Tarakan, Commercial port city in North Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Tarakan is a port city in North Kalimantan that occupies an entire island off the eastern coast of Borneo. Swampy ground dominates the coastal areas, while mangrove forests line the shore and transition into the interior.
Japanese troops seized the island in 1942 for its oil reserves and built military installations for the Pacific war. Australian forces landed in 1945 and fought for months until the occupation ended.
The city's name joins two words from the Tidung language that point to its earlier role as a trading post among coastal communities. Today, fishermen and vendors still gather to sell fish, vegetables and household goods at floating markets.
Juwata Airport links the city with other parts of Indonesia through daily flights to Balikpapan, Surabaya and Jakarta. Ferries run from docks near the town center and take several hours to reach the Borneo mainland.
Oil rigs stand next to residential neighborhoods and along the coast, where pumps have operated since the 1920s. Some visitors walk along the old drilling paths that now serve as lookout points over the sea.
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