Sampit
Sampit is a large town located in East Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan. Previously a timber port town, it has grown to be a medium-sized community with a population of 166,773 according to Statistics Indonesia in 2019, with the economy having since divested from timber products. However, the town is not an autonomous city and not an administrative division by despite having a sizeable population and urban built-up. It consists of eleven urban villages and two "rural" villages, comprising Mentawa Baru Ketapang District, Baamang District and part of Seranau District, as detailed below. The total area of the town is 651.32 square kilometres and the population was estimated at 171,624 as at mid 2024.
| Kode Wilayah | Name of District | Name of kelurahan or desa | Area in km2 | Pop'n Estimate mid 2024 | Post codes |
| 62.02.06.1003 | Mentawa Baru Ketapang | Ketapang | 19.52 | 28,554 | 74325 |
| 62.02.06.2010 | Mentawa Baru Ketapang | Telaga Baru | 11.67 | 5,006 | 74326 |
| 62.02.06.1002 | Mentawa Baru Ketapang | Mentawa Baru Hilir | 8.81 | 23,531 | 74323 |
| 62.02.06.1001 | Mentawa Baru Ketapang | Mentawa Baru Hulu | 7.46 | 16,199 | 74322 |
| 62.02.06.1007 | Mentawa Baru Ketapang | Sawahan | 5.51 | 9,465 | 74321 |
| 62.02.06.1009 | Mentawa Baru Ketapang | Pasir Putih | 138.17 | 9,196 | 74322 |
| 62.02.12.1001 | Seranau | Mentaya Seberang | 253.33 | 3,774 | 74324 |
| 62.02.05.1001 | Baamang | Baamang Hilir | 0.81 | 8,584 | 74311 |
| 62.02.05.1002 | Baamang | Baamang Tengah | 5.54 | 31,170 | 74312 |
| 62.02.05.1003 | Baamang | Baamang Hulu | 87.85 | 13,880 | 74313 |
| 62.02.05.1007 | Baamang | Tanah Mas | 17.11 | 1,619 | 74312 |
| 62.02.05.1008 | Baamang | Baamang Barat | 42.19 | 19,031 | 74312 |
| 62.02.05.2006 | Baamang | Tinduk | 53.35 | 1,615 | 74316 |
| Total | 651.32 | 171,624 |
Etymology
The origin of the town's name is disputed. The name is thought to be derived from Chinese. 31 Chinese laborers worked for a plantation in the area during the colonial era, with "sam-it" roughly meaning 31. In the 18th century, sampit is the spelling used by Daniel Beekman in describing the sumpit, a type of blow weapon used by the inhabitants of the Borneo interior.History
Early history
The region was previously thought to be under a tribal kingdom founded by Ot Danum people between the 13th and 14th century although the existence of the kingdom is disputed. The region became part of the Sultanate of Banjar in the early 16th century. The region was ceded to the Dutch East Indies by Sultan Adam of Banjar on 4 May 1826.Modern history
During World War II, Sampit came under control of the Imperial Japanese Navy together with Banjarmasin. The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence was made by Indonesian nationalist in the town through radio and a Japanese newspaper Borneo Shimbun between September and October 1945. Unlike most of cities in Kalimantan which have been liberated by Allied forces of Australia, Sampit remained under Japanese control until 1946. Conflict between Indonesian nationalist and newly arrived Dutch troops continued until 1949.Sampit became known worldwide following inter-ethnic violent communal clashes between the Dayaks and the Madurese migrants during the Sampit conflict which broke out on 17 February 2001 and lasted for 10 days. There are a number of stories purportedly describing the incident that sparked the violence in 2001. One version claims that it was caused by an arson attack on a Dayak house. Rumours spread that the fire was caused by Madurese, and later a group of Dayaks began burning houses in a Madurese neighbourhood. Another version says that the massacre was triggered by an earlier incident in December 2000 when a Dayak man was killed by three Madurese. The clash was also thought to be triggered by perceived threat of Madurese economically dominating Dayaks, although this is not proven. The conflict has been described by Inside Indonesia as an "ethnic fascism". Central and local government did little to stop the violence and some of the army generals and politicians of Dayak descent decided to use the violence to gain power.
Climate
Sampit has a tropical rainforest climate with heavy rainfall year-round.Infrastructure
Transportation
The town has a total of 474 kilometres of road, which mostly have been paved with asphalt. However, due to lack of enforcement of trucks weight moving on the road, around 18% of the roads are considered lightly to moderately damaged.River transportation is an important part of the town's life, both intra-urban and to other cities such as Banjarmasin. Port of Sampit in Mentaya is used for both container and passenger. However, due to the river's relatively shallow depth, loading container in the port is dangerous and often caused the crane to damage parks, statues, and buildings around the port. Importance of the port for container and movement of goods have been reduced and now mostly used for passenger transportation only. Angkots, while they have a presence in the town, has been in sharp decline due to competition with ride-hailing online app services such as Gojek and Grab. In addition, there's also a local online ride-hailing application exclusive to Sampit named Pas-Jek. Other alternatives include bemo and rickshaw.
The city is served by H. Asan Airport.