and bigger each year. Excellent night dives on this wreck when you will have a chance to see Arrow crabs, Soft coral crabs and numerous other macro critters.

Torpedo Reef
One of our most remote dive sites, but well worth the boat trip since it is one of the high lights of the archipelago. The exceptionally healthy Torpedo Reef has remnants of torpedoes and grenades scattered across the ocean floor. Beside the torpedoes and the grenades, the reef has a good variety of pelagics and the blooming soft corals are nothing less than fantastic!

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Scuba Diving and Adventure Bunaken

Understanding Bunaken

Bunaken is one of Indonesia's most famous dive/snorkeling areas, and it draws scuba divers & snorkelers from all over the world. In addition to Bunaken itself, a rather featureless banana-shaped island, the National Park includes the neighboring islands of Manado Tua, a distinctive cone-shaped extinct volcano, Siladen, Montehagen, Nain, and Nain Kecil.

Bunaken Landscape
The park is famed for the clarity of its water (35m visibility is common in the summer dry season), the abundance of coral and fish, and for the precipitous "walls" at some sites. Bunaken Timur, right off the east coast of the island and featuring all of the above, is according to some the best dive site in all Indonesia.



Bunaken Flora and fauna
Except for the very largest pelagics, nearly everything can be found at Bunaken. Reef inhabitants include white and black tip reef sharks, giant sea turtles, napoleon fish, and dugongs.

You may frequently run into dolphins, and occasionally schools of whales.

Bunaken Climate
Bunaken is barely a degree above the equator and thus tropical. The "Rainy Season" from November to mid April, brings frequent rains, sometimes in storms lasting for several days, which make the air nice and cool but also reduce visibility. The "Dry Season" from May to October, when temperatures climb to 35° and visibility reaches a maximum. Bunaken receives far less rain than the mainland and is well ventilated with sea breezes.



How to Get to Bunaken

Bunaken is about 45-60 minutes by boat from Manado. Most resorts will arrange transfers from the airport for their guests. Alternatively, a public boat leaves daily except Sunday at 2-3PM from the canal on the north side of the market. The cost is 25,000Rp for tourists, 10,000Rp for locals (welcome to Indonesia). It returns to Manado from the jetty in Bunaken village around 8-8:30AM every morning except Sunday. You can also charter a boat both ways at anytime.

Bunaken Fees/Permits
As of September 2008, entry to the park costs either Rp 50,000/day or Rp 150,000/Calendar year, children below 10 years are exempt. Even though the fee does not seem to be automatically levied upon entrance to the island, it is the responsibility of all visitors to the Park to have one, and most reputable dive shops & Resorts will supply them. As proof of payment, you will receive a plastic tag that must be carried at all times; it's waterproof and must be carried at all times as "spot" checks are not uncommon by the patrol boats. The Park is Managed by a multi stakeholder board comprising of Government and non government members to include representatives of the 30,000 locals that live within the boundaries of the park. Though deemed by some as not being transparent and lacking in effectiveness, the management board together with the Water Police have, over the years, been able to stop cyanide fishing, dynamite fishing and more recently participated in the release of 700 Napoleon Wrasse that had been caught in and around the Marine Park and destined for the culinary delights of certain mindless individuals, thus, though not perfect and having room for lots of improvement the Management Board does have an important role in the conservation of the area and this could not happen without the support of all visitors in adhering to the purchase of the entrance tag.



Get around Bunaken
Muddy and concrete paths connect the various settlements around the Bunaken. Many are effectively impassable after rain. Watch out if walking along the coastline, as the beach may disappear when the high tide rolls in. Scooter taxi service available around the island.

Tourism on Bunaken has been very much geared towards divers over the years, but the trend seems to be changing and more and more snorkelers are visiting the area as too are those who wish to just relax immersed in nature...away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Possible activities for landlubbers include:

What to See in Bunaken
* Beach-combing, especially at low tide when the reef top is accessible
* Hiking to some of the secluded coves on the Eastern and Northern part of the island, but trails are poorly marked
* Fishing, but only outside of the park boundaries: hire a boat or join one of the local fishing boats.
* Dolphin & Whale watching, either while on diving or snorkeling boat trips or by hiring a boat.



What to Do in Bunaken
The thing to do in Bunaken is dive, dive and dive! However, the steep walls and occasionally strong, rapidly changing currents mean that many sites cater more to the intermediate/advanced diver, although there are beginner-friendly sites too and all dive shops can arrange intro dives and Open Water Diver courses. The North Sulawesi Watersports Association offers oodles of detail on diving in the park. The park also offers outstanding snorkeling!



All dive shops in the park are affiliated with resorts, so see Sleep below for listings.

The snorkeling is fantastic just in front of many of the resorts that surround the island, with an incredible amount of marine life living in the shallows and also on the outer walls. Remember not to snorkel without fins as the currents can sometimes be strong, and change quickly even when they are not. Pick a reference point on the island and do not stray too far unless you are a confident swimmer.

What to Buy in Bunaken
At the "Visitors Center" on Liang beach locals sell handicrafts, T Shirts and general souvenirs

What to Eat in Bunaken
Fish, fish and fish -- usually at your dive resort.

What to Drink in Bunaken
Natural drinking water is Not available on Bunaken. Insist on bottled mineral water at all times, ensure that coffees or teas are made using bottled water also. Local spirits Cap Tikus literally "rat brand" made from distilled palm wine (a type of moonshine), actually quite nice "on the rocks with a slice of lemon". "Bintang" is the number 1 beer in Indonesia and now available cold at many of the Resorts, together with wines.



Sleep in Bunaken
Most people choose to sleep at their dive resorts, almost all of which offer full board and attractive package offers. Those on the south and west sides of Bunaken have a strip of beach (coarse yellow sand), while the east side has a mixture of mangroves and small beaches with better reefs.

Stay Safe in Bunaken

There are no unusual health risks in the park, aside from the standard set of easily avoided venomous marine critters. Sharks and crocodiles are both absent, and jellyfish are found only occasionally, primarily during the change of the seasons in spring/fall.

See also kuta bali and Borobudur

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Gamelan - Heritage Of Java

The word gamelan means "to hammer;" the term refers generally to the large percussion orchestras of Java and Bali. The primary instruments are gongs, metallophones and hand drums, with cymbals, vocals, bamboo flutes, and spiked fiddles used as well.

Almost every where in Yogya, Solo, Semarang and other cities in Central Java, in Karatons, in the market, in the villages, in the hotel's lobby, you should hear the magical melodious percussion music - the gamelan Javanese orchestra.

In his book 'music of Java' Jaap Kunst says, "Gamelan is comparable to only two things, moonlight and flowing water. ...mysterious like moonlight and always changing like flowing water ...".

Gamelan music is an integral part of all cultural activities in Java such as wayang kulit (leather puppets) performance, court dance, uyon-uyon (symphony orchestra performance), etc. There are two kinds of laras (tuning) in gamelan, namely slendro (comparable to minor key in Western music) and Pelog (major key). A complete set of gamelan consist of two sets of different instruments of Slendro and Pelog, such as:

1. Kendang (double ended drum beaten by hands)
   
   It is a leading instrument. The pengendang (drumer) is the conductor of the gamelan orchestra. There are five (5) different sizes of kendang from 20 cm to 45 cm.

2. Saron
   
   A glockenspiel with bronze bar struck with wooden mallet. There are three kinds; Saron Barung, Saron Peking, Saron Demung.

3. Bonang Barung
   
   A double row of bronze kettles resting on a horizontal frame, played with two long stick bound with red cord at the striking end.
4. Bonang Penerus

5. Slentem
   
   Thin bronze bars suspended over bamboo resonating chambers, struck with a padded disc on the end of a stick.
6. Gender
   
   Similar to slentem with more bronze keys and smaller bamboo chamber, struck with two disc-shaped hammers.

7. Gambang
   
   Wooden bars laid over a wooden frame struck with two sticks of supple buffalo horn, ending with a small, round, padded disc.
8. Gong
   
   Each slendro and pelog set had three gongs. Two big gongs (Gong Ageng) and one gong Suwukan about 90 cm, made from bronze, suspended on a wooden frame. It marks the end of the largest phrase of the melody.

9. Kempul
   
   Smaller gongs, marks a smaller phrase. In each slendro and pelog set, there are 6 (six) or 10 (ten) kempuls.
10. Kenong
    
    Smaller gongs lay horizontally on crossed cord, inside a wooden frame. A complete set of kenong in each slendro and pelog consist of 10 (ten) kenongs.

11. Ketug
    
    The kenong player also plays it smaller kenong, marks subdivisions of phrases.
12. Clempung
    A string instrument, each slendro and pelog set needs one clempung.
13. Siter
    
    Smaller cemplung, each slendro and pelog set needs one siter

14. Suling
    
    It is a flute, each slendro and pelog set, needs one suling.
15. Rebab
    
    A two stringed viol, the same as slendro and pelog.
16. Keprak and Kepyak
    Needed for gamelan to accompany dances.
17. Bedug
    It is a very big drum.

The bars of the gamelan instruments can be made either from iron, copper or bronze. The bronze bars are the best choice. All the gamelan players are sitting cross-legged on a mat during a performance.

In a gamelan music concert or karawitan performance, the Kendang player or pengendang conducts the Tempo, while the melody is led by the bonang player

The gamelan orchestra includes some singers (Pesinden), female as well as male. There are some very famous Pesindens, their names are almost known by everybody in this region.

Some believe that in the ancient time, the first set of gamelan, by the name of Lokananta was created by gods and played in Mount Lawu, Eastward of Solo.

In short the history of gamelan was as follow:
The first gamelan was the three-toned Munggang, then the five-toned slendro gamelan and the last: the seven-toned pelog gamelan.

Patet
In the laras slendro, there are:

• Slendro patet nem
• Slendro patet sanga
• Slendro patet manyura

In the laras pelog, there are:

• Pelog patet lima
• Pelog patet nem
• Pelog patet barong

Patet is a place to lay the gending or to establish the gending. In the wayang kulit (shadow puppet) whole night show, the gamelan plays,
Slendro patet nem from 9.00-12.00 p.m.
Slendro patet sanga from 00.00-03.00 a.m.
Slendro patet manyura from 03.00-06.00 a.m.

For an experienced gamelan player it should not difficult to determine the patet of a particular gamelan music. Or it can be said that patet is used to create mood, with the gamelan accompaniment. It is already known that various gamelan tunes are played to create different atmosphere of the situation or feeling such as joy, sorrow, anger etc.

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Borobudur Temple (Forgotten Wonder of the World)

Who does not know Borobudur? This Buddhist temple has 1460 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies in its complex. Millions of people are eager to visit this building as one of the World Wonder Heritages. It is not surprising since architecturally and functionally, as the place for Buddhists to say their prayer, Borobudur is attractive.

Borobudur was built by King Samaratungga, one of the kings of Old Mataram Kingdom, the descendant of Sailendra dynasty. Based on Kayumwungan inscription, an Indonesian named Hudaya Kandahjaya revealed that Borobudur was a place for praying that was completed to be built on 26 May 824, almost one hundred years from the time the construction was begun. The name of Borobudur, as some people say, means a mountain having terraces (budhara), while other says that Borobudur means monastery on the high place.

Borobudur is constructed as a ten-terraces building. The height before being renovated was 42 meters and 34.5 meters after the renovation because the lowest level was used as supporting base. The first six terraces are in square form, two upper terraces are in circular form, and on top of them is the terrace where Buddha statue is located facing westward. Each terrace symbolizes the stage of human life. In line with of Buddha Mahayana, anyone who intends to reach the level of Buddha's must go through each of those life stages.

The base of Borobudur, called Kamadhatu, symbolizes human being that are still bound by lust. The upper four stories are called Rupadhatu symbolizing human beings that have set themselves free from lust but are still bound to appearance and shape. On this terrace, Buddha effigies are placed in open space; while the other upper three terraces where Buddha effigies are confined in domes with wholes are called Arupadhatu, symbolizing human beings that have been free from lust, appearance and shape. The top part that is called Arupa symbolizes nirvana, where Buddha is residing.

Each terrace has beautiful relief panels showing how skillful the sculptors were. In order to understand the sequence of the stories on the relief panels, you have to walk clockwise from the entrance of the temple. The relief panels tell the legendary story of Ramayana. Besides, there are relief panels describing the condition of the society by that time; for example, relief of farmers' activity reflecting the advance of agriculture system and relief of sailing boat representing the advance of navigation in Bergotta (Semarang).

All relief panels in Borobudur temple reflect Buddha's teachings. For the reason, this temple functions as educating medium for those who want to learn Buddhism. YogYES suggests that you walk through each narrow passage in Borobudur in order for you to know the philosophy of Buddhism. Atisha, a Buddhist from India in the tenth century once visited this temple that was built 3 centuries before Angkor Wat in Cambodia and 4 centuries before the Grand Cathedrals in Europe.

Thanks to visiting Borobudur and having supply of Buddha teaching script from Serlingpa (King of Sriwijaya), Atisha was able to improve Buddha's teachings after his return to India and he built a religion institution, Vikramasila Buddhism. Later he became the leader of Vikramasila monastery and taught Tibetans of practicing Dharma. Six scripts from Serlingpa were then summarized as the core of the teaching called "The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment" or well known as Bodhipathapradipa.

A question about Borobudur that is still unanswered by far is how the condition around the temple was at the beginning of its foundation and why at the time of it's finding the temple was buried. Some hypotheses claim that Borobudur in its initial foundation was surrounded by swamps and it was buried because of Merapi explosion. It was based on Kalkutta inscription with the writing 'Amawa' that means sea of milk. The Sanskrit word was used to describe the occurrence of disaster. The sea of milk was then translated into Merapi lava. Some others say that Borobudur was buried by cold lava of Merapi Mountain.

With the existing greatness and mystery, it makes sense if many people put Borobudur in their agenda as a place worth visiting in their lives. Besides enjoying the temple, you may take a walk around the surrounding villages such as Karanganyar and Wanurejo. You can also get to the top of Kendil stone where you can enjoy Borobudur and the surrounding scenery. Please visit Borobudur temple right away.

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Gorontalo

Capital : Gorontalo
Area Total : 12,215.44 km2 (4,716.4 sq mi)
Population (2010) Total : 1,038,590
Density : 85/km2 (220.2/sq mi)
Demographics : Ethnic groups : Gorontalonese
Religion : Islam (predominantly)
Languages : Indonesian (official), Gorontalo
Time zone : CIT (UTC+08)

Gorontalo is a province of Indonesia on the northern part of Sulawesi island. Gorontalo province was established in December 2000 after splitting from North Sulawesi province. The capital is a city with the same name, Gorontalo.

The people of Gorontalo achieved independence from Dutch rule in 1942. This was partly through the efforts of the guerrilla/freedom fighter and local hero Nani Wartabone, who forced out the occupying Japanese during World War II. Since the city escaped Allied bombing during the war, a number of Dutch-era buildings are still standing. Although many are in poor condition, Gorontalo City has a distinctive colonial appearance.

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East Nusa Tenggara

Capital : Kupang
Area Total : 47,876 km2 (18,485 sq mi)
Population (2010) Total : 4,679,316
Density : 97.7/km2 (253.1/sq mi)
Demographics :
Ethnic groups : Atoni, or Dawan (22%), Manggarai (15%), Sumba (12%), Belu (9%), Lamaholot (8%), Rote (5%), Lio (4%)
Religion : Roman Catholicism (54.56%), Protestantism (34.32%), Islam (8.05%), Other (3.07%)
Languages : Indonesian
Time zone : CIT (UTC+8)

East Nusa Tenggara is a province of Indonesia, located in the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, including West Timor. The provincial capital is Kupang, located on West Timor. The highest point is Mount Mutis of Timor Tengah Selatan, which is 2427 meters above sea level. The province consists of about 550 islands, but is dominated by the three main islands of Flores, Sumba, and West Timor, the western half of the island of Timor. The eastern part of Timor is the independent country of East Timor. Other islands include Adonara, Alor, Komodo, Lembata, Menipo, Raijua, Rincah, Rote Island (the southernmost island in Indonesia), Savu, Semau, and Solor.

The population of the province was estimated to be 4,534,319 in 2008. The religious mix is a typical of Indonesia, with 91% Christian (majority Catholic, large Protestant population), 8% Muslim, 0.6% Hindu or Buddhist, and 0.4% holding traditional beliefs. East Nusa Tenggara has become a refuge for Indonesian Christians fleeing from conflict in Maluku and Irian Jaya. The secondary school enrolment rate of 39% is dramatically below the Indonesian average (80.49% in 2003/04, according to UNESCO). Lack of clean drinking water, sanitation, and health facilities mean that child malnutrition (32%) and child mortality (71 per 1000) are higher than in most of the rest of Indonesia.

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East Kalimantan

Capital : Samarinda
Area Total : 245,237.80 km2 (94,686.8 sq mi)
Population Total (2010) : 3,550,586
Density : 14.5/km2 (37.5/sq mi)
Demographics :
Ethnic groups : Javanese (29,6%), Bugis (18,3%), Banjarese (13,9%), Dayak (9,91%), Kutai (9,2%)
Religion : Islam (85.2%), Christianity (13.2%), Buddhism (0.62%), Hinduism (0.19%)
Languages : Indonesian (official), Banjar, Dayak, Kutai
Time zone : WITA (UTC+8)

East Kalimantan is the second largest Indonesian province, located on the Kalimantan region on the east of Borneo island. The resource-rich province has two major cities, Samarinda (the capital and a center for timber product) and Balikpapan (a petroleum center with oil refinery). Ever since Indonesia opened its mineral and natural resources for foreign investment in 1970s, East Kalimantan province has experienced major boost of timber, petroleum and other exotic forest products. The state-owned petroleum company Pertamina has been operating in the area since it took control oil refinery from the Royal Dutch Shell company in 1965.

The population is a mixture of people from the Indonesian archipelago with Dayaks and Kutai as indigenous ethnic groups living in rural areas. Other prominent migrant ethnic groups include Javanese, Chinese, Banjarese, Bugis and Malays, who mostly live in coastal areas.

East Kalimantan's economy heavily depends on earth resources such as oilfield exploration, natural gas, as well as coal and gold mining. Balikpapan has an oil refinery plant that was built by Dutch governance before World War II, destroyed during World War II, and rebuilt by Indonesia Governance.

Other developing economic sectors includes agriculture and tourism. East Kalimantan has several tourist destination such as Derawan Islands in Berau Regency, Kayan Mentarang National Park ini Nunukan, Crocodile Husbandry in Balikpapan, deer husbandry in Penajam, Dayak's (native Kalimantan people) Pampang Village in Samarinda and many others. Among the many obstacles to developing economic growth is lack of transportation infrastructure. Transportation depends on traditional boats connecting coastal cities and areas along main river, Mahakam River.

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