Pangkalan Bun
Pangkalan Bun is the capital of West Kotawaringin Regency in Borneo, Indonesia. It has a population of around 200,000[1] It is also the administrative headquarters of South Arut (Arut Selatan) district (kecamatan).
Pangkalan Bun | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Other transcription(s) | |
 An aerial view of Pangkalan Bun | |
  Pangkalan Bun Location of Pangkalan Bun on Kalimantan. | |
| Coordinates: 2°41′S 111°37′E | |
| Province | Kotawaringin |
| Regency | West Kotawaringin |
| District | South Arut |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (WIB) |
| Kode Pos | 74110 |
Pangkalan Bun is served by Iskandar Airport. Several airlines fly to this airport. Shipping services provide connections to Jakarta, Surabaya, and Semarang.[2]
Birutė Galdikas established her base, Camp Leakey, for the study and conservation of orangutans about 48 kilometres (30 mi) from Pangkalan Bun up the Sekonyer River.[2] The site has expanded from the original hut in 1971. Its facilities, supported by the Orangutan Foundation International, are a part of the Tanjung Puting National Park.[3]
Crash of AirAsia QZ 8501
Iskandar International Airport was one of the operation centres being used to support search operations following the crash of AirAsia QZ 8501 on 28 December 2014 in nearby Karimata Strait. Shortly after the crash, the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS, or Badan SAR Nasional) established a post in Iskandar airport to coordinate the search. The head of the agency, Air Marshal Bambang Sulistyo, took close personal command of operations.[4]
Following confirmation of the crash, Indonesian agencies prepared over 160 coffins in Pangkalan Bun so as to be ready, in accordance with Indonesian practice, to take care of those who died as quickly as possible.[5] After reception in Pangkalan Bun, the plan was to return the bodies of the people who died to their families, mostly in Surabaya in East Java where Flight QZ 8501 originated from.[6]
Geography
Pangkalan Bun is 24 metres (79 ft) above sea-level.[7]
Climate
Pangkalan Bun has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round.
| Climate data for Pangkalan Bun (Iskandar Airport, 1991–2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.2 (99.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
35.8 (96.4) |
36.4 (97.5) |
35.6 (96.1) |
36.5 (97.7) |
35.6 (96.1) |
35.8 (96.4) |
36.4 (97.5) |
36.8 (98.2) |
35.6 (96.1) |
37.8 (100.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 31.8 (89.2) |
32.1 (89.8) |
32.1 (89.8) |
32.1 (89.8) |
32.3 (90.1) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.8 (89.2) |
32.2 (90.0) |
32.3 (90.1) |
32.1 (89.8) |
31.8 (89.2) |
32 (90) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.1 (79.0) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.3 (79.3) |
26.7 (80.1) |
26.3 (79.3) |
25.9 (78.6) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.3 (79.3) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.2 (79.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 23.1 (73.6) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.2 (73.8) |
23.4 (74.1) |
23.5 (74.3) |
23.1 (73.6) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.3 (72.1) |
22.7 (72.9) |
23.0 (73.4) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.1 (73.6) |
23.0 (73.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 19.9 (67.8) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
20.8 (69.4) |
18.1 (64.6) |
17.4 (63.3) |
17.0 (62.6) |
17.7 (63.9) |
19.4 (66.9) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
17.0 (62.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 247.8 (9.76) |
239.7 (9.44) |
293.3 (11.55) |
313.4 (12.34) |
211.3 (8.32) |
178.0 (7.01) |
136.0 (5.35) |
105.3 (4.15) |
128.1 (5.04) |
214.5 (8.44) |
289.9 (11.41) |
302.2 (11.90) |
2,659.5 (104.70) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 18.8 | 16.4 | 19.5 | 18.9 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 8.9 | 9.3 | 14.7 | 19.1 | 21.4 | 184.4 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 128.6 | 125.2 | 135.2 | 137.6 | 163.1 | 162.5 | 171.9 | 182.2 | 151.9 | 142.3 | 130.9 | 122.4 | 1,753.8 |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization[8] | |||||||||||||
References
- This is an estimate. Various media reports mention a figure of around 200,000. The total population of the Regency, of which Pangkalan Bun is the capital, was 235,803 at the 2010 Census and officially estimated at 304,082 in 2018. The majority of the population of the Regency are believed to live in or nearby to Pangkalan Bun.
- Among the Orangutans: The Birute Galdikas Story, p. PA13, at Google Books
- "About Camp Leakey". Orangutan Foundation International. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
- Indra Harsaputra and Wahyoe Boediwardhana, 'Hope fades as debris found', The Jakarta Post, 31 December 2014.
- 'Six AirAsia bodies recovered, says Basarnas', The Jakarta Post, 31 December 2014.
- 'Two bodies of AirAsia victims arrive in Surabaya', The Jakarta Post, 31 December 2014.
- "Pangkalanbuun, Indonesia Travel Weather Averages". Weatherbase. Retrieved 2015-01-01.
- "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 19 October 2023.