Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

Mahakam River

river, Indonesia
Also known as: Koetai River, Kutai River, Sungai Mahakam

Mahakam River, river of east-central Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan). It rises in Borneo’s central mountain range and flows east-southeast through southern East Kalimantan province for about 400 miles (650 km) before emptying into Makassar Strait in a wide delta. The chief town along its course is Samarinda, capital of East Kalimantan, situated about 30 miles (48 km) above the river’s mouth.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kenneth Pletcher.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.