Equator Monument

Middle of the world monument (mitad del mundo monument) 

Among all countries in the world, only twelve straddle the Equator. While Among the countless cities Within those twelve countries, only one sits right on this invisible line That separates the earth's southern from the northern hemisphere. Pontianak, capital of the province of West Kalimantan - formerly known as West Borneo - has the distinction of being the only city in the world That sits right on the Equator, a fact That needs no international agreement nor approval. This is the very reason why the Equatorial monument was built here, although Pontiac's founder, Abdurahman Sharif Alkadrie was not in the slightest aware of this fact.

Chronological development of the Equator Monument

Base on the records obtained in 1941, from V.en. V by Opsiter Wiese in the quotation from BIJDRAGENTOT DE GEOGRAPHE from Chep Van Den Topographeschen dien in Nederlandsch Indie: Den 31 Sten Maart 1928 had come to Pontianak, an International Expedition led by Dutch Geographie experts to determine the point / milestone equator line in the city of Pontianak with the construction as follows:

1.      The first monument built in 1928 in the form of pillars and arrow.

2.      In 1930 an enhanced, pillar-shaped with a circle and arrows.

3.      In 1938 the original monument was rebuilt with improvements by Opsiter / Architech Silaban with sizes as follows:

- Building the monument consists of 4 (four) pieces of landmark purchase, each 0.30 m, with the height of the front pillar 2 (two) pieces as high as 3.05 m from ground and milestones the back where a circle and arrow guidance direction as high as 4.40 m.

4.      In 1990, Equator Monument was renovated with the manufacture and duplicate Monument Equatorial dome with size 5 (five) times larger than the original monument are as follows:

• 2 pieces of the front pillar to the size of 1.5 m with a height of 15.25 m from ground level.
• 2 pieces milestone rear with size 1.5 m with a height of 22 m from the ground surface length of the arrow directions 10.75 m.

The original form of the Equator Monument (Inner) Paper plate under the arrows are listed 109'20'00 'OLVGR show exactly where the establishment of the Equator Monument located in east longitude. Inauguration duplicate Equatorial Monument and the dome on September 21, 1991 by PARJOKO SURYOKUSUMO Governor of West Kalimantan.

5.      For more details, construction and building of the original Equator Monument can be seen on the inside of the dome.

At noon of each year on March 21-23 and September 23, the other upright objects located near the Equator Monument no shadow (no shadow). This shows that Equator Monument located right at Zero degrees latitude. (Source: Gallery at the Equator Monument)