Bontang is a city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo in Indonesia, in the province of East Kalimantan. It occupies an area of , and the population was 140,787 at the 2010 census, and 178,917 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 180,843. It is also the third most densely populated place in the province after Balikpapan and Samarinda. History Etymology Bontang refers to the town's traditional status as a humble village populated mostly by immigrants. 'Bon' can refer in Indonesian to 'receipt' and 'tang' to 'debt.' Alternately, the name of the town means 'a group of visitors'. A coastal town, Bontang was initially a settlement governed under the Kutai Sultanate based in Tenggarong. Colonial era In 1920, the village of Bontang was established as a sub-district town, which was at that time called the Onder Van Bontang District. Bontang was still a sub-district under the leadership of a assistant who was a cleric in the government of Sultan Aji Muhammad Parikesit, the 19th Sultan of Kutai Kartanegara (1921-1960). Independence era Since 1954, a district head has taken office. The enactment of Law No. 27 of 1959 concerning the establishment of the Regional Level (Dati) II in East Kalimantan removed the status of self-government. In 1972, the government of the then Kutai Regency recognized Bontang as a district. Major development of Bontang as an industrial area took place following the establishment of two major companies, PT Badak Natural Gas Liquefaction in 1974, and PT Pupuk Kaltim, a company specializing in the production of ammonia and fertilizer, three years later. Both companies built facilities and infrastructure that were very important for the economic growth of the city, From 1978 onwards, Bontang experienced rapid regional expansion. Consequently, the central government upgraded Bontang from a district to an administrative city (kota administratif - kotif), by government law No. 20 of 1989 and followed up with the expansion of the Kotif region from one district to two - North Bontang and South Bontang Districts. In 1999, Bontang became an autonomous independent city (kotamadya). A third district - West Bontang - was created on 16 August 2003. Geography Bontang is located between 117° 23 E and 117° 32 E and 0° 01 N and 0° 12 N. It administers an area of 497.57 km2. Within this area, only 29% is land. The city is dominated by flat