Balikpapan City is one city in East Kalimantan province, Indonesia. The city has a total area of 503.3 km ² and a population of 535 829 inhabitants (April 20, 2005). Balikpapan city motto is “Gawi Manuntung Kaputing Waja Up” (Banjar Language), which means it is when starting a job should be to complete the implementation. The logo of the city is often nicknamed the “City of Oil” (Banua Patra) This is Honey Bear, a typical animal Balikpapan city, now almost extinct. Balikpapan is included also into 10 major metropolitan cities in Indonesi after Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bandung, Makassar, and Semarang.
Balikpapan city’s main income is in the form of petroleum. Oil is a historical city with a population of 568 000 souls. The first drilling in the Gulf of Balikpapan was dilakukann by Mathilda, February 10, 1897 earlier. The date was then used as the anniversary of the city area of 503 square kilometers. Oil resources are also found near Balikpapan. For example, in Sanga-sanga and Samboja, Regency, about 40 miles North of the town with 85% of this hilly region in the form. Ditemuinnya several sources of oil used as an excuse to buy the Dutch East Indies Government of both regions was the Sultan of Kutai. To support the exploration and exploitation, the Netherlands makes the oil refinery, operating offices and employee housing. Remains of Dutch buildings can still be seen in the compound housing employees of the refinery and Pertamina.
When we visited Balikpapan, we will be amazed at the beauty of this city of Balikpapan. They not only make selogan is Clean, Beautiful, and Comfortable, but in fact the city of Balikpapan has received several prestigious awards such as the Environmental Conservation or UPAKARTI from the president, the cleanest city award has ever achieved or a clean city by the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Transportation which also gives awards Wahana Tata Nugraha, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Health, Department of Forestry and Tourism, and Ministry of Housing also take over giving the award.
Balikpapan has an area 85% and 12% hilly hills form a narrow flat area is mainly located in the watershed area and Little River and Coastal. With acidic soils (peat), and the dominant red soil is less fertile. As appropriate parts of Indonesia, the city has a tropical climate. The city is located on the east coast Kalimantan which directly borders the Strait of Makassar, a bay that is used as a commercial seaport and oil port. Location Balikpapan astronomical latitude is between 1.0 – 1.5 latitude and longitude 116.5 – 117.5 with an area of 9112 hectares or about 94.06 km ², while in Balikpapan is the tropical weather, the average temperature in Balikpapan is about 23 ° C (73 ° F) and 30 ° C (86 ° F). Rainfall per year is about 2539 mm with an average annual relative humidity is 72.8%.
