Pangkalpinang, colloquially written asPangkal Pinang, also known as Pin-kong inHakka, is the capital and largestcity of theBangka Belitung Islands Province inIndonesia. It is located onBangka Island's east coast, the city is divided into seven districts (kecamatan) and has 42 subdistricts (kelurahan).
It covers an area of 89.40 square kilometres (34.52 sq mi)[4] and it had a population of 174,838 at the 2010 Census[5] and 218,568 at the 2020 Census;[6] the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 226,297.[1] The city's average population density was about 2,165 per square kilometre in mid 2022. The Rangkui River divides the city into two parts, and Jalan Merdeka is its geographic center.
Pangkalpinang's population consists largely of ethnic Malays and Hakka Chinese people. There are also smaller immigrant communities of other ethnic groups, such asBatak,Bugis andMinangkabau. Landmarks in the city include the Timah Museum, Jamik Mosque, Fuk Tet Che Chinese temple, the Cathedral of St. Joseph, the Bangka Botanical Garden, and the Pasir Padi beach.
As part ofSrivijaya, Pangkalpinang was inhabited by Hindus. In addition to being a territory of Sriwijaya, it was also a territory ofMajapahit and theMataram Kingdom. In all three kingdoms, Pangkalpinang received little attention despite its proximity to international shipping routes and became a hideout for pirates preying on ships in theSouth China Sea
To secure the shipping routes around theStrait of Malacca, theJohor Sultanate sent troops to Pangkalpinang, establishing a garrison and began spreadingIslam in the region. However, the pirates soon returned.
Years later, in another attempt to rid the area of piracy, theSultan of Banten sent aregent of the Indonesian archipelago to eradicate the pirates. The regent established control and ruled Bangka until his death, when his authority passed to his only daughter.
Around 1709,tin was found on the banks of the Olin River in Toboali District. With the discovery of tin, merchants from China and elsewhere flocked to the region; the Sultan of Palembang sent representatives to China in search of tin experts. In 1717, thePalembang Sultanate began developing trade relationships with theDutch East India Company (VOC). With the company's help, the sultan attempted to eradicate piracy and tin smuggling.
The Netherlands was occupied by France at the height of theNapoleonic Wars, and the British seized all areas inNusantara under Dutch governance. In accordance with the Tuntang Agreement, on 18 September 1811 the Dutch handed over the island of Java, Timor, Makassar, and Palembang to the British; Pangkalpinang become a British colony.Stamford Raffles sent emissaries to Palembang to take over the Dutch fort in Sungai Aur, but they were rejected by SultanMahmud Badaruddin II. Raffles also demanded the tin mines in Pangkalpinang from Badaruddin.
Raffles sent an expedition to Palembang, led byRollo Gillespie, on 20 March 1812. Gillespie replaced Mahmud Badaruddin II with Prince Adipati, giving him the title of Sultan Ahmad Najamuddin II, and the new sultan handed over the islands ofBelitung andBangka Islands to the British.
In accordance with theAnglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the Netherlands regained areas occupied in 1803 by the British (including Pangkalpinang). The native people were subjected to fraud, extortion, and forced labor by the Dutch and the British. The Dutch exploited the tin reserves; guerrilla warfare was fought inMusi Rawas, and Pangkalpinang fought to expel the Dutch.
DuringWorld War II, Bangka Island wasoccupied byJapanese troops. Although the occupation of Pangkalpinang was brief, shortages of food and clothing were severe.
After Japan surrendered to theAllies and theIndonesia proclaimed its independence, Pangkalpinang became part of Indonesia. (initially as part of the province ofSouth Sumatra). After the country's political landscape changed, Bangka Belitung Islands were separated from South Sumatra andcombined as a province with Pangkalpinang its capital.
Pangkalpinang's population was 108,411 in 1990, and 174,838 in the 2010 census,[5] rising to 218,568 at the 2020 Census;[6] the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 226,297.[1] Half areMalay, and primarily speakBangka Malay. The remainder areChinese, descendants of 18th-century emigrants fromGuangdong province. Locally known asPeranakan (Children of the Indies), they primarily speakHakka; a small community speaksCantonese. Theirendonym isThong Ngin (唐人; 'Tang people'), and other Malays are known asFan Ngin (番人; 'Malay people').
The city's topography is generally undulating and hilly, with an altitude of 20–50 metres (66–164 ft) above sea level. Hilly areas are primarily in the west and south, including Mount Girimaya (50 metres above sea level) and Tower Hill. A 290-hectare (720-acre) urban forest is in the Old Village area. An area of 1,562 hectares (3,860 acres) is under cultivation for food crops, fisheries and forestry. Fallow land is 1,163 hectares (2,870 acres), and 4,130 hectares (10,200 acres) are developed. The remaining 2,085 hectares (5,150 acres) are swamps and forest.
The city's soil has an average pH below 5, with red-yellowpodzolic soil andregosol. A small area isbog soil and light-gray regosol derived from the deposition of sand and clay. Although such soil is less suitable for rice, other crops may be grown. The oldest formations arePermo-Carboniferous limestone,Late Triassic slate and Triassic-Jurassic granite. Composition of the granitic rocks includes dark-colored (occasionally green)biotite andamphibole.
The Rangkui River flows through the city, and the Pedindang River is in the south. They drain into the Baturusa River, which flows to theSouth China Sea. The rivers provided transport to markets, and make Pangkalpinang prone to flooding (especially during the rainy season or at times of high tide).
At the time of the 2010 Census, the city was divided into fivedistricts (kecamatan),[9] but two additional districts were created subsequently. These are all tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census[5] and 2020 Census,[6] together with the official estimates as at mid 2022.[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the numbers ofadministrative villages or subdistricts (all classed as urbankelurahan) in each district, and its postal code.
Kode Wilayah
Name of District (kecamatan)
Area in km2
Pop'n Census 2010
Pop'n Census 2020
Pop'n Estimate mid 2022
Admin centre
No. of kelurahan
Post codes
19.71.04
Rangkui
5.04
39,938
35,703
36,965
Keramat
8
33132 - 33139
19.71.01
Bukit Intan
35.42
43,325
41,343
42,805
Air Itam
7
33147 - 33149
19.71.07
Girimaya
4.50
(a)
18,129
18,770
Sriwijaya
5
33141 - 33146
19.71.03
Pangkal Balam
4.72
41,055
22,142
22,925
Kotapang
5
33111 - 33115
19.71.06
Gabek
20.39
(a)
35,013
36,251
Gabek Dua
6
33111 - 33119
19.71.02
Taman Sari
3.19
13,117
18,473
19,126
Gedung Nasional
5
33121 - 33127
19.71.05
Gerunggang
31.14
37,323
47,766
49,455
Bukit Merapin
6
33123 - 33125
Totals
104.41
174,758
218,569
226,297
42
Notes: (a) the 2010 population of the areas which later became Girimaya and Gabek districts is included in the figures for the districts from which they were cut out.
The Tin Museum is Asia's only tin museum, and was the site of the 7 May 1949Roem–Van Roijen Agreement on the future of independent Indonesia. The 1936 Jamik Mosque, in Jalan Masjid Jamik, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in Pangkalpinang. Kwan Tie Miaw temple (關帝廟), on the Jalan Mayor Muhidin, is one of the oldest temples on the island of Bangka. Formerly known as the Kwan Tie Bio Temple, it is estimated to have been built in 1841 and dedicated toLord Guan. GPIB Maranatha, originally the Kerkeraad der Protestansche Gemeente to Pangkalpinang, was built in 1927. After independence, the church's name was changed to Western Indonesian Protestant Church (GPIB) Maranatha Pangkalpinang.[10]
Tai Fu Sui (豆腐水), also known asfu sui (腐水) is a popular drink similar tosoy milk.Pantiaw orkwetiaw (盤条) is made from sago and rice flour and usually served with fish soup.
Pangkal Balam is the city's main seaport, providing daily export and import, inter-island trade and passenger transport to and from Jakarta, Batam, Palembang, Bandar Lampung and Tanjungpandan. Smaller seaports, such asMuntok, serves speedboats to and from Palembang.
The city's economy is based on agricultural products: food crops, livestock, marine and freshwater fishing and small plantations (rubber, pepper and coconut). Pangkalpinang also has a scenic beach.
^abcdBadan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023,Kota Pangkalpinang Dalam Angka 2023 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1971)
^Aris Ananta; Evi Nurvidya Arifin; M. Sairi Hasbullah; Nur Budi Handayani; dan Agus Pramono (2015).Demography of Indonesia's Ethnicity. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies dan BPS – Statistics Indonesia.
^There is a discrepancy with the figures reported by national office of BPS and that reported by the local BPS, which gives 104.54 km2 as shown in the table of districts.
