Bima city ( Bima: ''Mbojo'') is a coastal

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

on the east of the island of

Sumbawa Sumbawa, is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. Along with Lombok, it forms the province of West Nusa Tenggara, but th ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

's province of

West Nusa Tenggara West Nusa Tenggara ( – NTB) is a provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It comprises the western portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the exception of Bali which is its own province. The area of this province is which consists of ...

. It is the largest city on the island of

, with a population of 142,443 at the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 155,140 at the 2020 census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as at mid-2024 was 165,113 (comprising 82,338 males and 82,775 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kota Bima Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5272) It is separate from (but surrounded on the landward side by) the adjoining Bima Regency which had a population of 535,530 according to the mid-2023 official estimates. The people of Bima and the entire eastern side of Sumbawa speak the Bima language (

: ''Bahasa Bima'' ; Bima: ''Nggahi Mbojo''). From 1620 to 1958 it was the capital of the Bima Sultanate. In modern times, Bima city is the largest regional and economic hub of Eastern Sumbawa with transmigrants from other parts of Indonesia, especially

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

, and

Lombok Lombok, is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is rou ...

. It has a central downtown commercial zone. It is home to the Sultan Salahuddin mosque and the Sultan Salahuddin Museum (former Bima Sultanate palace). It is connected by a provincial road to Dompu and Sape.

Administrative districts

Bima City consists of five

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

(''kecamatan''), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and the 2020 census,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. together with the official estimates as of mid-2024.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025, ''Kota Bima Dalam Angka 2025'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.5272) The table also includes the locations of the District administrative centres and the number of

administrative village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

s (all rated as urban ''kelurahan'') in each district, and its post codes.

Geography

The city is located on the eastern shore of Bima Bay. Traditionally Bima was a port city that connected to other port cities in Eastern Indonesia such as

Makassar Makassar ( ), formerly Ujung Pandang ( ), is the capital of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, ...

and

Ternate Ternate (), also known as the City of Ternate (; ), is the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city with the largest population in the province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands, Indonesia. It was the ''de facto'' provi ...

, as well as to ports in

, and East Java.

Climate

Bima has a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry "winter") and ''As'' (for a dry "summer"). The driest month has less than ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Aw'') with moderate to little rainfall from April to November and heavy rainfall from December to March.

Demography

Based on data for 2000, Bima had a population of 116,295 – comprising 57,108 males (49%) and 59,187 females (51%). There is uneven population distribution, with the densest population concentrated in the centers of economic activity and governance. The largest population was in the village of Paruga, which amounted to 12,275 people (11%) and the least was in the village of Kendo, with 1130 souls (1%). At the population census of 2010, the population in Bima numbered 142,443 – 69,841 men and 72,602 women, and at the population census of 2020, the population in Bima numbered 155,140 – 77,009 men and 78,131 women. The majority of the populace in Bima are Muslims, who form about 97.38%, and the rest are Protestant 0.89%, Catholic Christians 0.62%, and Hindus and Buddhists around 1.11%.

Transportation

Bima is connected through the trans-Sumbawa road to Sape Harbour in the east and Dompu in the Southwest to Sumbawa Besar and Taliwang in the western part of Sumbawa. Bus services connecting Bima to other neighboring cities in Sumbawa as far as Mataram in

are available. Air transportation is served through Sultan Muhammad Salahudin Airport on the southern outskirt of Bima by NAM Air and Wings Air to

Denpasar Denpasar (; Balinese script, Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ, ''Dénpasar'') is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. Denpasar is the largest city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second largest city in Eastern Indonesia after ...

, and

. Bima was also a stop on Qantas Airways' pre-war route between Sydney and Singapore, serviced by C Class Empire flying boats.

History

In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Bima was the easternmost extent of the expansion of

Hinduism in Southeast Asia Hinduism in Southeast Asia had a profound impact on the region's cultural development and its history. As the Indic scripts were introduced from the Indian subcontinent, people of Southeast Asia entered the historical period by producing th ...

, as a result of heavy Indian influence on the region during the period. Bima was once one of the four

sultanate Sultan (; ', ) is a Royal and noble ranks, position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". La ...

s on the island of Sumbawa. From the 17th to 20th centuries, it was the capital of the Bima Sultanate and is home to an old palace of the city's rulers. In the early 17th century, the Islamization of Bima had fallen off the old Hindu kingdom on the east coast of the island of Sumbawa. In 1792, Sultan Abdu'l Hamid Muhammad Shah signed a contract with the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

, through which Bima became the Protectorate of the Dutch.

Tourism

Bima has several well-known tourist destinations, such as Mount Tambora, Wawo traditional Village, Sambori Traditional Village, Snake Island, Ana Fari Lake (Lake of the Angels), and Satonda Island. There are many white sandy beaches both in the northern and southern parts of Bima. The city has modest tourist accommodations, such as 1-star hotels and some restaurants. Its main attractions are the Sultan Salahuddin mosque, the Terapung mosque, and the Sultan Salahuddin Museum (former Bima Sultanate palace). Bima airport serves as the air hub for domestic and foreign visitors, who are more attracted to visiting Hu'u beach for

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

or Tambora Volcano for

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

Sister cities

Alor Setar Alor Setar ( Kedah Malay: ) is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to the third-tallest ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

References

* Anthony Reid, The rise of Makassar. Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs 17:117-160, 1983. * Anthony Reid, Pluralism and progress in seventeenth century Makassar. Paper presented at the Leiden workshop “Trade, society and belief in South Sulawesi”. MS, 1987. * A. Ligtvoet, "Transcriptie van de Lontara-Bilang of het Dagboek der Vorsten van Gowa en Tello", Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië, Vierde Volgreeks, Vierde Deel - 1e stuk. Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, The Hague, 1880. pages 1–259. * D.F.van Braam Morris, "Nota van toelichting behoorende bij het contract gesloten met het Landschap Bima op den 20sten October 1886". Tijdschrift voor Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde uitgegeven door het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen. Deel XXXIV, pp. 176–233. Batavia, 1891. * Henri Chambert-Loir. ''Ceritera Asal Bangsa Jin dan Segala Dewa-Dewa'', Ecole française d'Extrême-Orient, Bandung, Angkasa, 1985. * Henri Chambert-Loir and Siti Maryam R. Salahuddin, ''Bo' Sangaji Kai: Catatan Kerajaan Bima''. Ecole française d'Extrême-Orient/Yayasan Obor Indonesia, Jakarta, 1999. * Dr S.W.R. Mulyadi and H.Siti Maryam R. Salahuddin, SH. ''Bandar Bima''. Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan ..., 1993. * Dr S.W.R. Mulyadi and H.Siti Maryam R. Salahuddin, SH. ''Katalogus Naskah Melayu Bima.'' Yayasan Museum Kepudayaan "Samparaja" Bima, 1990. * J. Noorduyn, ''Bima en Sumbawa: Bijdragen tot de geschiedenis van de sultanen Bima en Sumbawa door A. Ligtvoet en G.P. Rouffaer''. Foris Publications, Dordrecht-Holland, 1987. * J. Noorduyn, "Makasar and the Islamization of Bima". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië. Uitgegeven door het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, part 143, pp. 312–342. * Leonard Y Andaya, The heritage of Arung Palakka. A history of South Sulawesi (Celebes) in the seventeenth century. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1981. * Michael Hitchcock, Islam and Identity in Eastern Indonesia. University of Hull Press, 1996. * Muhammad Adlin Sila, "Momentum Hari Jadi ke 372 Bima: Meempertegas Identitas Islam Dou Labo Dana Mbojo." Wednesday, 11 July 2012 (www.bimakini.com). * Muhammad Adlin Sila, "Asi dan BO Mbojo: Refleksi Integritas Dou Labo Dana Mbojo." Tuesday, 17 July 2012 (www.bimakini.com). * Muhammad Adlin Sila, "Peranan Kesultanan Bima dalam Sejarah Pendidikan di Bima." Saturday, 12 May 2012 (www.bimakini.com). * F. David Bulbeck, "The Politics of Marriage and the Marriage of Polities in Gowa, South Sulawesi, During the 16th and 17th Centuries".In Peter Bellwood, James J. Fox and Darrell Tryon (eds) The Austronesians: historical and comparative perspectives, pp. 214–228. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, 1995. * M. Hilir Ismail, Peran Kesultanan Bima Dalam Perjalanan Sejarah Nusantara. Mataram, Nusa Tenggara Barat: Penerbit Lengge, 2004. * M. Hilir Ismail, Kebangkitan Islam di Dana Mbojo (Bima) (1540-1950). Bogor, Indonesia: Penerbit CV Binasti, 2008. * Abdurrazak daeng Patunru, Sedjarah Goa. ''Jajasan Kebudajaen Sulawesi Selatan dan Tenggara'', Makassar, 1967. * Michael Prager. 2010. ABANDONING THE 'GARDEN OF MAGIC' : Islamic modernism and contested spirit assertions in Bima. Indonesia and the Malay World, Volume 38, Issue 110 March 2010, pages 9 – 25. * Peter Just. 2000. ''Dou Donggo Justice: Conflict and Morality in an Indonesian Society.'' Rowman & Littlefield.

External links

*
Bima Wordlist at the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database
* Hägerdal, Hans (2017), ''Held's History of Sumbawa''. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Pres

{{Authority control Populated places in West Nusa Tenggara States and territories established in 2002 Cities in West Nusa Tenggara