Visit South Kalimantan 's Culture & Ecological Wealth
South Kalimantan province lies at the southern end of island and is one of four provinces on Kalimantan. This region known as the Land of a Thousand Rivers, wide swamps and lowlands are characteristic for this southern province. Some of those rivers, such as the Barito, Martapura and Negara mark the boundary between South Kalimantan and the neighboring Central Kalimantan with dense tropical rain forests and covered mountainous sparsely inhabited territory.
The southern region is a coastal plain, lined by vast mangrove forests. This coastal area is rich in fresh and salt-water fishes.Those three regions are practically separated from each other by the Meratus mountain which spread from the north to south through the center of the province. Many villages and plantations lie along the Barito river course, which runs from the north to south. Like most other regions in South Kalimantan has two seasons, a dry and a rainy.
The population of South Kalimantan consists of two main groups: the Banjar who live along the coasts and make up the majority, and the Dayaks who inhabit the upstream regions of the rivers. The Banjar people are devout Moslems. They are friendly, like to help one another, and have a good sense of humor. They also are tolerant of other religions and respect one another.The friendly attitude of the Banjar, and their hospitality, tends to make visitors immediately feel at home in their midst. The daily languages spoken by the Banjar people Malay and Indonesian although in a distinct local dialect.