North Kalimantan is located on the island of Borneo. With an area of ± 75,467.70 km², North Kalimantan is bordered by the State of Sabah (Malaysia) in the North, the Sulawesi Sea in the East, the Province of East Kalimantan in the South, the Sarawak State (Malaysia) in the West. North Kalimantan Province has an ocean area of 11,579 km² (13% of the total area). The total population of 691,058 people based on the census in 2017. The majority of the population is Muslim (59.54%), Christian (31.38%), Catholic (7.60%), Buddhist (1.26%) and Hindu (less than 1%). The three tribes that inhabit this province are Dayak, Banjar, and Bulungan.
North Kalimantan is the place where Bulungan Sultanate existed in North Kalimantan from 1731 to 1958. This province possesses a rich cultural diversity and important indigenous cultural reserves at the regional and national levels. Three cultural works of North Kalimantan Province were designated as Indonesia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017 by the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia. The three cultural works are the ceremonial procession of the Tidung tribe, the Padaw Tuju Dulung in Tarakan City, the Dayak Kenyah Jatung Utang musical instrument from Metun Sajau Village, Bulungan Regency, and the Lalatip Dance from Malinau Regency.