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SOUTH KALIMANTAN
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, Big and small rivers, wide swamps and lowlands are characteristic of 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 rainy season lasts from October to April, and dry season from May to September. South Kalimantan covers an area of about 37,000 square kilometers. 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.

CENTRAL KALIMANTAN
Central Kalimantan, is 153,800 square kilometers large, covered with mostly jungle (82 %), while swamps, rivers, lakes take approximately 2 % and agriculture land is about 3 %. Palangkaraya is the capital of this province, on the upper reaches of the Kahayan river.The northern area is mountainous and reaches far into the hinterland, it is difficult to reach. Transportation facilities are limited and much of the terrain is rough. Many rapids are found here. The central area is dense and fertile tropical forest. Almost four-fifths of Central Kalimantan is made up of tropical forests, producing valuable commodities such as rattan, resin and the best woods.
Central Kalimantan is inhabited by two million people, the indigenous inhabitants are the Dayaks, comprising the sub-tribes Ngaju, Ot Danum, Ma'anyan Ot Siang, Lawangan, Katingan and others. Ot Olong-olong and Penyawung people live in the upstream areas of the Barito and Mahakam rivers. Their livelihood is hunting, moving from one region to another. They have no fixed settlement. They adhere to the old Kaharingan religion, which is a form of ancestor worship, mixed with elements of animism and dynamism. The Ot Danum inhabit the upstream regions of the Kahayan, Barito, Kapuas or Timbering Miri, in the upstream reaches of the Kahayan river. They live in longhouses with sometimes as many as 50 rooms. They are called "betang". The Sandung, is a wooden building to keep the ashes of the family's dead, after cremation. Generally, the bigger sandung belong to members of the aristocracy, such as the descendants of chieftains. The smaller sandung are called kariring. They are found at Tuwung, in the upstream area of the Kahayan River. The roof of a sandung is ornamented with the enggang (hornbill) or dragon motif. The enggang is a ruler's symbol. The dragon is a symbol of the lower aristocracy, or of common people. Sandungs are found in the upstream regions of the Kahayan river, at the villages of Tuwung, Bukit Rawi (north of Palangkaraya) and Pohandut (near Palangkaraya).

WEST KALIMANTAN
West Kalimantan covers an area of over 146.807 sq km, rich in a variety of minerals and precious stones, and remains largely unexplored. Coastal areas are mainly swamp lands with more than 100 rivers sculpting the flat plains. In the mountainous eastern parts of the province, away from the city and plains, there are many Dayak villages. The Dayaks have ancient traditions and beliefs which are expressed in various forms; earlobes elongated by heavy earnings, tattoos, intricate paintings, designs and carvings and wonderful dances of respect, heroism, welcome cure. West Kalimantan is easily accessible from Jakarta, Semarang, Batam or Kucing at Sarawak by air. Boat and overland journeys provide a rare opportunity to see the interior of one of the world's largest and richest island West Kalimantan is an important and very attractive province. It is rich in history, culture and places of interest for the tourist. The province borders on Sarawak, East Malaysia, to its west are the South China Sea and the Karimata Strait.
There is the well-known Muller mountain range in the east and the Schwaner mountains in the southeast. Various valuable minerals are found on and around those mountains, such as gold, mercury, manganese, bauxite, gypsum and kaolin.
The lowland areas are found around Sambas, Pontianak and Ketapang, the most important towns. Around these towns are the wide lowlands and swamps.
West Kalimantan has a number of important rivers for the transportation of goods and people. However, there are rivers that can be navigated only during the rainy season, when the water is high. During the dry season, these rivers run empty and cannot sailed. The most important rivers are the Kapuas River, Sambas River, Sekayam River, Landak River, Melawi River and Pawan River. There are floating houses called bandung on those rivers. Bandung are not only houses, but also important transportation means for the people. In it, they move from place to place, sailing up and down the river, stopping at villages to trade.
The hinterland of West Kalimantan is covered with jungle, and still not much trodden by human beings. In the past decades, however, loggers have come to exploit the province's timber resources. The West Kalimantan jungle is rich in tropical hardwoods, rattan, candlenut trees, and various raw materials for industrial and popular needs

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