Pontianak English Informations

From the name Pontianak derived from Kuntilanak While Kuntilanak means ghost

Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan. It is a large trading port city on the island of Borneo. Pontianak occupies an area of 107.82 km² in the delta of the Kapuas River. It is located almost precisely on the equator, hence it is widely known as Kota Khatulistiwa (Equator City). The city center is actually less than 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of the equator.

The city was formerly the capital of the independent Sultanate of Pontianak and was founded in 23 October 1771 around an old trading station on the Borneo coast. It is built on swampy ground that is subjected to regular flooding by the river, requiring buildings to be constructed on piles to keep them off the ground. It has its name due to the story that the founder had seen an appearance of Pontianak “Kuntilanak” ghost at the place to be built for the palace, which he fought to save the people.