South Kalimantan
Indonesia's earliest coal mining province, exporting 66.5M tons through Banjarmasin in Jan-Aug 2024 alone.
Coal seams outcropped along the Meratus Mountains long before anyone thought to extract them. Pengaron Village became Indonesia's earliest coal mining site during Dutch colonial days, establishing South Kalimantan's extractive identity. The Barito River, flowing through swampy lowlands to the Java Sea, became Kalimantan's most important waterway—Banjarmasin sits 20 miles upriver, loading the province's mineral wealth onto ships bound for Asia's industrial centers.
The extraction continues at industrial scale. In January-August 2024 alone, 66.5 million tons of coal moved through Taboneo/Banjarmasin terminals. PT Adaro Indonesia operates open-pit mines at Paringin and Tutupan, feeding global demand even as climate rhetoric turns against thermal coal. The province also produces diamonds, gold, and iron ore, though coal dominates the 5.23% GDP growth recorded in Q3 2024.
The Meratus Mountains that yield these riches also create Indonesia's smallest provincial territory. South Kalimantan's 4.3 million people cluster in river deltas and coastal lowlands, their prosperity directly correlated with commodity prices set in distant markets. By 2026, the global coal phase-down will test whether these extraction-dependent communities can pivot faster than the seams deplete.