Kalumpang, Indonesia

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Kalumpang is a subdistrict (kecamatan) in the Mamuju Regency of West Sulawesi, Indonesia. The population is comprised of the Kalumpang people, a subsistence-level people relying solely on agriculture, especially the growing of rice, to survive.

The language spoken throughout Kalumpang is called Kalumpang and is similar to that of the neighbouring area, Toraja.

Kalumpang is a predominantly Christian area, with few Muslims in the area. There are no mosques in the Kalumpang region, which causes some tension between Christians and Muslims. The main village in the Kalumpang area is also called Kalumpang, with other villages such as Tambing-Tambing, Buttu, Batuisi, Hinua and Pambentengan. Most of the villages within Kalumpang are close by to the river, in order to irrigate the rice fields.

Minimal development has been undergone in this area. Electricity is obtained from single motor generators, which are of poor quality. However, the Government provides the area with a satellite so they may obtain Nationalist News. Infrastructure in this area is quite under-developed and it is difficult to travel between villages during the wet season. Jeeps, motorbikes, out-rigger canoes, rafts and walking are used as modes of transport.

The only health care available is a Puskemas (public health centre) in the main village, Kalumpang. In outlying regions, health problems and disease pose a big mortality threat.

In Tambing-Tambing and in the main village Kalumpang, education extends to SMP (III), which is equivalent to the 9th Grade in Western Systems. To obtain higher education, students must travel to Mamuju and pay hefty tuition fees. This is a costly process as the primary form of living is subsistance agriculture. Thus, the opportunity for students to receive higher education is quite difficult.