Tembagapura

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Coordinates: 4°8′34″S 137°5′26″E / 4.14278°S 137.09056°E / -4.14278; 137.09056

Aerial view of the Grasberg mine and surrounding mountains, near Tembagapura. The town exists to support the mine.

Tembagapura is a town built to support the Grasberg Mine in the Indonesian province of Papua. It is situated on a rocky plain at the base of the 14,500-foot Mount Zaagkam, ten miles southeast of the mine.[1] Construction of the mine and its infrastructure including the town, commenced in the late-1960s. The town is about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, in the Sudirman Range, not far from Mount Carstensz, the highest peak in Oceania. The area gets about 6 metres (20 ft) of rainfall each year. The weather is usually sunny in the morning, changing to cloudy and cool around noon.[2]

In Indonesian, tembaga means "copper" and pura is equivalent to "temple" or "town", meaning "Copper Town".

In 1981, Tembagapura was reported to house over 3,000 mine workers and their dependents.[1]

In 1994, biologist Tim Flannery visited the town and reported it to have a population of more than 10,000 people, with most of the amenities of a similar-sized rural town in the U.S. It had sports facilities, a club with a bar and restaurant, supermarkets and specialty shops, a bank, and excellent accommodations for workers and visitors. He observed that this was quite different from other locations in what was then called Irian Jaya.[3]

In 2011, Tembagapura had a school for English-speaking expatriate children that was called "the world's most remote international school." The town was reported to have a hospital, a community library, a full-sized outdoor soccer field, tennis and squash courts, and a state-of-the art gymnasium. The Lupa Lelah Club, a focal point for expatriates, was said to have an excellent restaurant, a bar and various function rooms. Shopping facilities included a coffee shop, Hero Supermarket (a well known Indonesian retail chain), Guardian Pharmacy, Hero Department Store, and a hairdresser.[2]

Tribal groups living near Tembagapura include the Ekari, Moni, Amungme and Dani people, who regard the land of the town and mine as belonging to their tribal lands, and not to the country of Indonesia. They barely understand the concept of a sovereign country, and they do not regard themselves as subject to its laws. Consequently, there is tension between the tribal peoples, the country, and to a lesser extent the mining company. A strong security force, provided by the Indonesian Army, works to keep that tension in check.[3]

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wilson, Forbes (1981). The Conquest of Copper Mountain. New York: Atheneum. ISBN 0-689-11153-3. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Mt. Zaagkam International School". Retrieved 2013-12-29. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Flannery, Tim (1998). Throwim Way Leg. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press. pp. 266–267. ISBN 0-87113-731-3. 
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