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Putussibau
Town
Bridge linking Putussibau town proper with settlements south of the Kapuas River.
PutussibauLocation of the town in Kalimantan
Coordinates: 0°51′27″N 112°55′30″E / 0.85750°N 112.92500°E / 0.85750; 112.92500
Country	Indonesia
Province	West Kalimantan
Regency	Kapuas Hulu Regency
District	North Putussibau
Established	1 June 1895
Area
• Total	139.3 km (53.8 sq mi)
Population
• Total	12,459
Time zone	UTC+7 (WIB)
Postcode	78716
Area code	+62 567

Putussibau is an Indonesian town in Kapuas Hulu Regency, West Kalimantan. It sits on the river Kapuas, with the main part of the town located on the right banks, or north, of the river. Officially an administrative village (Kelurahan Putussibau Kota) within North Putussibau District, the urban settlement sprawls outside of the primary boundaries to the opposite bank of the river. Official estimates from Statistics Indonesia places the population of the town proper at 12,459 in 2015.

Formerly a remote village prior to its selection as a colonial outpost in 1895, the town grew into its present population acting as a market town far upstream on the Kapuas River. Today, it is the seat and economic center of the regency.

Etymology

The name Putussibau originated from the words putus (to break/split) and Sibau, which is the name of a nearby tributary of the Kapuas which in turn derives its name from the a tree from the Nephelium genus. According to local folklore, a Sibau tree once fell and split the river and hence gave name to the town.

History

The area around the source of Kapuas were originally inhabited by the Taman Dayaks. Around the 7th to 8th centuries, an Indianized Hindu kingdom was established by a Kutai noble at modern Selimbau. Initially a small state, the kingdom slowly grew to cover one-fifths of modern West Kalimantan (about 30,000 km) by the late 19th century. Modern Putussibau was included in Selimbau's territories, and the area received an influx of Kayan Dayaks.

In 1823, the authorities of Dutch East Indies based in Batavia signed a treaty with Selimbau which recognized the latter's sovereignty over what is today Kapuas Hulu Regency. Later on, the colonial authorities began meddling in the kingdom's internal affairs and eventually seized power, with a formal annexation complete by 1925. During the period, at the late 19th century Putussibau was a remote village under threat by headhunters and visited by Chinese and Malay merchants. In 1895, the colonial government chose the site as an outpost to both govern the region and to combat headhunting.

Following the Japanese occupation and Indonesian independence, the town became part of West Kalimantan province. The Kapuas Hulu Regency was established in 1953, and Putussibau has been its capital since. A bridge spanning the Kapuas was built in 1993 connecting the roads on both banks of the river, allowing road access from Putussibau to other towns on the left bank of the river.

Geography

The town is located at the northeastern part of West Kalimantan, close to the Indonesia-Malaysia border. The regency it is part of covers nearly 30,000 square kilometers and is located far inland. With a distance of 400 km from the provincial capital of Pontianak, it is closer to the Malaysian city of Kuching which is located 300 km away. The territory administered by the kelurahan measures 139.3 square km, excluding other villages that also form parts of the urban settlement but also covers much larger amounts of jungle and farmland.

With its source nearby, Kapuas flows south of the town proper and splits the urban area into a northern and southern portion, which are connected by a bridge across the large river. The confluence with the Sibau River is just upstream of Putussibau. The town is also seat of the regency and the district.

Climate

Putussibau has a tropical climate, and is classified Af according to the Köppen climate classification. The average annual rainfall is 4231 mm.

Demographics

The administrative village of Putussibau proper (Kelurahan Putussibau Kota) is inhabited by 12,459 residents within 3,555 households in 2015 according to Statistics Indonesia. The sex ratio of the kelurahan is 111, with a population density of 89.44 per square km. However, urban sprawl spreads to other areas on both sides of the Kapuas, in total forming part of 6 villages within the North and South Putussibau districts with a population sum of about 29,000.

The majority of the population are Muslims, but there are Christian (both Catholic and Protestant) and Confucian minorities.

Economy and facilities

Putussibau is a market town serving the sparsely-populated region, with the North Putussibau District alone covering 5,204.8 square kilometres yet only inhabited by slightly over 26,500 people in 2020 (of which over 12,000 live in Putussibau Town proper, with around another 6,000 in the urban sprawl). The South Putussibau District covers another 5,352.33 square kilometres and had just over 23,100 inhabitants in 2020 (the majority of the area formerly comprised the separate Hulu Kapuas District, which has since been merged into South Putussibau District).

It is also the last market town in the flow of the Kapuas, with no other major settlements further upstream. Due to its proximity with the Danau Sentarum and Betung Kerihun national parks, it is also a local center of ecotourism.

Most public facilities in the district, including schools and a hospital, are located in the town proper. STIT Iqra Putussibau, an Islamic educational science institute, operates in the town. The town is served by the nearby Pangsuma Airport, which is located outside the official boundaries of the town although it is only about 3.7 km away. Throughout 2016, the airport accommodates over 73,000 passengers.

References

1. ^ "North Putussibau Subdistrict in Numbers, 2016" (PDF) (in Indonesian). Statistics Indonesia. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
2. "Asal Usul Kota Putussibau" (in Indonesian). Majelis Adat Budaya Melayu. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
3. ^ "Sibau; Kota Diujung Sungai yang Melegenda". Pontianak Post (in Indonesian). 19 April 2016. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017.
4. Lestari, Sri (10 June 2010). "Dayak Iban penjaga hutan Kapuas Hulu". BBC Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved 15 October 2017.
5. "Kerajaan Selimbau Dihadang Trauma 68 Tahun" (PDF) (in Indonesian). Media Indonesia. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
6. ^ "SEJARAH PEMERINTAHAN KABUPATEN KAPUAS HULU" (in Indonesian). Kapuas Hulu Regency. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
7. "Putussibau; Outpost along the Kapuas". indahnesia. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
8. "Borneo Research Bulletin". 29. Borneo Research Council. 1998: 75. Retrieved 20 November 2017. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
9. "Climate: Putussibau". Climate-Data.org±. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
10. "South Putussibau Subdistrict in Numbers, 2016" (PDF). Retrieved 15 October 2017.
11. Timotius (10 February 2017). "Ratusan TNI - Polri Amankan CGM di Putussibau". ANTARA Kalbar (in Indonesian). Retrieved 16 October 2017.
12. Bernstein, Jay H. (1997). Spirits captured in stone : shamanism and traditional medicine among the Taman of Borneo. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 13. ISBN 9781555876920.
13. Irawan, Yohanes Kurnia (18 September 2016). "Kapuas Hulu Jadi Kawasan Ekowisata di Jantung Borneo". Kompas (in Indonesian). Retrieved 15 October 2017.
14. "Wisuda STIT Al Iqra Putussibau Angkatan Ke-2" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Religious Affairs. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
15. "Lalu Lintas Angkutan Udara - Pangsuma" (in Indonesian). Ministry of Transportation. Retrieved 16 October 2017.

• Populated places in West Kalimantan
• Populated places established in 1895
• Regency seats of West Kalimantan
• 1895 establishments in the Dutch East Indies