REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

Jakarta - the capital of Indonesia

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia now. The word “now” is used because of the intention of the Indonesian government to change the capital city of the state. In addition, it is the most populated city in Indonesia.

Location

Jakarta is situated on the northwest coast of Java, at the mouth of the Ciliwung River on Jakarta Bay, an entry point of the Java Sea. It is strategically located near the Sunda Strait (a strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra). The northern part of Jakarta is plain land, some areas of which are below sea level, and they are subject to frequent flooding. The southern parts of the city are hilly. It is one of only two Asian capital cities which are in the southern hemisphere (along with East Timor's Dili). Officially, the area of the Jakarta Special District is 662 km² of land area and 6,977 km² of sea area. The Thousand Islands, which are administratively part of Jakarta, are in Jakarta Bay, north of the city.

Jakarta lies in a plain, ranging from −2 to 50 metres with an average elevation of 8 metres above sea level with historically extensive swampy areas. Thirteen rivers flow through Jakarta. They are Ciliwung River, Kalibaru, Pesanggrahan, Cipinang, Angke River, Maja, Mookervart, Krukut, Buaran, West Tarum, Cakung, Petukangan, Sunter River and Grogol River. They flow from the Puncak highlands to the south of the city, then across the city northwards towards the Java Sea. The Ciliwung River divides the city into the western and eastern districts. These rivers, combined with the wet season rains and the shortage of drainage causes clogging, put Jakarta at risk of flooding. The flooding is related to climate changes.

Architecture

The buildings were influenced by a lot of historical periods. For example, the dominant colonial styles can be divided into three periods: the Dutch Golden Age (17th to late 18th century), the transitional style period (late 18th century – 19th century), and Dutch modernism (20th century).

Most landmarks, monuments and statues in Jakarta were begun in the 1960s during the Sukarno era, then completed in the Suharto era, while some date from the colonial period. Although many of the projects were completed after his presidency, Sukarno (the first president of independent Indonesia), who was an architect, is credited for planning Jakarta's monuments and landmarks, as he desired the city to be the beacon of a powerful new nation. Among the monumental projects which were built and planned during his administration are the National Monument, Istiqlal mosque, the Legislature Building, and the Gelora Bung Karno stadium. Sukarno also built many nationalistic monuments and statues in the capital city.

Istiqlal mosque =>

<= National Monument of Indonesia