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Pangkalpinang, colloquially written as Pangkal Pinang, also known as Pin-kong in Hakka, is the capital and largest city of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province in Indonesia. It is located on Bangka Island's east coast, the city is divided into seven districts (kecamatan), sub-divided into 42 urban villages (kelurahan).

It covers an area of and it had a population of 174,838 at the 2010 Census and 218,568 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2025 was 233,466 (comprising 118,226 males and 115,240 females). The city's average population density was about 2,233 per square kilometre in mid 2025. The Rangkui River divides the city into two parts, and Jalan Merdeka is its geographic center.

Pangkalpinang's population consists largely of ethnic Malays and Hakka Chinese people. There are also smaller immigrant communities of other ethnic groups, such as Batak, Bugis and Minangkabau. Landmarks in the city include the Timah Museum, Jamik Mosque, Fuk Tet Che Chinese temple, the Cathedral of St. Joseph, the Bangka Botanical Garden, and the Pasir Padi beach.

Pangkalpinang is derived from the local words pengkal ("base") and pinang (Areca catechu, a species of palm tree widely grown on the island of Bangka).

As part of Srivijaya, Pangkalpinang was inhabited by Hindus. In addition to being a territory of Sriwijaya, it was also a territory of Majapahit and the Mataram Kingdom. In all three kingdoms, Pangkalpinang received little attention despite its proximity to international shipping routes and became a hideout for pirates preying on ships in the South China Sea

To secure the shipping routes around the Strait of Malacca, the Johor Sultanate sent troops to Pangkalpinang, establishing a garrison and began spreading Islam in the region. However, the pirates soon returned.

Years later, in another attempt to rid the area of piracy, the Sultan of Banten sent a regent of the Indonesian archipelago to eradicate the pirates. The regent established control and ruled Bangka until his death, when his authority passed to his only daughter.

Around 1709, tin was found on the banks of the Olin River in Toboali District. With the discovery of tin, merchants from China and elsewhere flocked to the region; the Sultan of Palembang sent representatives to China in search of tin experts. In 1717, the Palembang Sultanate began developing trade relationships with the Dutch East India Company (VOC). With the company's help, the sultan attempted to eradicate piracy and tin smuggling.

The Netherlands was occupied by France at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, and the British seized all areas in Nusantara under Dutch governance. In accordance with the Tuntang Agreement, on 18 September 1811 the Dutch handed over the island of Java, Timor, Makassar, and Palembang to the British; Pangkalpinang become a British colony. Stamford Raffles sent emissaries to Palembang to take over the Dutch fort in Sungai Aur, but they were rejected by Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II. Raffles also demanded the tin mines in Pangkalpinang from Badaruddin.

Raffles sent an expedition to Palembang, led by Rollo Gillespie, on 20 March 1812. Gillespie replaced Mahmud Badaruddin II with Prince Adipati, giving him the title of Sultan Ahmad Najamuddin II, and the new sultan handed over the islands of Belitung and Bangka Islands to the British.

In accordance with the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the Netherlands regained areas occupied in 1803 by the British (including Pangkalpinang). The native people were subjected to fraud, extortion, and forced labor by the Dutch and the British. The Dutch exploited the tin reserves; guerrilla warfare was fought in Musi Rawas, and Pangkalpinang fought to expel the Dutch.

During World War II, Bangka Island was occupied by Japanese troops. Although the occupation of Pangkalpinang was brief, shortages of food and clothing were severe.

After Japan surrendered to the Allies and the Indonesia proclaimed its independence, Pangkalpinang became part of Indonesia. (initially as part of the province of South Sumatra). After the country's political landscape changed, the Bangka Belitung Islands were separated from South Sumatra and combined as a province with Pangkalpinang its capital.

The city's topography is generally undulating and hilly, with an altitude of above sea level. Hilly areas are primarily in the west and south, including Mount Girimaya (50 metres above sea level) and Tower Hill. A urban forest is in the Old Village area. An area of is under cultivation for food crops, fisheries and forestry. Fallow land is, and are developed. The remaining are swamps and forest.

The city's soil has an average pH below 5, with red-yellow podzolic soil and regosol. A small area is bog soil and light-gray regosol derived from the deposition of sand and clay. Although such soil is less suitable for rice, other crops may be grown. The oldest formations are Permo-Carboniferous limestone, Late Triassic slate and Triassic-Jurassic granite. Composition of the granitic rocks includes dark-colored (occasionally green) biotite and amphibole.

The Rangkui River flows through the city, and the Pedindang River is in the south. They drain into the Baturusa River, which flows to the South China Sea. The rivers provided transport to markets, and make Pangkalpinang prone to flooding (especially during the rainy season or at times of high tide).

Pangkalpinang has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) with heavy rainfall year-round. Rain gets noticeably heavier from November to April.