It's been years passed away. Unbelievable this city is old already. And I was born right here 15 years ago in September 1997. No matter what people's says but I will always love this city.
Samarinda is the capital of the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan (Borneo) the island of Borneo. The city lies on the banks of the Mahakam River. It is the most populous city in East Kalimantan with a population of 726,223. Although it is the capital of East Kalimantan, some government institutions such as the Police, Indonesian Army District VI Of Tanjung Pura, and Pelabuhan Indonesia (Port Transportation) are located on the island. Samarinda is known for its traditional food amplang, as well as the cloth sarong Samarinda. The city also has a bridge connecting its river banks, Mahakam Bridge. The city center is on one side and the other side is named Samarinda Seberang.
At the start of the Gowa War, the Dutch under Admiral Speelman's command attacked Makassar from the sea. Meanwhile, the Netherlands' local ally Arung Palaka led a ground attack. The Kingdom of Gowa was forced to surrender and Sultan Hassanudin was made to sign the Bongaya Treaty on 19 November 1667.
The treaty did not quell all trouble for the Dutch however, since the Bugis from Gowa continued their struggle using guerilla tactics. Some Buginese moved to other islands close by such as Kalimantan. A few thousand people led by Lamohang Daeng Mangkona or Pua Ado I, moved to East Kalimantan, known then as Kutai, where they were welcomed by the local Sultan.
The Sultan of Kutai gave the migrants land in Kampung Melantai around the Karang Mumus River, now known as Kampung Selili, where established farms and fisheries. In payment, the Bugis people promised to help the Sultan defend Kutai whenever needed.
The arrival of the first Bugis on 21 January 1668 was chosen to mark the city's anniversary.
Samarinda was a small, sleepy town in 1942 with several small oil fields in the vicinity. It was occupied by the Japanese after the Dutch East Indies had fallen.
In 1955, the Apostolic Vicariate of Samarinda was established in the city. In 1961, it was promoted as the Diocese of Samarinda. In 2003, the diocese was promoted as the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Samarinda.
The name Samarinda originates from the description of the way in which the Bugis houses were constructed. At that time houses were customarily built on a raft and generally had the same height. This provided important social symbolism of equality between residents; no person's house, and thus no person, was seen as higher or lower than another. They named the settlement 'Samarenda', meaning 'equal in height'. After hundreds of years of use the pronunciation of the name changed slightly and the city became known as Samarinda.
So, if some of you who might read this and you are here in Samarinda, well, I'll glad to know. I won't speak my current position. But if you like to meet, I can consider it.
"Happy 345th Anniversary my beloved city!"
- Me, on Twitter
