Banjarbaru

About Banjarbaru

Banjarbaru is the capital city of South Kalimantan, one of the provinces in Indonesia. It is located 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Banjarmasin, the largest city of the province. The city had a population of 199,627 as of the 2010 Census, and 253,442 at the 2020 Census, and the official population estimate as at mid 2025 was 293,332 (comprising 147,053 males and 146,279 females). The large town of Martapura, with 161,290 inhabitants in 2025 (in Martapura and Martapura Timur Districts), lies immediately to the north of Banjarbaru in Banjar Regency, and in effect constitutes an extension of the city. The second largest city in the province after Banjarmasin, it is also part of Banjarbakula metropolitan area.

Banjarbaru was previously only a temporary name used by governor Dr. Murdjani to differentiate it from Banjarmasin, as "baru" means "new" in Indonesian. However, the name stuck among people living there and gradually became the official name of the city. The area which became Banjarbaru previously consisted of a series of hills known as Mount Apam.

Diamond mines in Cempaka have existed since the 15th century under the Hindu-Buddhist kingdom...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.