Pontianak - City on Equator

Pontianak is a medium-sized city in Indonesia. It is the capital of the West Kalimantan province on the Borneo island. It is located on the delta of Kapuas River (the longest river in Indonesia).

The city is best known for being located precisely on Equator line. An Equator Monument was built to mark the location of the line. The monument now become the icon of the city. That is why the city is nicknamed Kota Khatulistiwa (The City on Equator).

It is also known for its large chinese population. The city is called Khuntien by the chinese.

The name Pontianak is come from Malay language, which is a type of vampire in Malay folklore. A pontianak is usually a woman who died during childbirth and becomes undead, seeking revenge and terrorizing villages. In Bahasa Indonesia, pontianak is known as kuntilanak.

Location: 0º0' N, 109º20' E
Area: 107.82 km2
Population: 526,600 (2000 cencus)



Ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, Dayak, and other small minority ethnic groups
Religion: Islam (65%), Buddhism (23,2%), Christianity (6,8%), Hinduism (0,4 %), Others (4,6%)
Language: Bahasa Indonesia is widely spoken. The local dialects are also spoken, like Malay, Teochew, Hakka, and various Dayak dialects
Temperature: 22.9°C - 31.05°C
Rainfall: 3,000 mm - 4,000 mm per year