Penajam North Paser Regency

Penajam North Paser Regency, also known as North Penajam Paser Regency because of common mistranslation, is a regency (kabupaten) in East Kalimantan province in Indonesia. Its capital city is Penajam. Penajam North Paser is a new regency, having been a part of Paser Regency until its separation in 2002.[1] It covers an area of 3,333.06 km2, and had a population of 142,922 at the 2010 Census; the latest official estimate (as at January 2014) was 165,552.[2] Penajam North Paser Regency has the seventh largest area among the regencies in East Kalimantan province, being six times larger than Balikpapan City, which it adjoins (across Balikpapan Bay) on the city's west side.

Penajam North Paser Regency

Kabupaten Penajam Paser Utara
Regency
Regent office building
Seal
Location within East Kalimantan
Penajam North Paser Regency
Location in Kalimantan and Indonesia
Penajam North Paser Regency
Penajam North Paser Regency (Indonesia)
Coordinates: 1.291709°S 116.513796°E / -1.291709; 116.513796
CountryIndonesia
ProvinceEast Kalimantan
CapitalPenajam
Government
 • RegentAbdul Gafur Mas'ud
 • Vice RegentHamdam
Area
 • Total3,333.06 km2 (1,286.90 sq mi)
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2014 estimate)
 • Total165,552
 • Density50/km2 (130/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+8 (ICST)
Area code(+62) 542/543
Websitepenajamkab.go.id

History and Etymology

Before 2002, its area was northern part of Paser Regency (then named Pasir Regency because of common mispronunciation). But initiatives from local society for the formation of a supposedly North Paser Regency were growing, crystallized into North Region Success Team Towards Regency (Indonesian: Tim Sukses Wilayah Utara Menuju Kabupaten). To signify location of the proposed regency, its most populous town Penajam also included in the name as the proposal developed. Finally the national lower house passed Law Number 7 Year 2002 about formation of Penajam North Paser Regency (Indonesian: Pembentukan Kabupaten Penajam Paser Utara) which consists Penajam, Waru, Babulu, and Sepaku district.

Boundaries

Economic

Penajam North Paser Regency major commodities are palm oil and timber that makes up over 70 percent of it economy. There's also some traditional mining coal, rice (paddy) fields, fishing, and harvesting that supplies the local market and Balikpapan city market like fruits, eggs, chickens, seaweed, fish, etc. Mostly people here work at palm oil industries and the timber industries. Badly road coverage and peoples density that spreads over all the area slowing down the economic development. So far there is no mall in Penajam North Paser Regency, so the people cross the sea via kelotok or medium wooden boat or with a ferry to go to Balikpapan for shopping. The sea bridge between Penajam North Paser Regency with Balikpapan City is now under construction.

Administration

Penajam North Paser Regency is divided into four districts (kecamatan),[3] tabulated below with their areas and their 2010 Census populations:[4]

NameArea in
km2		Population
Census 2010
Babulu388.729,434
Waru569.215,642
Penajam1,163.166,983
Sepaku1,129.330,863

Government and politics

Penajam North Paser Regency is ruled by Regent Abdul Gafur Mas'ud. The highest local political body is the Regional People's Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah) which makes political, economical and other decisions for the sake of the region. On 26 August 2019, the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, announced that part of the regency will be taken for the country's capital.

Military

Penajam North Paser Regency is under the jurisdiction of Military District Command 0913 Penajam North Paser of Military Area Command V Mulawarman, and Police District Penajam North Paser under the Police Area Eastern Borneo province. Under the Soeharto Dictatorship, the area was controlled and secured mostly by the Military until the Indonesian National Police were separated from the Indonesian Armed Forces. In some circumstances, the military exercises were placed here for survival training, jungle warfare, anti-terror, etc., because the area mostly is virgin forest and it's good as an extreme military training field.

Transportation

With such a large area, Penajam North Paser Regency has only between 150 and 200 km of roads covered by asphalt, and most roads are still unmade ground or rocky. Only the protocol road covered by asphalt or cement, it means that the economic development cannot grow faster than the expected. Most people use motorcycles for transport. Angkutan umum (Angkot) only can be found at the regency capital of Penajam. People mostly use bus, modified mini pick-up, and modified truck for mass transport. To take an example, a modified Isuzu Truck can hold up to 60 people – each truck to transport workers, a modified Suzuki Carry can hold up to 16 people to transport students from their villages to their school.

For the sea transport, there are ferries, speed boats, medium wooden boats up to 17 metres in length, and longer heavy wooden boats up to 35 metres using single propeller engines.

Tourism

Thousands Flowers Park

There is a thousand flowers park beside the Police District Station at Penajam.

Beach tourism
Hiking

For tourism, actually there are three beaches for tourism. Pantai Lango (Lango Beach), Pantai Lawe-Lawe (Lawe-Lawe Beach), and Pantai Senipah (Senipah Beach) that viewed Balikpapan City and Makassar's Strait. But in 2013, as the Sea Bridges Planned. Senipah Beach used for the cross point and fondated for the Bridges Construction.

Waterfalls

In Riko, there's a waterfall for tourism and there's another two waterfalls, one near ex. PT International Timber Corporation Indonesia area, and another deep to the jungle from Sepaku. Its location is kept secret by local people to secure the waterfall's protection from the effects of tourism.

Hiking

In Sepaku, there's a high mountain named "Parung" for local hiking and camping. Mount parung was a mountain upper the another mountain that can seen from 50 km away and there's a big Cave for Bats and Swallow Nest and pre-Historic giant stone formation at the peaks of Mount Parung.

Deer conservation

In Api-api Village, Waru District there are endemic sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) conservation with more than 200 deer.[5]

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References
  2. Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2015.
  4. Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  5. Endri Kurniawati (August 19, 2014). "A Walk to Penajam Deer Conservation".
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