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Jakarta (; ,
Betawi Betawi may refer to: *Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of Native Indonesian, regional immigrants that came ...
: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of
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, ...
and an autonomous region at the provincial level. Lying on the northwest coast of
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 ...
, the world's most populous island, Jakarta is the largest metropole in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
and serves as the diplomatic capital of
ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...
. The Special Region has a status equivalent to that of a
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
and is bordered by two other provinces:
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
to the south and east; and
Banten Banten (, , Pegon alphabet, Pegon: بنتن) is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capi ...
to the west. Its coastline faces the
Java Sea The Java Sea (, ) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South Ch ...
to the north, and it shares a maritime border with
Lampung Lampung, officially the Province of Lampung (; ), is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra. It has a short border with the province of Bengkulu to the northwest, and a longer border with the provi ...
to the west. Jakarta's metropolitan area is ASEAN's second largest economy after
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
. In 2023, the city's
GDP Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the total market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is often used to measure the economic performance o ...
PPP was estimated at US$724.010 billion. Jakarta is the economic, cultural, and political centre of Indonesia. Although Jakarta extends over only and thus has the smallest area of any
Indonesian province Provinces are the first-level administrative divisions of Indonesia. They were formerly called first-level provincial regions (), before the Reform era. Provinces have a local government, consisting of a governor () and a regional legislativ ...
, its
metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
covers , which includes the satellite cities of
Bogor Bogor City (), or Bogor (, ), is a landlocked city in the West Java, Indonesia. Located around south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is the 6th largest city in the Jakarta metropolitan area and the 14th overall nationwide.
,
Depok Depok ( Sundanese: ᮓᮨᮕᮧᮊ᮪) is a landlocked city in West Java province. It is located directly south of Jakarta, it is the third largest urban centre in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi and it has an area ...
,
Tangerang Tangerang (Sundanese script, Sundanese: , ) is the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city with the largest population in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the western border of Jakarta, it is the sixth largest city proper in ...
,
South Tangerang South Tangerang () is a city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the southwestern border of Jakarta, the city forms part of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. It was administratively separated from Tangerang Regency on 26 Novemb ...
, and
Bekasi Bekasi (, ) is the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city with the largest population in the province of West Java, Indonesia, located on the eastern border of Jakarta. It serves as a commuter town, commuter city within the Jakarta m ...
, and has an estimated population of 32.6 million , making it the largest urban area in Indonesia and the second-largest in the world (after
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
). Jakarta ranks first among the Indonesian provinces in the
human development index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...
. Jakarta's business and employment opportunities, along with its ability to offer a potentially higher
standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outsid ...
compared to other parts of the country, have attracted migrants from across the Indonesian
archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...
, making it a melting pot of numerous cultures. Jakarta is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Southeast Asia. Established in the fourth century as
Sunda Kelapa Sunda Kelapa () is the old port of Jakarta, located on the estuary of the Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" ( Sundanese: "Coconut of Sunda") is the original name, and it was the main port of the Sunda Kingdom. The port is situated in Penjaringan D ...
, the city became an important trading port for the
Sunda Kingdom The Sunda Kingdom ( , ) was a Sundanese people, Sundanese Hindu kingdom located in the western portion of the island of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering the area of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Lampung, and the western part of ...
. At one time, it was the ''de facto'' capital of the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
, when it was known as Batavia. Jakarta was officially a city within
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
until 1960 when its official status was changed to a
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
with special capital region distinction. As a province, its government consists of five administrative cities and one administrative regency. Jakarta is an alpha world city and the ASEAN secretariat's seat. Financial institutions such as the Bank of Indonesia,
Indonesia Stock Exchange Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) ( (BEI)) is a stock exchange based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was previously known as the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) before its name changed in 2007 after merging with the Surabaya Stock Exchange (SSX). In rece ...
, and corporate headquarters of numerous Indonesian companies and
multinational corporation A multinational corporation (MNC; also called a multinational enterprise (MNE), transnational enterprise (TNE), transnational corporation (TNC), international corporation, or stateless corporation, is a corporate organization that owns and cont ...
s are located in the city. Jakarta, as Indonesia’s largest Muslim-majority city, is known for its tradition of religious tolerance and pluralism. The Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, stands as a symbol of the city’s commitment to interfaith harmony. Jakarta's main challenges include rapid urban growth, ecological breakdown, air pollution, gridlocked traffic, congestion, and
flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant concern in agriculture, civi ...
due to subsidence and water extraction (sea level rise is relative, not absolute). Part of North Jakarta is sinking up to 17 cm (6.7 inches) annually, meanwhile the southern part is relatively safe. This has made the northern part of the city more prone to flooding and one of the fastest-sinking capitals in the world. In response to these challenges, in August 2019, President
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...
announced plans to move the capital from Jakarta to the planned city of Nusantara, in the province of
East Kalimantan East Kalimantan (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. Its territory comprises the eastern portion of Borneo/Kalimantan. It had a population of about 3.03 million at the 2010 census (within the cu ...
on the island of
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
. The MPR approved the move on 18 January 2022. The Indonesian government is not abandoning Jakarta after announcing plans to move the country's capital, its planning minister said, pledging to spend US$40 billion, which is more than the cost to build Nusantara, to save the city in the next decade.


Name

Jakarta has been home to multiple settlements. Below is the list of names used during its existence: * Buni people (400 BC–500 AD) * Sundapura (358–669) *
Sunda Kelapa Sunda Kelapa () is the old port of Jakarta, located on the estuary of the Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" ( Sundanese: "Coconut of Sunda") is the original name, and it was the main port of the Sunda Kingdom. The port is situated in Penjaringan D ...
(669–1527) * Jayakarta (1527–1619) * Batavia (1619–1949) * Djakarta (1942–1972) * Jakarta (1972–present) The Buni people is a prehistoric
clay pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...
culture that flourished in coastal northern
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
, Jakarta, and
Banten Banten (, , Pegon alphabet, Pegon: بنتن) is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capi ...
around 400 BC to 100 AD and survived until 500 AD. Sundapura is the name mentioned in the
Tugu inscription The Tugu inscription is one of the mid 5th century Tarumanagara inscriptions discovered in Batutumbuh hamlet, Tugu village, Koja, North Jakarta, in Indonesia. The sanskrit stone inscription of King Purnavarman is of special interest because it ...
from
Tarumanagara Tarumanagara or Taruma Kingdom or just Taruma was an early Sundanese Indianised kingdom, located in western Java, whose 5th-century ruler, Purnawarman, produced the earliest known inscriptions in Java, which are estimated to date from aro ...
, a kingdom in coastal West Java. The strategic geographical position of coastal West Java, which corresponds to today modern Jakarta, is a commanding region that controls the Sunda Strait. This location is strategic in regard to
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
and also its connection to Asian continent of
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. After the fall of the Tarumanagara, the name of city was changed to 'Sunda Kelapa' or 'Coconut of Sunda,' growing to be the main harbour for the
Sunda Kingdom The Sunda Kingdom ( , ) was a Sundanese people, Sundanese Hindu kingdom located in the western portion of the island of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering the area of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Lampung, and the western part of ...
due to its desirable location. The name 'Jakarta' is derived from the word ''Jayakarta'' (
Devanagari Devanagari ( ; in script: , , ) is an Indic script used in the Indian subcontinent. It is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental systems: alphabets, writing system), based on the ancient ''Brāhmī script, Brā ...
: जयकर्त), which is ultimately derived from the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
जय ''jaya'' (victorious), and कृत ''krta'' (accomplished, acquired), thus ''Jayakarta'' translates as 'victorious deed', 'complete act', or 'complete victory'. It was named for the Muslim troops of
Fatahillah Fatahillah, Fadhillah Khan, or Falatehan (Portuguese writing) was a commander of the Demak Sultanate, Sultanate of Demak who is known for leading the conquest of Sunda Kelapa in 1527 and changing its name to Jakarta, Jayakarta. The conquest of Sun ...
which successfully defeated and drove the Portuguese away from the city in 1527, eventually renaming it 'Jayakarta.'
Tomé Pires Tomé Pires (c. 1468 — c. 1524/1540) was a Portuguese apothecary, colonial administrator, and diplomat. In 1510 he was commissioned by the Portuguese court to serve as a " factor of drugs" in India, arriving at Cannanore in 1511. In 1512 he was ...
, a Portuguese apothecary, wrote the name of the city in his
magnum opus A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship. Historically, ...
as ''Jacatra'' or ''Jacarta'' during his journey to the
East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...
. After the Dutch East India Company took over the area in 1619, they renamed it 'Batavia,' after the Batavi, a Germanic tribe who were seen as the ancestors of the Dutch. The city was then also known as (Queen of the Orient), a name that was given for the urban beauty of downtown Batavia's
canals Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow u ...
, mansions and ordered city layout. After expanding to the south in the 19th century, this nickname came to be more associated with the suburbs (e.g.
Menteng Menteng is a district () in the administrative city of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Menteng is surrounded by the districts of Senen and Matraman to the east, Tebet and Setiabudi to the south, Tanah Abang to the west, and Gambir to the north. ...
and the area around Merdeka Square), with their wide lanes, green spaces and villas. During the Japanese occupation, the city was renamed as . After the Japanese surrender, the name was changed to 'Jakarta.'


History


Precolonial era

The north coast area of western Java including Jakarta was the location of prehistoric
Buni culture The Buni culture is a prehistoric clay pottery culture that flourished in coastal northern West Java, Jakarta and Banten around 400 BC to 100 AD and probably survived until 500 AD. The culture was named after its first discovered archaeologic ...
that flourished from 400 BC to 100 AD. The area in and around modern Jakarta was part of the 4th-century Sundanese kingdom of
Tarumanagara Tarumanagara or Taruma Kingdom or just Taruma was an early Sundanese Indianised kingdom, located in western Java, whose 5th-century ruler, Purnawarman, produced the earliest known inscriptions in Java, which are estimated to date from aro ...
, one of the oldest
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
kingdoms in Indonesia. The area of
North Jakarta North Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakut, is one of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is ...
around Tugu became a populated settlement in the early 5th century. The
Tugu inscription The Tugu inscription is one of the mid 5th century Tarumanagara inscriptions discovered in Batutumbuh hamlet, Tugu village, Koja, North Jakarta, in Indonesia. The sanskrit stone inscription of King Purnavarman is of special interest because it ...
(probably written around 417 AD) discovered in Batutumbuh hamlet, Tugu village, Koja,
North Jakarta North Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakut, is one of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is ...
, mentions that King
Purnawarman Purnawarman or Purnavarman was the 5th-century king of Tarumanagara, a Hindu Indianized kingdom, located in modern-day West Java, Jakarta and Banten provinces, Indonesia. Purnawarman reigned during the 5th century, and during his reign he c ...
of Tarumanagara undertook hydraulic projects; the irrigation and water drainage project of the Chandrabhaga river and the Gomati river near his capital. Following the decline of
Tarumanagara Tarumanagara or Taruma Kingdom or just Taruma was an early Sundanese Indianised kingdom, located in western Java, whose 5th-century ruler, Purnawarman, produced the earliest known inscriptions in Java, which are estimated to date from aro ...
, its territories, including the Jakarta area, became part of the Hindu
Kingdom of Sunda The Sunda Kingdom ( , ) was a Sundanese Hindu kingdom located in the western portion of the island of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering the area of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Lampung, and the western part of Central Java. ...
. From the 7th to the early 13th century, the port of Sunda was under the
Srivijaya Srivijaya (), also spelled Sri Vijaya, was a Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia) that influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important ...
maritime empire. According to the Chinese source, '' Chu-fan-chi'', written circa 1225,
Chou Ju-kua Zhao Rukuo ( zh, t=趙汝适, s=赵汝适, p=Zhào Rǔkuò; 1170–1231), also romanised as Zhao Rugua, Chau Ju-kua, or misread as Zhao Rushi, was a Chinese government official and writer during the Song dynasty. He wrote a two-volume book titled ' ...
reported in the early 13th century that Srivijaya still ruled Sumatra, the Malay peninsula, and western Java ( Sunda). The source says the port of Sunda was strategic and thriving, mentioning
pepper Pepper(s) may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plants ** Black pepper ** Long pepper ** Kampot pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanacea ...
from Sunda as among the best in quality. The people worked in agriculture, and their houses were built on wooden piles. The harbour area became known as
Sunda Kelapa Sunda Kelapa () is the old port of Jakarta, located on the estuary of the Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" ( Sundanese: "Coconut of Sunda") is the original name, and it was the main port of the Sunda Kingdom. The port is situated in Penjaringan D ...
( Sundanese: ) and by the 14th century, it was an important trading port for the Sunda Kingdom. The first European fleet, four Portuguese ships from
Malacca Malacca (), officially the Historic State of Malacca (), is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia located in the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca ...
, arrived in 1513 while looking for a route to obtain spices. The Sunda Kingdom made an alliance treaty with the Portuguese by allowing them to build a port in 1522 to defend against the rising power of the
Demak Sultanate The Demak Sultanate () was a Javanese Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day city of Demak. A port fief to the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit kingdom thought to have been founded in the last quarter o ...
from central Java. In 1527,
Fatahillah Fatahillah, Fadhillah Khan, or Falatehan (Portuguese writing) was a commander of the Demak Sultanate, Sultanate of Demak who is known for leading the conquest of Sunda Kelapa in 1527 and changing its name to Jakarta, Jayakarta. The conquest of Sun ...
, a Pasai-born military commander of Demak attacked and conquered Sunda Kelapa, driving out the Portuguese. Sunda Kelapa was renamed Jayakarta, and became a fiefdom of the
Banten Sultanate The Banten Sultanate (, ) was a Bantenese people, Bantenese Islamic trading sultanate, kingdom founded in the 16th century and centred in Bantam (city), Banten, a port city on the northwest coast of Java; the contemporary English name of both w ...
, which became a major Southeast Asian trading centre. Through the relationship with Prince Jayawikarta of the Banten Sultanate, Dutch ships arrived in 1596. In 1602, an English
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
(EIC) voyage led by Sir
James Lancaster Sir James Lancaster (c. 1554 – 6 June 1618) was an English privateer and trader of the Elizabethan era. Life and work Lancaster came from Basingstoke in Hampshire. Lancaster was brought up in Portugal as a merchant and soldier, but retu ...
arrived in
Aceh Aceh ( , ; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ; Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Atjeh'') is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capit ...
and sailed on to
Banten Banten (, , Pegon alphabet, Pegon: بنتن) is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capi ...
, where they were allowed to build a trading post. This site became the centre of English trade in the Indonesian archipelago until 1682. Jayawikarta is thought to have made trading connections with the English merchants, who were rivals with the Dutch, by allowing them to build houses directly across from the Dutch buildings in 1615.


Colonial era

When relations between Prince Jayawikarta and the Dutch deteriorated, his soldiers attacked the Dutch fortress. His army and their EIC allies, however, were defeated by the Dutch, in part owing to the timely arrival of
Jan Pieterszoon Coen Jan Pieterszoon Coen (; 8 January 1587 – 21 September 1629) was a Dutch naval officer of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the early 17th century, holding two terms as governor-general of the Dutch East Indies. He was the founder of ...
. The Dutch burned the EIC trading post and forced them to retreat to their ships. The victory consolidated Dutch power, and they renamed the city ''Batavia'' in 1619. Commercial opportunities in the city attracted native and especially Chinese and Arab immigrants. This sudden population increase created burdens on the city. Tensions grew as the colonial government tried to restrict Chinese migration through deportations. Following a revolt, 5,000 Chinese were
massacred A massacre is an event of killing people who are not engaged in hostilities or are defenseless. It is generally used to describe a targeted killing of civilians en masse by an armed group or person. The word is a loan of a French term for "b ...
by the Dutch and natives on 9 October 1740, and the following year, Chinese inhabitants were moved to
Glodok Glodok () is an Villages of Indonesia, urban village of Taman Sari (Jakarta), Taman Sari, West Jakarta, Indonesia. The area is also known as Pecinan or Chinatown since the Dutch colonial era, and is considered the biggest in Indonesia. Majority of ...
outside the city walls. At the beginning of the 19th century, around 400 Arabs and Moors lived in Batavia, a number that changed little during the following decades. Among the commodities traded were fabrics, mainly imported cotton, ''
batik Batik is a dyeing technique using wax Resist dyeing, resist. The term is also used to describe patterned textiles created with that technique. Batik is made by drawing or stamping wax on a cloth to prevent colour absorption during the dyein ...
'' and clothing worn by Arab communities. The city began to expand further south as epidemics in 1835 and 1870 forced residents to move away from the port. The ''Koningsplein'', now Merdeka Square was completed in 1818, the housing park of
Menteng Menteng is a district () in the administrative city of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Menteng is surrounded by the districts of Senen and Matraman to the east, Tebet and Setiabudi to the south, Tanah Abang to the west, and Gambir to the north. ...
was started in 1913, and
Kebayoran Baru Kebayoran Baru is a List of districts of Jakarta, district () in the administrative city of South Jakarta, Indonesia. The name was derived from a planned satellite city of the same name which was developed in the Aftermath of World War II, post-wa ...
was the last Dutch-built residential area. By 1930, Batavia had more than 500,000 inhabitants, including 37,067 Europeans. The city was expanded in 1935 through the annexation of the town of Meester Cornelis, modern
Jatinegara Jatinegara (originally known as Meester Cornelis or Meester/Mester for short) is one of the districts () of the administrative city of East Jakarta, Indonesia. The name also refers to the larger, historic area of the colonial town of Meester Corn ...
. On 5 March 1942, the Japanese captured Batavia from Dutch control, and the city was named Jakarta (, under the special status that was assigned to the city). After the war, the Dutch name Batavia was internationally recognised until full Indonesian independence on 27 December 1949. The city, now renamed Jakarta, was officially proclaimed the national capital of Indonesia.


Independence

After
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
ended, Indonesian nationalists declared independence on 17 August 1945, and the government of Jakarta City was changed into the Jakarta National Administration in the following month. During the
Indonesian National Revolution The Indonesian National Revolution (), also known as the Indonesian War of Independence (, ), was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during A ...
, Indonesian republicans withdrew from Allied-occupied Jakarta and established their capital in
Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
. After securing full independence, Jakarta again became the national capital in 1950. With Jakarta selected to host the
1962 Asian Games The 1962 Asian Games () also known as the 4th Asian Games, IV Asiad, and Jakarta 1962, were the fourth edition of pan-Asian multi-sport event sanctioned by the Asian Games Federation (AGF). The games were held from 24 August to 4 September 1962, ...
,
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
, envisaging Jakarta as a great international city, instigated large government-funded projects with openly nationalistic and
modernist architecture Modern architecture, also called modernist architecture, or the modern movement, is an architectural architectural movement, movement and architectural style, style that was prominent in the 20th century, between the earlier Art Deco Architectu ...
. Projects included a cloverleaf interchange, a major boulevard ( Jalan MH Thamrin-Sudirman), monuments such as The National Monument,
Hotel Indonesia The Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta is one of the oldest and best-known hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia. Located in Central Jakarta, it was one of the first 5-star hotels in Southeast Asia and remains a major landmark of Jakarta. Its fame is often ...
, a shopping centre, and a new building intended to be the headquarters of
CONEFO The Conference of the New Emerging Forces (CONEFO) was an intergovernmental organization that existed from 1965 to 1966. CONEFO was an attempt by President Sukarno of Indonesia to create a new bloc of "emerging countries" that would be an alterna ...
. In October 1965, Jakarta was the site of an abortive coup attempt in which six top generals were killed, precipitating a violent anti-communist purge which killed at least 500,000 people, including some ethnic Chinese. The event marked the beginning of Suharto's New Order. The first government was led by a mayor until the end of 1960 when the office was changed to that of a governor. The last mayor of Jakarta was
Soediro Raden Soediro (24 April 1911 – 18 April 1992) was an Indonesian politician who served as the first Governor of Jakarta, between 1958 and 1960. Prior to becoming Governor, Soediro served as Jakarta's mayor for five years until the city was made i ...
until he was replaced by
Soemarno Sosroatmodjo Soemarno Sosroatmodjo (24 April 1911 – 9 January 1991) was an Indonesian soldier, doctor and politician who served as both governor of Jakarta and Ministry of Home Affairs (Indonesia), Minister of Home Affairs of Indonesia. He served two ter ...
as governor. In 1966, Jakarta was declared a 'special capital region' (), with a status equivalent to that of a province separated from
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
. Based on law No. 5 of 1974 relating to regional governments, the Jakarta Special Capital Region was confirmed as the capital of Indonesia and one of the country's then 26 provinces. Lieutenant General
Ali Sadikin Ali Sadikin (7 July 1926 – 20 May 2008) was an Indonesian politician who served as the fourth governor of Jakarta from 1966 until 1977. Prior to becoming governor, he served as Minister of Transportation from 1963 until 1966 and Coordinating ...
served as governor from 1966 to 1977; he rehabilitated roads and bridges, encouraged the arts, and built hospitals and a large number of schools. He cleared out slum dwellers for new development projects — some for the benefit of the Suharto family,— and attempted to eliminate rickshaws and ban street vendors. He began control of migration to the city to stem overcrowding and poverty. Foreign investment contributed to a real estate boom that transformed the face of Jakarta. The boom ended with the
1997 Asian financial crisis The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...
, putting Jakarta at the centre of violence, protest, and political manoeuvring. After three decades in power, support for President
Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
began to wane. Tensions peaked when four students were shot dead at
Trisakti University Universitas Trisakti (Usakti, Trisakti) is Indonesia's largest private university located in Jakarta, Indonesia. Universitas Trisakti, is the only private university in Indonesia which was established by the Government of the Republic of Indones ...
by security forces. Four days of riots and violence in 1998 ensued that killed an estimated 1,200, and destroyed or damaged 6,000 buildings, forcing Suharto to resign. Much of the rioting targeted
Chinese Indonesian Chinese Indonesians (), or simply ''Orang Tionghoa'' or ''Tionghoa'', are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries. Chinese Indonesians are the fourth largest community of Overseas Chinese in th ...
s. In the post-Suharto era, Jakarta has remained the focal point of democratic change in Indonesia.
Jemaah Islamiyah Jemaah Islamiyah (, ''al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmiyyah'', meaning "Islamic Congregation", frequently abbreviated JI) was a Southeast Asian Islamist militant group based in Indonesia, which was dedicated to the establishment of an Islamic state in ...
-connected bombings occurred almost annually in the city between 2000 and 2005, with another in 2009. In August 2007, Jakarta held its first-ever election to choose a governor as part of a nationwide decentralisation program that allows direct local elections in several areas. Previously, governors were elected by the city's legislative body. During the
Jokowi Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...
presidency, the Government adopted a plan to move Indonesia's capital to Nusantara after 17 August 2024, but this has not occurred due to delays. Between
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
and
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
, a series of terrorist attacks rocked Jakarta with scenes of multiple suicide bombings and gunfire.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri (28 July 1971 – 27 October 2019), commonly known by his ''nom de guerre'' Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was an Iraqi militant leader who was the founder and first leader of the Islamic State (IS), who proclaimed hims ...
claimed responsibility for the attacks on behalf of
Islamic State The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadism, Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS ...
.


Geography

Jakarta covers , the smallest among any Indonesian provinces. However, its metropolitan area covers , which extends into the two bordering provinces of
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
and
Banten Banten (, , Pegon alphabet, Pegon: بنتن) is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang and its largest city is Tangerang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capi ...
. The
Greater Jakarta The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as ''Jabodetabekpunjur'' (an acronym of Jakarta– Bogor– Depok– Tangerang– Bekasi further extended to include Puncak region of Bogor Regency and portions of Cianjur Regenc ...
area includes three bordering regencies (
Bekasi Regency Bekasi Regency () is a regency () of West Java Province, Indonesia. Its regency seat is in the district of Central Cikarang. It is bordered by Jakarta Special Region (the administrative cities of North Jakarta and East Jakarta) and by Bekasi ...
,
Tangerang Regency Tangerang Regency is a Regency (Indonesia), regency (''kabupaten'') of Banten Province, Indonesia. It is located in the northwest of the island of Java. Though commonly misunderstood as being a part of Jakarta, Tangerang is actually outside Jakart ...
and
Bogor Regency Bogor Regency ( Indonesian: ''Kabupaten Bogor'') is a landlocked regency (''kabupaten'') of West Java province in Indonesia, situated south of DKI Jakarta. Covering an area of 2,991.78 km2, it is considered largely a bedroom community for J ...
) and five adjacent cities (
Bogor Bogor City (), or Bogor (, ), is a landlocked city in the West Java, Indonesia. Located around south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is the 6th largest city in the Jakarta metropolitan area and the 14th overall nationwide.
,
Depok Depok ( Sundanese: ᮓᮨᮕᮧᮊ᮪) is a landlocked city in West Java province. It is located directly south of Jakarta, it is the third largest urban centre in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi and it has an area ...
,
Bekasi Bekasi (, ) is the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city with the largest population in the province of West Java, Indonesia, located on the eastern border of Jakarta. It serves as a commuter town, commuter city within the Jakarta m ...
,
Tangerang Tangerang (Sundanese script, Sundanese: , ) is the List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city with the largest population in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the western border of Jakarta, it is the sixth largest city proper in ...
and
South Tangerang South Tangerang () is a city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the southwestern border of Jakarta, the city forms part of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. It was administratively separated from Tangerang Regency on 26 Novemb ...
). Jakarta is situated on the northwest coast of
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 ...
, at the mouth of the
Ciliwung River The Ciliwung (often written as Ci Liwung as the "ci" prefix simply translates as "river"; also as Tjiliwoeng in Dutch, Sundanese: ᮎᮤᮜᮤᮝᮥᮀ) is a 119 km long river in the northwestern region of Java where it flows through two pr ...
on
Jakarta Bay Jakarta Bay () is a bay north of North Jakarta city. The Thousand Islands are located in Jakarta Bay. 13 rivers flow into the bay. The majority of the bay's coastal communities consist of people living below the poverty line, in conditions of po ...
, an inlet of the
Java Sea The Java Sea (, ) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South Ch ...
. It is strategically located near the
Sunda Strait The Sunda Strait () is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. Etymology The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the western portion of Ja ...
. The northern part of Jakarta is plain land, some areas of which are below sea level, and subject to frequent flooding. The southern parts of the city are hilly. It is one of only two Asian capital cities located in the southern hemisphere (along with
East Timor Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
's
Dili Dili (Portuguese language, Portuguese and Tetum language, Tetum: ''Díli'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Timor-Leste. It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in by mountai ...
). Officially, the area of the Jakarta Special District is of land area and of sea area. The
Thousand Islands The Thousand Islands (, ) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream fr ...
, which are administratively a part of Jakarta, are located in Jakarta Bay, north of the city. Jakarta lies in a low and flat
alluvial plain An alluvial plain is a plain (an essentially flat landform) created by the deposition of sediment over a long period by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A ''floodplain'' is part of the process, bei ...
, ranging from with an average elevation of
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
with historically extensive swampy areas. Some parts of the city have been constructed on reclaimed tidal flats that occur around the area. Thirteen rivers flow through Jakarta. They are
Ciliwung River The Ciliwung (often written as Ci Liwung as the "ci" prefix simply translates as "river"; also as Tjiliwoeng in Dutch, Sundanese: ᮎᮤᮜᮤᮝᮥᮀ) is a 119 km long river in the northwestern region of Java where it flows through two pr ...
, Kalibaru,
Pesanggrahan Pesanggrahan is a district () in the administrative city of South Jakarta, Indonesia. The name ''Pesanggrahan'' is derived from Pesanggrahan River, which flows along the eastern edge of the district. Pesanggrahan was originally part of the distr ...
, Cipinang,
Angke Tambora is a district (''kecamatan'') of West Jakarta Administrative City, Indonesia. Tambora District is bounded by a railway to the west and to the north, Kali Krukut - Kali Besar canal to the east, and Duri Selatan Road to the south. The R ...
, Maja, Mookervart, Krukut, Buaran, West Tarum, Cakung, Petukangan,
Sunter River The Sunter River or ''Kali Sunter'' is a river that flows in the eastern part of Jakarta, Indonesia. The river is about 37 km long and has 73,184,092 m2 of river basin. Neighborhoods along the Kali Sunter are very densely populated and prone ...
and
Grogol River The Grogol River (Kali Grogol) is a small river in the western part of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. The lower portions of the original river have been channelized with levees built along its banks, but flooding remains a real ...
. They flow from the
Puncak Puncak or Puncak Pass (; ) is a mountain pass in Bogor Regency, West Java, Indonesia. The pass connects the cities of Bogor and Bandung and is spread within the regencies of Bogor, Cianjur, and Sukabumi. Puncak Pass is located between Mt. Gede ...
highlands to the south of the city, then across the city northwards towards the Java Sea. The
Ciliwung River The Ciliwung (often written as Ci Liwung as the "ci" prefix simply translates as "river"; also as Tjiliwoeng in Dutch, Sundanese: ᮎᮤᮜᮤᮝᮥᮀ) is a 119 km long river in the northwestern region of Java where it flows through two pr ...
divides the city into the western and eastern districts. These rivers, combined with the wet season rains and insufficient drainage due to clogging, make Jakarta prone to
flooding A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant concern in agriculture, civi ...
. Moreover, Jakarta is sinking about each year, and up to in the northern coastal areas. After a feasibility study, a ring dyke known as
Giant Sea Wall Jakarta Giant Sea Wall Jakarta () is part of a massive coastal development project in Jakarta, Indonesia which commenced in 2014 and expected to be materialized by 2027. The coastal development project includes the construction of a giant seawall along the ...
is under construction around Jakarta Bay to help cope with the threat from the sea. The dyke will be equipped with a pumping system and retention areas to defend against seawater and function as a toll road. The project is expected to be completed by 2025. In January 2014, the central government agreed to build two dams in Ciawi, Bogor and a tunnel from
Ciliwung River The Ciliwung (often written as Ci Liwung as the "ci" prefix simply translates as "river"; also as Tjiliwoeng in Dutch, Sundanese: ᮎᮤᮜᮤᮝᮥᮀ) is a 119 km long river in the northwestern region of Java where it flows through two pr ...
to
Cisadane River The Cisadane River is a long river in northern West Java, Indonesia. Note that the prefixed syllable "Ci" means river, so to avoid tautology the true translation is "Sadane River". The river has its source at Mount Pangrango and passes through B ...
to ease flooding in the city. Nowadays, a , with capacity per second, underground water tunnel between Ciliwung River and the East Flood Canal is being worked on to ease the Ciliwung River overflows. In 2023, the
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
reported that in some places Jakarta is sinking up to 12 inches (30 cm) annually. Environmental advocates point out that subsidence is driven by the extraction of groundwater, much of it illegal. Furthermore, the government's lack of strict regulation amplifies the issue as many recently built high-rise buildings, corporations, and factories around Jakarta opt for illegally extracting groundwater. In fact, in a recent inspection of 80 buildings in Jalan Thamrin, a busy road lined with skyscrapers and shopping malls, 56 buildings had a groundwater pump, and 33 were pumping groundwater illegally. This could be halted by stopping extraction (as the city of Tokyo has done), increasing efficiency, and finding other sources for water use. Moreover, increasing regulation through higher taxes or limiting groundwater pumping has proven to help cities like Shanghai, Tokyo, and San Jose relieve their subsidence issue. The rivers of Jakarta are highly polluted and currently unsuitable for drinking water. Jakarta, faces significant
air pollution Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...
, particularly during the dry season from August to December. Dry air during this period allows pollutants to remain suspended in the atmosphere for extended periods, contributing to poor air quality.


Climate

Jakarta experiences a
tropical monsoon climate An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...
(
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 ...
: ''Am'') as classified by the system. The city's
wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...
spans most of the year, from October to May. The
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...
lasts from June to September, with each of these months receiving less than of rainfall on average. Situated in the western part of Java, Jakarta sees its highest rainfall in January and February, averaging per month, while the driest month is August, with an average rainfall of . Every year faces recurring issues, such as
floods A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...
and
thunderstorms A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are som ...
. A cyclonic vortex leads to moisture convergence over a large area, including western Java Island. Additionally, this vortex causes a mainly meridional monsoon flow, where near-surface winds blow almost perfectly from north to south over West Java. The impact of these predominant northerly winds hitting the rugged topography in southern West Java likely contributes to the increased convection that causes floods in Jakarta. Average temperatures are very high with moderate rainfall. During the day, the temperature usually hovers around but drops to about in the evening. These are average temperatures, and some days can be hotter. It's advisable to dress appropriately to handle the heat. January is the rainiest month, with over of precipitation, whereas August is the driest, with around of rainfall. The average temperature in the coldest month (February) is , and in the warmest month (October), it is . Sea temperatures range from in August to in March, April, November, and December. Record low temperatures in Jakarta recorded , while the highest record reached .


Cityscape

Most cityscape in Jakarta includes landmarks, monuments, and statues were begun in the 1960s during the
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
era, then completed in the
Suharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
era, while some date from the colonial period. Although many of the projects were completed after his presidency, Sukarno, 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 that were built, initiated, and planned during his administration are the
National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...
, Istiqlal mosque, the Legislature Building, and the Gelora Bung Karno stadium. Sukarno also built many nationalistic monuments and statues in the capital city. The most famous landmark, which became the symbol of the city, is the obelisk of the
National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...
( or ''Monas'') in the centre of Merdeka Square. On its southwest corner stands a
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
-themed
Arjuna Arjuna (, , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɾd͡ʒun̪ə is one of the central characters of the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the third of the five Pandava brothers, and is widely regarded as the most important and renowned among them. ...
Wijaya chariot statue and fountain. Further south through
Jalan M.H. Thamrin Jalan M.H. Thamrin or Jalan Thamrin (M.H. Thamrin Avenue or Thamrin Avenue) is a major thoroughfare in Jakarta, Indonesia. The road is located at the center of Jakarta, running from the north end of Jalan Jenderal Sudirman at West Flood Canal at ...
, one of the main avenues, the ''Selamat Datang'' monument stands on the fountain in the centre of the
Hotel Indonesia The Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta is one of the oldest and best-known hotels in Jakarta, Indonesia. Located in Central Jakarta, it was one of the first 5-star hotels in Southeast Asia and remains a major landmark of Jakarta. Its fame is often ...
roundabout A roundabout, a rotary and a traffic circle are types of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junct ...
. Other landmarks include the Istiqlal Mosque,
Jakarta Cathedral Jakarta Cathedral (, ) is a Latin Catholic cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Archbishop of Jakarta, currently Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. Its official name is , derived from the original name in Dutch, ...
, and the Immanuel Church. The former Batavia Stadhuis,
Sunda Kelapa Sunda Kelapa () is the old port of Jakarta, located on the estuary of the Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" ( Sundanese: "Coconut of Sunda") is the original name, and it was the main port of the Sunda Kingdom. The port is situated in Penjaringan D ...
port in Jakarta Old Town is another landmark. The Autograph Tower in
Central Jakarta Central Jakarta (, ), abbreviated as Jakpus, is one of the five Cities of Indonesia, administrative cities () and ''de facto'' Capital City of the Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 census ...
, at 382.9 metres is the tallest building in Indonesia. The most recent landmark built is the
Jakarta International Stadium Jakarta International Stadium () is a retractable roof football stadium in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the home ground of Persija Jakarta after moving from their previous stadium, Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, and the occasional home o ...
. Some of the statues and monuments are nationalist, such as the
West Irian Liberation Monument West Irian Liberation Monument () is a postwar modernist monument located in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is located in the center of Lapangan Banteng (formerly Waterloo Square) in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta. Sukarno, then President of Indonesia, comm ...
, the Tugu Tani, the Youth statue, and the
Dirgantara Monument Dirgantara Monument (), also known as Gatot Kaca Monument after the Javanese ''wayang'' figure, is a monument located in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is also known as Tugu Pancoran, after ''tugu'' a word for statue and pedestal, and the South Jakarta ...
. Some statues commemorate Indonesian national heroes, such as the
Diponegoro Prince Diponegoro (; born Bendara Raden Mas Mustahar, ; later Bendara Raden Mas Antawirya, ; 11 November 1785 – 8 January 1855), also known as Dipanegara and Dipa Negara, was a Javanese prince who opposed the Dutch colonial rule. The eldest s ...
and
Kartini Raden Adjeng Kartini, also known as Raden Ayu Kartini (21 April 1879 – 17 September 1904), was a prominent Indonesian advocate of women's rights and female education. She was born into an aristocratic Javanese people, Javanese family in the ...
statues in Merdeka Square. The
Sudirman Sudirman (; 24 January 1916 – 29 January 1950) was an Indonesian military officer and revolutionary during the Indonesian National Revolution and the first commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Born in Purbalingga, Dutch East Ind ...
and Thamrin statues are located on the streets bearing their names. There is also a statue of
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
and Hatta at the Proclamation Monument as well as at the entrance to Soekarno–Hatta International Airport.


Architecture

Jakarta has architecturally significant buildings spanning distinct historical and cultural periods. Architectural styles reflect Malay, Sundanese, Javanese, Arabic, Chinese, and Dutch influences. External influences inform the architecture of the Betawi house. The houses were built of nangka wood ('' Artocarpus integrifolia'') and comprised three rooms. The shape of the roof is reminiscent of the traditional Javanese joglo. Additionally, the number of registered cultural heritage buildings has increased. Colonial buildings and structures include those that were constructed during the colonial period. The dominant colonial styles can be divided into three periods: the
Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...
(17th to late 18th century), the transitional style period (late 18th century – 19th century), and Dutch modernism (20th century). Colonial architecture is apparent in houses and villas, churches, civic buildings, and offices, mostly concentrated in the
Jakarta Old Town Kota Tua Jakarta (Indonesian language, Indonesian for "Jakarta Old Town"), officially known as Kota Tua, is a neighborhood comprising the original downtown area of Jakarta, Indonesia. It is also known as (Dutch language, Dutch for "Old Batavia" ...
and
Central Jakarta Central Jakarta (, ), abbreviated as Jakpus, is one of the five Cities of Indonesia, administrative cities () and ''de facto'' Capital City of the Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 census ...
. Architects such as J.C. Schultze and Eduard Cuypers designed some of the significant buildings. Schultze's works include
Jakarta Art Building The Jakarta Art Building (), historically known as ''Schouwburg Weltevreden'', is a concert hall in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, Indonesia, built during the colonial period in Batavia, Dutch East Indies. History The idea for the creation of a t ...
, the Indonesia Supreme Court Building and
Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...
Building, while Cuypers designed
Bank Indonesia Museum Bank Indonesia Museum (, occasionally called Museum BI), also called in English officially as BI Museum, is a bank museum located in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was founded by Bank Indonesia and opened on 21 July 2009. The museum is housed in a heritag ...
and
Mandiri Museum Mandiri Museum (), or Bank Mandiri Museum (), is the corporate museum of the namesake Bank Mandiri, located in the old banking district of Jakarta Old Town in northern Jakarta, Indonesia. The museum is housed in the former headquarters of the Net ...
. In the early 20th century, most buildings were built in
Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...
style. By the 1920s, the architectural taste had begun to shift in favour of
rationalism In philosophy, rationalism is the Epistemology, epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "the position that reason has precedence over other ways of acquiring knowledge", often in contrast to ot ...
and
modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
, particularly
art deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
architecture. The elite suburb
Menteng Menteng is a district () in the administrative city of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Menteng is surrounded by the districts of Senen and Matraman to the east, Tebet and Setiabudi to the south, Tanah Abang to the west, and Gambir to the north. ...
, developed during the 1910s, was the city's first attempt at creating ideal and healthy housing for the middle class. The original houses had a longitudinal organisation, with overhanging eaves, large windows, and open ventilation, all practical features for a tropical climate. These houses were developed by N.V. de Bouwploeg, and established by P.A.J. Moojen. After independence, the process of nation-building in Indonesia and demolishing the memory of colonialism was as important as the symbolic building of arterial roads, monuments, and government buildings. The
National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...
in Jakarta, designed by Sukarno, is Indonesia's beacon of nationalism. In the early 1960s, Jakarta provided highways and super-scale cultural monuments as well as Senayan Sports Stadium. The parliament building features a hyperbolic roof reminiscent of German rationalist and Corbusian design concepts. Built-in 1996,
Wisma 46 Wisma 46 is a 261.9-meter tall (architectural height) skyscraper located in the BNI City complex at Jalan Jenderal Sudirman in Jakarta, Indonesia. The 46-floor office tower features a antenna spire, and was completed in 1996 under the design b ...
soars to a height of and its nib-shaped top celebrates technology and symbolises stereoscopy. The urban construction boom continued during the 21st century. The
Golden Triangle of Jakarta The Golden Triangle of Jakarta (), also referred to as the Medan Merdeka–Thamrin–Sudirman Axis () or the Sudirman–Thamrin–Kuningan Axis (), is a roughly triangular area in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia, extending from Central Jakarta to ...
is one of the fastest evolving CBD's in the Asia-Pacific region. According to
CTBUH The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is an international body in the field of tall buildings, including skyscrapers, and sustainable urban design. A non-profit organization based at the Monroe Building in Chicago, Illinois, U ...
and
Emporis Emporis was a real estate data mining company with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. The company collected data and photographs of buildings worldwide, which were published in an online database from 2000 to September 2022. Emporis was acquired ...
, there are 88 skyscrapers that reach or exceed , which puts the city in the top 10 of world rankings. It has more buildings taller than 150 metres than any other Southeast Asian or Southern Hemisphere cities.


Parks and public spaces

In June 2011, Jakarta had only 10.5% green open spaces (), although this grew to 13.94%. Public parks are included in public green open spaces. There are about 300 integrated child-friendly public spaces (RPTRA) in the city in 2019. As of 2014, 183 water reservoirs and lakes supported the greater Jakarta area. * Merdeka Square () is an almost 1 km2 field housing the symbol of Jakarta,
Monas The National Monument (, abbreviated Monas) is a 132 m (433 ft) obelisk in the centre of Merdeka Square, Jakarta, Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the Indon ...
or (National Monument). Until 2000, it was the world's largest city square. The square was created by Dutch Governor-General
Herman Willem Daendels Herman Willem Daendels (21 October 1762 – 2 May 1818) was a Dutch military officer and colonial administrator who served as governor-general of the Dutch East Indies from 1808 to 1811. Early life Herman Willem Daendels was born on 21 October 1 ...
(1810) and was originally named (King's Square). On 10 January 1993, President Soeharto started the beautification of the square. Features include a deer park and 33 trees that represent the 33 provinces of Indonesia. *
Ancol Dreamland Taman Impian Jaya Ancol also known as Ancol Dreamland is an integral part of Ancol Bay City, a resort destination located along Jakarta's waterfront, in Ancol (Kelurahan), Pademangan, North Jakarta. It is owned by PT. Pembangunan Jaya Ancol Tbk, a ...
is the largest integrated tourism area in Southeast Asia. It is located along the bay, at
Ancol Ancol (, zh, 安恤) is a coastal lowland area located to the east of Kota Tua Jakarta in northern Jakarta, in Indonesia. The coastal lowland stretched from Kota Tua Jakarta to the west and Tanjung Priok to the east. Today, Ancol contains the ma ...
in
North Jakarta North Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakut, is one of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is ...
. *
Lapangan Banteng Lapangan Banteng (Indonesian language, Indonesian: "Bull's Field", formerly Waterloo Square (Dutch language, Dutch: Waterlooplein) in Batavia, Dutch East Indies) is a historic Town square, square located in a historic area formerly known as ''Wel ...
(Buffalo Field) is located in Central Jakarta near Istiqlal Mosque,
Jakarta Cathedral Jakarta Cathedral (, ) is a Latin Catholic cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Archbishop of Jakarta, currently Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. Its official name is , derived from the original name in Dutch, ...
, and Jakarta Central Post Office. It covers about 4.5 hectares. Initially, it was called and functioned as a ceremonial square during the colonial period. During the Sukarno era, colonial buildings and memorials that were erected in the square during the colonial period were destroyed and the most famous monument in this square is the
West Irian Liberation Monument West Irian Liberation Monument () is a postwar modernist monument located in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is located in the center of Lapangan Banteng (formerly Waterloo Square) in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta. Sukarno, then President of Indonesia, comm ...
. *
Jakarta History Museum The Jakarta History Museum (), also known as Fatahillah Museum or Batavia Museum, is located in the Old Town (known as ''Kota Tua'') of Jakarta, Indonesia. The building was built in 1710 as the ''Stadhuis'' (city hall) of Batavia. Jakarta Histor ...
describes the history of the city of Jakarta. This museum is located on the south side of
Fatahillah Square Fatahillah Square (Indonesian: Taman Fatahillah) is the historical center of the old Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia. The square is located at the center of Kota Tua Jakarta, Jakarta Old Town. Today the square is a tourist area home to the Jaka ...
(former Batavia city square) near Wayang Museum and the
Fine Art and Ceramic Museum The Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics () is a museum in Jakarta, Indonesia. The museum is dedicated especially to the display of traditional fine art and ceramics of Indonesia. The museum is located in the east side of Fatahillah Square, near Jaka ...
. *
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (; formerly Taman Mini "Indonesia Indah" with apostrophes—abbreviated as TMII) is a culture-based recreational area located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. Since July 2021, it is operated by InJourney Destination Managem ...
(Miniature Park of Indonesia), in
East Jakarta East Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaktim, is the largest of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia, with a land area of 188.03 km2 (72.6 sq.miles). It had a population ...
, has ten mini-parks. *
National Gallery of Indonesia The National Gallery of Indonesia is an art gallery and Art museum, museum in Jakarta, Indonesia. The National Gallery of Indonesia has existed as a cultural institution in the field of visual arts since 8 May 1999. The institution plays an impor ...
is an art gallery and museum in Jakarta, Indonesia. This art gallery was established as a cultural institution in the field of
fine arts In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creativity, creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function ...
on 8 May 1999. The institution plays an important role in expanding the public's awareness of artworks through preservation, development, and exploitation of the
visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...
in Indonesia. * Suropati Park is located in
Menteng Menteng is a district () in the administrative city of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Menteng is surrounded by the districts of Senen and Matraman to the east, Tebet and Setiabudi to the south, Tanah Abang to the west, and Gambir to the north. ...
,
Central Jakarta Central Jakarta (, ), abbreviated as Jakpus, is one of the five Cities of Indonesia, administrative cities () and ''de facto'' Capital City of the Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 census ...
. The park is surrounded by Dutch colonial buildings. Taman Suropati was known as during colonial times. The park is circular-shaped with a surface area of . Several modern statues were made for the park by artists of
ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...
countries, which contributes to its nickname '' ('Park of the ASEAN artists friendship'). *
Menteng Park Menteng Park () is a park located at Menteng, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. This park was formerly occupied by Menteng Stadium. In October 2006 the stadium was demolished and the park was built on the area by the administration of Sutiyoso. The pa ...
was built on the site of the former
Persija Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Jakarta ( 'Indonesian Football Association of Jakarta'), abbreviated as Persija (), is an Indonesian professional football club based in the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta. Persija Jakarta is one of the most ...
football
stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
. Situ Lembang Park is also located nearby, which has a lake at the centre. *
Kalijodo Park Kalijodo Park () is an urban park at Penjaringan, North Jakarta, Indonesia. The park has a land area of 3.4 hectares (8.4 acres) and located by the side of Krendang River, which was formally opened on 22 February 2017. The park is built after de ...
is the newest park, in
Penjaringan Penjaringan is a district of North Jakarta Administrative City, Indonesia. It is the westernmost district of North Jakarta. Muara Angke Port and the mouth of Sunda Kelapa Port are located within Penjaringan. Penjaringan contains the remnants of ...
subdistrict, with beside the Krendang River. It formally opened on 22 February 2017. The park is open 24 hours as a green open space (''RTH'') and child-friendly integrated public space (''RPTRA'') and has international-standard skateboard facilities. * Muara Angke Wildlife Sanctuary and Angke Kapuk Nature Tourism Park at
Penjaringan Penjaringan is a district of North Jakarta Administrative City, Indonesia. It is the westernmost district of North Jakarta. Muara Angke Port and the mouth of Sunda Kelapa Port are located within Penjaringan. Penjaringan contains the remnants of ...
in
North Jakarta North Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakut, is one of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is ...
. * Tebet Eco Park, Puring Park, Mataram Park, Langsat Park, Ayodya Park and Martha Christina Tiahahu Literacy Park in
South Jakarta South Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaksel, is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a ...
. * Ragunan Zoo Park is located in
Pasar Minggu Pasar Minggu is a district () in the administrative city of South Jakarta, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific ...
,
South Jakarta South Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaksel, is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a ...
. It is the largest park in Jakarta and world's third-oldest zoo and the second-largest with the most diverse animal and plant populations. *
Glodok Glodok () is an Villages of Indonesia, urban village of Taman Sari (Jakarta), Taman Sari, West Jakarta, Indonesia. The area is also known as Pecinan or Chinatown since the Dutch colonial era, and is considered the biggest in Indonesia. Majority of ...
is an area known as
Pecinan Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
or Chinatown since the Dutch colonial era, and is considered the largest in Indonesia. *
National Museum of Indonesia The National Museum of Indonesia () is an archeological, historical, ethnological, and geographical museum located in Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, right on the west side of Merdeka Square. Popularly known as the Elephant Museum () ...
is an
archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
, history,
ethnology Ethnology (from the , meaning 'nation') is an academic field and discipline that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology). Sci ...
, and
geographical Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...
museum whose extensive collections cover the entire territory of Indonesia and almost all of its history. This museum has attempted to preserve Indonesia's heritage for two centuries. * Setu Babakan is a 32-hectare lake surrounded by Betawi cultural village, located at
Jagakarsa Jagakarsa is the southernmost district () in the administrative city of South Jakarta, Indonesia. Jagakarsa is bounded by Ciliwung River to the east, Krukut River to the west, and Margasatwa-Sagu-Joe-T.B.Simatupang-Poltangan Road to the north, ...
,
South Jakarta South Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaksel, is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a ...
. Dadap Merah Park is also found in this area. *
UI Forest UI Forest, () is a significant green space located within the University of Indonesia The University of Indonesia (UI; ) is a public university in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of the oldest tertiary-level educa ...
is the largest
Urban forest Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of peop ...
in Jakarta. It located at
South Jakarta South Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaksel, is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a ...
bordering with
Depok Depok ( Sundanese: ᮓᮨᮕᮧᮊ᮪) is a landlocked city in West Java province. It is located directly south of Jakarta, it is the third largest urban centre in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi and it has an area ...
, West Java. *
National Library of Indonesia The National Library of the Republic of Indonesia (Perpusnas, ) is the legal deposit library of Indonesia. It is located at Gambir, on the south side of Merdeka Square, Jakarta. It serves primarily as a humanities library alongside several other ...
is the legitimate deposit of literature, manuscripts, and archival books from the state of Indonesia. It is located in Gambir, south side of
Merdeka Square, Jakarta Merdeka Square (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Medan Merdeka'' or ''Lapangan Merdeka'', formerly , lit. "King's Square") is a large square located in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia. ''Merdeka'' is the Indonesian language, Indonesian word fo ...
. The earliest collection comes from the library of the
National Museum A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...
, opened in 1868 and previously operated by the
Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences The Royal Batavian Society of Arts and Sciences (, 1778–1962) was a Dutch learned society in Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia). The society was founded in 1778 by naturalist Jacob Cornelis Matthieu Radermacher as the ''Bataviaasch Genootschap ...
. * Taman Waduk Pluit/Pluit Lake park and Putra Putri Park at
Pluit Pluit is an administrative village (''kelurahan'') located in Penjaringan, Jakarta. In majority, of its residents are mainly inhabited by ethnic Chinese Indonesians. Pluit is a bustling area with residential and commercial establishments supporte ...
,
North Jakarta North Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakut, is one of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is ...
. *
Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex The Bung Karno Sports Complex (), better known as Gelora Bung Karno; formerly named the Asian Games Complex ( and the Senayan Sports Complex () from 1969 to 2001, is a sports complex located in Gelora, Tanah Abang, Gelora, Central Jakarta, border ...
The Gelora Bung Karno complex is one of the largest sports activity centres in Indonesia and is often used for sporting activities by Jakarta residents. * Taman Literasi Martha Christina Tiahahu Literacy Park Martha Christina Tiahahu Is City Park And Literacy Park In Blok M business and shopping quarter located in Blok M
Kebayoran Baru Kebayoran Baru is a List of districts of Jakarta, district () in the administrative city of South Jakarta, Indonesia. The name was derived from a planned satellite city of the same name which was developed in the Aftermath of World War II, post-wa ...
,
South Jakarta South Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaksel, is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a ...
, Indonesia. *
GBK City Park GBK City Park (, ) or known as Hutan Kota by Plataran is an urban park and multifunctional outdoor park area located in Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex in Central Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is used for various activities with a strategic lo ...
is the city park in
Golden Triangle of Jakarta The Golden Triangle of Jakarta (), also referred to as the Medan Merdeka–Thamrin–Sudirman Axis () or the Sudirman–Thamrin–Kuningan Axis (), is a roughly triangular area in the center of Jakarta, Indonesia, extending from Central Jakarta to ...
, located within Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex. *
Pantai Indah Kapuk Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) is an integrated township in northwestern Jakarta, Indonesia; located in parts of Penjaringan, North Jakarta, Kapuk, West Jakarta, and Kosambi, Tangerang, Kosambi, Tangerang Regency. It is one of the most prestigious r ...
(PIK) is often the most sought-after residential area for wealthy
Chinese Indonesians Chinese Indonesians (), or simply ''Orang Tionghoa'' or ''Tionghoa'', are Indonesians whose ancestors arrived from China at some stage in the last eight centuries. Chinese Indonesians are the fourth largest community of Overseas Chinese in th ...
, featuring large houses in exclusive, gated clusters. This area never floods, even though it is close to a flood-prone district. Although most of Pantai Indah Kapuk is a residential area, there are businesses and tourist attractions on the main roads such as North Beach, South Beach, and Marina Indah. Ruko Cordoba and Crown Golf on Jalan Marina Indah are very popular with restaurants and cafes. PIK is one of the nightlife areas in Jakarta, full of nightclubs, discos, bars, and cafes.


Demographics

Jakarta attracts people from across Indonesia, often in search of employment. The 1961 census showed that 51% of the city's population was born in Jakarta. Inward immigration tended to negate the effect of family planning programs. The Ministry of Home Affairs () tabulates its own data, which has improved since ID cards were required in the last decade, lists Jakarta's population at 11,261,595 at yearend 2021. Between 1961 and 1980, the population of Jakarta doubled, and during the period 1980–1990, the city's population grew annually by 3.7%. The 2010 census counted some 9.58 million people, well above government estimates. The population rose from 4.5 million in 1970 to 9.5 million in 2010, counting only legal residents, while the population of
Greater Jakarta The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as ''Jabodetabekpunjur'' (an acronym of Jakarta– Bogor– Depok– Tangerang– Bekasi further extended to include Puncak region of Bogor Regency and portions of Cianjur Regenc ...
rose from 8.2 million in 1970 to 28.5 million in 2010. As of 2014, the population of Jakarta stood at 10 million, with a population density of 15,174 people/km2. In 2014, the population of
Greater Jakarta The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as ''Jabodetabekpunjur'' (an acronym of Jakarta– Bogor– Depok– Tangerang– Bekasi further extended to include Puncak region of Bogor Regency and portions of Cianjur Regenc ...
was 30 million, accounting for 11% of Indonesia's overall population. It is predicted to reach 35.6 million people by 2030 to become the world's biggest
megacity A megacity is a very large city, typically with a population of more than 10 million people. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) in its 2018 "World Urbanization Prospects" report defines megacities as urban a ...
. The gender ratio was 102.8 (males per 100 females) in 2010, and 101.3 in 2014.


Ethnicity

Jakarta is pluralistic and religiously diverse, without a majority ethnic group. As of 2010, 36.17% of the city's population were Javanese, 28.29%
Betawi Betawi may refer to: *Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of Native Indonesian, regional immigrants that came ...
(locally established mixed race, cemented by diverse creole), 14.61% Sundanese, 6.62%
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
, 3.42%
Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...
, 2.85%
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...
, 0.96% Malays,
Indo INDO stands for Intermediate Neglect of Differential Overlap. It is a semi-empirical quantum chemistry method that is a development of the complete neglect of differential overlap (CNDO/2) method introduced by John Pople. Like CNDO/2 it uses zer ...
and others 7.06%. The '
Betawi Betawi may refer to: *Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of Native Indonesian, regional immigrants that came ...
' (, or 'people of Batavia') are immigrant descendants of the old city who became widely recognised as an ethnic group by the mid-19th century. They mostly descend from an eclectic mix of Southeast Asians brought or attracted to meet labour needs. They are thus a Creole ethnic group who came from much of Indonesia. Over generations, most have intermarried with one or more ethnicities, especially people of Chinese, Arab, and European descent. Most Betawis lived in the fringe zones with few Betawi-majority zones of central Jakarta. It is thus a conundrum for some first generation Betawi people, especially multi-generational Jakarta residents, to identify as either their parents' ethnicity or Betawi since living in a Betawi-majority district and speaking more of that creole and adapting is a matter of preference for such families. A significant
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
community has lived in Jakarta for many centuries. They traditionally reside around old urban areas, such as
Pinangsia Noy Sari is a district (''kecamatan'') of West Jakarta Administrative City, Indonesia. It is the smallest district of West Jakarta (4.37 km2). It is bounded by Central Jakarta to the south and to the east, and by Pademangan in North Jakar ...
, PIK,
Pluit Pluit is an administrative village (''kelurahan'') located in Penjaringan, Jakarta. In majority, of its residents are mainly inhabited by ethnic Chinese Indonesians. Pluit is a bustling area with residential and commercial establishments supporte ...
and
Glodok Glodok () is an Villages of Indonesia, urban village of Taman Sari (Jakarta), Taman Sari, West Jakarta, Indonesia. The area is also known as Pecinan or Chinatown since the Dutch colonial era, and is considered the biggest in Indonesia. Majority of ...
(Jakarta's Chinatown) areas. They also can be found in the old
Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
s of
Senen Senen is a long-established urban district () of Central Jakarta, Indonesia that has kept many tourist attractions such as two museums, the National Library of Indonesia, , and narrow alleys with old Chinese and similar style shops and restaura ...
and
Jatinegara Jatinegara (originally known as Meester Cornelis or Meester/Mester for short) is one of the districts () of the administrative city of East Jakarta, Indonesia. The name also refers to the larger, historic area of the colonial town of Meester Corn ...
. As of 2001 they self-identified as being 5.5% of the population, which was thought of as under-reported; this explains the 6.6% figure ten years later. The Sumatran residents are diverse. According to the 2020 census, roughly 361,000
Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...
; 300,960
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...
and 101,370 Malays lived in the city. The number of Batak people has grown in ranking, from eighth in 1930 to fifth in 2000. Toba Batak is the largest subset in Jakarta. Working Minangkabau in the 1980s in high proportions were well-embedded merchants, artisans, doctors, teachers or journalists. Minang merchants are found in traditional markets, such as Tanah Abang and Senen.


Language

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
is the official and dominant language of Jakarta, while many elderly people speak
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
or
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
, depending on their upbringing.
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
is used for communication, especially in Central and South Jakarta. Each of the ethnic groups uses their mother tongue at home, such as
Betawi Betawi may refer to: *Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of Native Indonesian, regional immigrants that came ...
, Javanese, and Sundanese. The
Betawi language Betawi, also known as Batavian, Jakartanese, is a creole language spoken by the Betawi people in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the native language of perhaps 5 million people; a precise number is difficult to determine due to the vague use of the nam ...
is distinct from those of the Sundanese or Javanese, forming itself as a
language island A language island (a calque of German ''Sprachinsel''; also language enclave, language pocket) is an enclave of a language that is surrounded by one or more different languages. The term was introduced in 1847. Many speakers of these languages als ...
in the surrounding area. It is mostly based on the East Malay dialect and enriched by
loan word A loanword (also a loan word, loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language (the recipient or target language), through the process of borrowing (linguistics), borrowing. Borrowing ...
s from
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
, Portuguese, Sundanese, Javanese,
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
, and
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
. Over time, many Betawi words and phrases became integrated into Indonesian as Jakartan
slang A slang is a vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in everyday conversation but avoided in formal writing and speech. It also often refers to the language exclusively used by the members of pa ...
and are used by most people regardless of their ethnic background. It is now popular not only in Jakarta, but all over Indonesia. The Chinese in Jakarta mainly speak Indonesian and English due to a strict language ban during the
Soeharto Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
New Order era; older people may be fluent in Hokkien dialect and
Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...
, meanwhile the younger generation are fluent in Indonesian and English, some educated in Mandarin. With the recent urbanisation of Chinese communities from several rural areas in Indonesia, other Chinese dialects have been brought into the Chinese community in Jakarta, such as
Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka-speaking Chinese, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas, are a southern Han Chinese subgroup whose principal settlements and ancestral homes are dispersed widely across the provinces of southern China ...
, Teochew and
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
.
Hokkien Hokkien ( , ) is a Varieties of Chinese, variety of the Southern Min group of Chinese language, Chinese languages. Native to and originating from the Minnan region in the southeastern part of Fujian in southeastern China, it is also referred ...
, which is mainly from Sumatra (
Medan Medan ( , ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of North Sumatra. The nearby Strait of Malacca, Port of Belawan, and Kualanamu International Airport make Medan a regional hub and multi ...
,
Bagansiapiapi Bagansiapiapi or simply known as Bagan () is a city in Riau province on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. The city is the capital of Rokan Hilir Regency in the province and is located on the east coast of Sumatra, on the Rokan River delta acros ...
,
Batam Batam, officially the City of Batam (, not to be confused with ''Batam Kota'', a kecamatan, district within this city), is the largest List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands. The city administra ...
) is mostly spoken in Northern Jakarta, such as in
Pantai Indah Kapuk Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) is an integrated township in northwestern Jakarta, Indonesia; located in parts of Penjaringan, North Jakarta, Kapuk, West Jakarta, and Kosambi, Tangerang, Kosambi, Tangerang Regency. It is one of the most prestigious r ...
,
Pluit Pluit is an administrative village (''kelurahan'') located in Penjaringan, Jakarta. In majority, of its residents are mainly inhabited by ethnic Chinese Indonesians. Pluit is a bustling area with residential and commercial establishments supporte ...
, and
Kelapa Gading Kelapa Gading or also known as KG or Gading, is a district () of the administrative city of North Jakarta, Indonesia. The district is known to the local population as a city within a city, due to the integrated residential-commercial plannin ...
, meanwhile Hakka and Teochew, which are derived from the Chinese communities in
Pontianak Pontianak, also known as Khuntien in Teochew and Hakka, is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, founded first as a trading port on the island of Borneo, occupying an area of 118.21 km2 in the delta of the Kapuas R ...
and
Singkawang Singkawang ( Dayak Salako: ''Sakawokng''), or San-Khew-Jong ( zh, c=山口洋, p=Shānkǒuyáng; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ), is a coastal city and port located in the province of West Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo in Indonesia. It is located at a ...
, are mainly spoken in West Jakarta, like in Tambora and
Grogol Petamburan Grogol Petamburan is a Districts of Indonesia, district (Indonesian ''kecamatan'') of West Jakarta, Indonesia, roughly bounded by the West Flood Canal to the east, Angke Canal to the west and to the north, and Jakarta-Merak Tollway to the south. I ...
. The Batak in Jakarta mostly speak Indonesian, while the older generation tend to speak their native languages, such as Batak Toba,
Mandailing The Mandailing (also known as Mandailing Batak) people are an ethnic group in Sumatra, Indonesia that is commonly associated with the Batak people. They are found mainly in the northern section of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. They came und ...
, and Karo, depending on which ancestral towns and places in
North Sumatra North Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan on the east coast of the island. It borders Aceh to the northwest, Riau to the sou ...
they came from. The Minangkabau mainly speak
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...
together with Indonesian.


Education

Jakarta is home to numerous educational institutions. The
University of Indonesia The University of Indonesia (UI; ) is a public university in Depok, West Java and Salemba, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of the oldest tertiary-level educational institutions in Indonesia (known as the Dutch East Indies when UI was established) ...
(UI) is the largest and oldest tertiary-level educational institution in Indonesia. It is a public institution with campuses in Salemba (Central Jakarta) and in
Depok Depok ( Sundanese: ᮓᮨᮕᮧᮊ᮪) is a landlocked city in West Java province. It is located directly south of Jakarta, it is the third largest urban centre in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi and it has an area ...
. The three other public universities in Jakarta are
Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta ( Indonesian: ''Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta,'' Dutch: ''Staat Islamitisch Universiteit van Sjarief Hidajatoellah'') is a public university in Indonesia, located in Cip ...
, the State University of Jakarta (UNJ), University of Pembangunan Nasional 'Veteran' Jakarta (UPN "Veteran" Jakarta), and Universitas Terbuka or
Indonesia Open University Indonesia Open University (UT; ) is a public university in South Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia. The university employs a Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system to widen access to higher education to all Indonesian citizens, including those who l ...
. There is a vocational higher education,
Jakarta State Polytechnic Jakarta State Polytechnic (in Indonesian: ''Politeknik Negeri Jakarta''), abbreviated as PNJ. It is located in the north part of Depok, West Java. History The history of Politeknik Negeri Jakarta (PNJ) originates from the Non-Degree Faculty o ...
. Some major private universities in Jakarta are
Trisakti University Universitas Trisakti (Usakti, Trisakti) is Indonesia's largest private university located in Jakarta, Indonesia. Universitas Trisakti, is the only private university in Indonesia which was established by the Government of the Republic of Indones ...
,
The Christian University of Indonesia The Christian University of Indonesia () abbreviated as UKI, is a private university located in Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and former ...
,
Mercu Buana University Mercu Buana University (UMB, or Universitas Mercu Buana) is a private university is a private university under the Menara Bhakti Foundation located in Jakarta, Indonesia. History With his background as a teacher at Taman Siswa, Pematang Siantar ...
,
Tarumanagara University Tarumanagara University (, abbreviated as UNTAR) is a private university in Jakarta, Indonesia and one of the oldest private universities in the country. In 2017 UNTAR received an accreditation A (meaning Excellent) from the Government's National ...
,
Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia (, abbreviated as ''Unika Atma Jaya''), also known as Atma Jaya University or Atma Jaya, is an institute of higher learning in Jakarta, Indonesia, which was founded by the Atma Jaya Foundation on 1 J ...
,
Pelita Harapan University Pelita Harapan University () abbreviated as UPH, is a private Reformed Evangelical coeducational higher education institution run by the Pelita Harapan Education Foundation () in Lippo Village, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia. It was founde ...
, Pertamina University,
Bina Nusantara University Bina Nusantara University, also known as BINUS UNIVERSITY, is a private university in Indonesia. The main campus of the university is located in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta. Most of its campuses are located within the area of Jabodetabek, Greater J ...
, Jayabaya University, Persada Indonesia "YAI" University, and Pancasila University.
STOVIA The ("school for the training of native physicians") or STOVIA was a medicine school in Batavia, now Indonesia's capital Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DK ...
(''School tot Opleiding van Indische Artsen'' (School for Education of Native Physicians), now University of Indonesia) was the first college in Jakarta, established in 1851. Jakarta houses many students from around Indonesia, many of whom reside in dormitories or home-stay residences. For basic education, a variety of primary and secondary schools are available, tagged with the public (''national''), private (''national and bi-lingual national plus''), and ''international'' labels. Four of the major international schools are the
British School Jakarta The British School Jakarta (BSJ) is an independent school in Pondok Aren, South Tangerang in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia. The British School Jakarta is an international member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. It was establis ...
,
Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School (GMIS), formerly Gandhi Memorial International School, is a private international school with campuses in Jakarta, Bali, and Semarang, Indonesia. The primary campus, GMIS Jakarta, has more than 2,000 enroll ...
, IPEKA Integrated Christian School, and the
Jakarta Intercultural School Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS), formerly Jakarta International School, is a private school, private, international school in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was established in 1951 for expatriate students living in Jakarta and is the largest internati ...
. Other international schools in
Jakarta metropolitan area The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as ''Jabodetabekpunjur'' (an acronym of Jakarta– Bogor– Depok– Tangerang– Bekasi further extended to include Puncak region of Bogor Regency and portions of Cianjur Regenc ...
include the ACG School Jakarta, Australian Independent School,
Bina Bangsa School Bina Bangsa School (Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin: 培民学校 Pinyin : Péi Mín Xué Xiào), often abbreviated as BBS, is a group of schools located in Jakarta, Bandung, Semarang, Malang, Balikpapan, and Nusantara (city), Nusantara, Indonesia. ...
, Deutsche Schule Jakarta, Global Jaya School, Jakarta Indonesia Korean School,
Jakarta Japanese School The Jakarta Japanese School (JJS; ジャカルタ日本人学校 ''Jakaruta Nihonjin Gakkō''; ) is a Japanese international school in Pondok Aren, South Tangerang, Indonesia. It is regionally located in the Greater Jakarta area.Jakarta Taipei School Jakarta Taipei School (JTS; ), formerly Jakarta Taipei International School (JTIS) in English, is an international school maintained by the Taiwan-based Republic of China government in Jakarta, Indonesia. The school takes Taiwanese (ROC) citizens ...
, Lycée français de Jakarta,
New Zealand School Jakarta The New Zealand School Jakarta (NZSJ), formerly New Zealand Independent School, is an international school located in Kemang, South Jakarta (''Jakarta Selatan''), Jakarta, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a coun ...
, North Jakarta Intercultural School, Sekolah Pelita Harapan, and Singapore Intercultural School.


Religion

In 2024, Jakarta's religious composition was distributed over
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
(83.83%),
Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
(8.6%),
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
(3.9%),
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
(3.46%),
Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...
(0.18%),
Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...
(0.017%), and about 0.013% of population claimed to follow folk religions. Most (Islamic boarding schools) in Jakarta are affiliated with the traditionalist
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership numbered over 40 million in 2023, making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU is also a charitable body funding schools and hospitals as well as or ...
, modernist organisations mostly catering to a socioeconomic class of educated urban elites and merchant traders. They give priority to education, social welfare programs, and religious propagation. Many Islamic organisations have headquarters in Jakarta, including
Nahdlatul Ulama Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership numbered over 40 million in 2023, making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU is also a charitable body funding schools and hospitals as well as or ...
,
Indonesian Ulema Council Indonesian Ulema Council (, , abbreviated MUI) is Indonesia's top Islamic scholars' body. MUI was founded in Jakarta on 26 July 1975 during the New Order era. The council comprises many Indonesian Muslim groups including Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), ...
,
Muhammadiyah Muhammadiyah (), officially Muhammadiyah Society () is a major Islamic non-governmental organization in Indonesia.A. Jalil HamidTackle the rising cost of living longer New Straits Times, 30 October 2016. Accessed 1 November 2016. The organization ...
, Indonesia Institute of Islamic Dawah, and
Jaringan Islam Liberal Jaringan Islam Liberal (JIL) or the Liberal Islam Network is a loose forum for discussing and disseminating the concept of Liberal Islam, Islamic liberalism in Indonesia. One reason for its establishment is to counter the growing influence and ac ...
. The
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
community has a
Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural area for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big city b ...
, the Archdiocese of Jakarta that includes
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
and Banten provinces as part of the ecclesiastical province. Jakarta also hosts the largest
Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
adherents in
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 ...
, where most of the followers are
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
.
Schools of Buddhism The schools of Buddhism are the various institutional and doctrinal divisions of Buddhism, which have often been based on historical sectarianism and the differing teachings and interpretations of specific Buddhist texts. The branching of Buddhi ...
practised in Indonesia vary, including
Theravāda ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...
,
Mahāyāna Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
,
Vajrayana ''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...
, and Tridharma. The city also has a Hindu community, which mainly are
Balinese Balinese may refer to: *Bali, an Indonesian island *Balinese art *Balinese dance *Balinese people *Balinese language *Nusa Penida Balinese * Bali Aga Balinese **Balinese script **Balinese (Unicode block) *Balinese mythology *Balinese cat, a cat bre ...
and Indian people. There is also a
Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
and
Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
community presence in Jakarta.


Economy

Indonesia is the largest economy of
ASEAN The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...
, and Jakarta is the economic nerve centre of the Indonesian archipelago. Jakarta's nominal GDP was US$203.702 billion and PPP GDP was US$602.946 billion in 2021, which is about 17% of Indonesia's GDP. Jakarta was ranked 21st in the list of ''Cities of Economic Influence Index'' in 2020 by CEOWORLD magazine. According to the ''Japan Center for Economic Research'', GRP per capita of Jakarta will rank 28th among the 77 cities in 2030 from 41st in 2015, the largest in Southeast Asia.
Savills Savills plc is a British real estate services company based in London. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History The business was established by Alfred Savill (1829–1905) in 1855 in London ...
Resilient Cities Index has predicted Jakarta to be within the top 20 cities in the world by 2028. Jakarta's economy depends highly on manufacturing and service sectors such as banking, trading and finance. Industries include electronics, automotive, chemicals, mechanical engineering, and biomedical sciences. The head office of
Bank Indonesia Bank Indonesia (BI) is the central bank of the Republic of Indonesia. It replaced in 1953 the Bank of Java (, DJB), which had been created in 1828 to serve the financial needs of the Dutch East Indies. History Bank of Java King William ...
and the
Indonesia Stock Exchange Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) ( (BEI)) is a stock exchange based in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was previously known as the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) before its name changed in 2007 after merging with the Surabaya Stock Exchange (SSX). In rece ...
are located in the city. Most of the SOEs including
Pertamina PT Pertamina (Persero) is an Indonesian state-owned oil and natural gas corporation, headquartered in Jakarta. It was created in August 1968 by the merger of ''Pertamin'' (established 1961) and ''Permina'' (established in 1957). In 2020, the ...
, PLN,
Angkasa Pura Angkasa Pura (Sanskrit for ''Sky City''), formally PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia and trading as InJourney Airports, is the state-owned enterprise responsible for the management of airports in Indonesia. It was established in July 2024 through the m ...
, and
Telkomsel PT Telekomunikasi Selular, trading as Telkomsel, is an Indonesian telecommunications company founded in 1995. Its ownership is divided between Telkom Indonesia (69.9%) and Singtel (30.1%), which serves as Telkom's consumer services arm startin ...
operate head offices in the city, as do major Indonesian conglomerates, such as
Salim Group The Salim Group is Indonesia's biggest conglomerate and refers to companies where the Salim family holds majority ownership. Its assets include Indofood Sukses Makmur, the world's largest instant noodle producer; Indomobil Group, one of Indon ...
,
Sinar Mas Group Sinar Mas is one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia. It was formed in 1938. It has numerous subsidiaries including Asia Pulp & Paper and palm oil producer PT SMART. The company also acquired Berau Coal Energy from Asia Resource Minerals ...
,
Astra International Astra International, Tbk. is an Indonesian conglomerate controlled by Jardine Cycle & Carriage. It was founded in 1957 by Tjia Kian Tie, Liem Pen Hong with the name of PT Astra International Incorporated. It is Southeast Asia's largest independ ...
,
Gudang Garam PT Perusahaan Rokok Tjap Gudang Garam Tbk ( Republican spelling Indonesian for "Salt Warehouse brand Cigarette Company plc"), trading as PT Gudang Garam Tbk, is an Indonesian tobacco company, best known for its '' kretek'' (clove cigarette) pro ...
, Kompas-Gramedia,
CT Corp CT Corp (formerly known as Para Group) is one of Indonesia's largest diversified conglomerates. The group was founded by Chairul Tanjung in 1987. CT Corp operates consumer-centric businesses nationwide across four key industries: financial ser ...
,
Emtek PT Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk, trading as Emtek, is an Indonesian technology, telecommunication and media conglomerate headquartered in Jakarta. it is Indonesia's second largest media company. It is the parent company for subsidiaries which ...
, and MNC Group. The headquarters of the
Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry () or Kadin is an association of business organisations in Indonesia. Members of this organisation consist of entrepreneurs or a combination of national businesses from various sectors, both private ...
and
Indonesian Employers Association The Indonesian Employers’ Association (APINDO) is the representative of business world established on January 31, 1952, under leadership of the National Board (DPN) located in Jakarta, Provincial Boards in 34 provinces and approximately 350 Citie ...
are also located in the city. As of 2017, the city is home to six
Forbes Global 2000 The ''Forbes'' Global 2000 is an annual ranking of the top 2000 public companies in the world, published by: sales, profit, assets and market value. The list has been published annually since 2003. By country Forbes Global 2000 as of 2023: ...
, two
Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune (magazine), Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States Joint-stock company#Closely held corporations and publicly traded corporations, corporations by ...
and seven
Unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since Classical antiquity, antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn (anatomy), horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unico ...
companies.
Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
and
Alibaba Ali Baba is a character from the folk tale "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves". Alibaba Group is a Chinese multinational internet technology company. Ali Baba or Alibaba may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Ali Baba and the Forty T ...
have regional cloud centres in Jakarta. In 2017, economic growth was 6.22%. Throughout the same year, the total value of the investment was Rp 108.6 trillion (US$8 billion), an increase of 84.7% from the previous year. In 2021, nominal GDP per capita was estimated at Rp 274.710 million (US$19,199). The most significant contributions to GRDP were by the finance, ownership and business services (29%); the trade, hotel and restaurant sector (20%), and the manufacturing industry sector (16%). The Wealth Report 2015 by
Knight Frank Knight Frank LLP is a global real estate consultancy and estate agency headquartered in London, England. Knight Frank's global network has more than 488 offices across 57 territories and more than 20,000 people managing commercial, agricultur ...
reported that 24 individuals in Indonesia in 2014 had wealth of at least US$1 billion and 18 live in Jakarta. The cost of living continues to rise. Both land prices and rents have become expensive.
Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (automobile), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City, US * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or tra ...
's ''2017 Cost of Living Survey'' ranked Jakarta as the 88th costliest city in the world for expatriates. Industrial development and the construction of new housing thrive on the outskirts, while commerce and banking remain concentrated in the city centre. Jakarta has a bustling luxury property market.
Knight Frank Knight Frank LLP is a global real estate consultancy and estate agency headquartered in London, England. Knight Frank's global network has more than 488 offices across 57 territories and more than 20,000 people managing commercial, agricultur ...
, a global real estate consultancy based in London, reported in 2014 that Jakarta offered the highest return on high-end property investment in the world in 2013, citing a supply shortage and a sharply depreciated currency as reasons.


Shopping

As of 2015, with a total of 550 hectares, Jakarta had the largest shopping mall floor area within a single city. Malls include
Plaza Indonesia Plaza Indonesia (originally Plaza Indonesia Shopping Center) is a shopping mall located at Jalan M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall is part of the ''Plaza Indonesia Complex'', which is a mixed development complex often referred to ...
,
Grand Indonesia Grand Indonesia (previously called Grand Indonesia Shopping Town until 2013) is an integrated multipurpose complex at Thamrin Road in Central Jakarta, Indonesia, with 140,000 m² and 630,000 m². It is located near the Selamat Datang Monument. ...
,
Sarinah PT Sarinah (Persero) is an Indonesian retail company owned by PT Aviasi Pariwisata Indonesia (Persero) (InJourney), a state-owned holding company. Its flagship store, Sarinah Building in M.H. Thamrin Street of Central Jakarta, was the first skys ...
,
Plaza Senayan Plaza Senayan is a shopping mall located in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall is a few minutes by car from the Semanggi area; offering shops and services such as designer goods and gourmet food. In January 2017, Forbes recognized Plaza Senaya ...
,
Senayan City Senayan City (also often known as Sen C or Sency) is a mixed-use development located in Senayan area, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The complex comprises a seven-floor high end shopping mall, two boutique office towers (one occupied by SCTV as the ...
, Pacific Place,
Gandaria City Gandaria City is a mixed-use complex including a shopping mall, an office tower, apartment towers, and a hotel at Kebayoran Lama, Jakarta, Indonesia developed by Pakuwon Jati. The shopping mall, Sheraton Grand Gandaria City hotel, apartment tow ...
, ÆON Mall
Jakarta Garden City Jakarta Garden City is a planned community at Cakung, East Jakarta, 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. ...
and
Tanjung Barat Tandjong West (English: "West Cape"; Indonesian: "Tanjung Barat") was a ''Particuliere landerij, particuliere land'' or private domain in modern-day Tanjung Barat, Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, Indonesia. The center of the domain was the eponymous Land ...
,
Mall Taman Anggrek Taman Anggrek Mall (; literally "Orchid Garden Mall"), commonly known as Mall Taman Anggrek, abbreviated as MTA, is a shopping mall in Grogol Petamburan, West Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall is named after a real orchid garden within the now-demolish ...
,
Central Park Mall The Central Park Mall is a pedestrian esplanade in Central Park, in Manhattan, New York City. The mall, leading to Bethesda Fountain, provides the only purely formal feature in the naturalistic original plan of Frederick Law Olmsted and Calve ...
, as well as
Pondok Indah Mall Pondok Indah Mall (), abbreviated as PIM, is a large shopping mall complex located in the Pondok Indah suburb of South Jakarta, Indonesia. In January 2017, it was recognised by Forbes as one of the top five shopping malls in Jakarta. The Po ...
. Fashion retail brands in Jakarta include
Debenhams Debenhams plc was a British department store chain that operated in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, as well as franchised locations across Europe and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and gr ...
at
Senayan City Senayan City (also often known as Sen C or Sency) is a mixed-use development located in Senayan area, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The complex comprises a seven-floor high end shopping mall, two boutique office towers (one occupied by SCTV as the ...
and Lippo Mall Kemang Village, Japanese
Sogo is a department store chain with a significant presence in Japan. It operates a network of branches in various countries and has a long history dating back to 1830 when it was founded in Osaka by Ihei Sogō. The company is known for its retail ...
, Seibu at Grand Indonesia Shopping Town, and French brand,
Galeries Lafayette Galeries Lafayette () is an upmarket French department store chain, the biggest in Europe. Its flagship store is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris but it now operates a number of locations in France and other countries ...
, at Pacific Place. The Satrio-Casablanca shopping belt includes Kuningan City, Mal Ambassador, Kota Kasablanka, and Lotte Shopping Avenue. Shopping malls are also located at
Grogol Grogol is an urban administrative village in the Grogol Petamburan Districts of Indonesia, subdistrict of West Jakarta, Indonesia. The triangle-shaped administrative village is bounded by the Jakarta Flood Canal, West Flood Canal to the east, Jak ...
and Puri Indah in
West Jakarta West Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakbar, is one of the five administrative cities of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. West Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a proper mu ...
. Traditional markets include
Blok M Blok M is a business and shopping quarter located in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, Indonesia. It runs east from Iskandarsyah street to Bulungan street in the west. North from Falatehan street to Melawai street in the south. The development is si ...
, Mayestik,
Tanah Abang Tanah Abang () is a districts of Indonesia, district of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The district hosts the biggest textile Market (place), market in Southeast Asia, Tanah Abang Market. It also hosts Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Kelurahan Gelora ...
,
Senen Senen is a long-established urban district () of Central Jakarta, Indonesia that has kept many tourist attractions such as two museums, the National Library of Indonesia, , and narrow alleys with old Chinese and similar style shops and restaura ...
,
Pasar Baru Pasar Baru is an kelurahan, subdistrict () in the Sawah Besar Districts of Indonesia, district () in Central Jakarta, Indonesia. It has postal code of 10710. History Founding of Pasar Baru Pasar Baru is also the name of a 19th-century market whi ...
,
Glodok Glodok () is an Villages of Indonesia, urban village of Taman Sari (Jakarta), Taman Sari, West Jakarta, Indonesia. The area is also known as Pecinan or Chinatown since the Dutch colonial era, and is considered the biggest in Indonesia. Majority of ...
, Mangga Dua, Cempaka Mas, and
Jatinegara Jatinegara (originally known as Meester Cornelis or Meester/Mester for short) is one of the districts () of the administrative city of East Jakarta, Indonesia. The name also refers to the larger, historic area of the colonial town of Meester Corn ...
. Special markets sell
antique An antique () is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely to describe any object that i ...
goods at Jalan Surabaya and gemstones in Rawabening Market.


Tourism

Though Jakarta has been named the most popular location as per tag stories, and ranked eighth most-posted among the cities in the world in 2017 on image-sharing site
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
, it is not a top international tourist destination. The city, however, is ranked as the fifth fastest-growing tourist destination among 132 cities according to MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index. The
World Travel and Tourism Council The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is a forum for the travel and tourism industry. It is made up of members from the global business community and works with governments to raise awareness about the travel and tourism industry. It is kno ...
also listed Jakarta as among the top ten fastest-growing tourism cities in the world in 2017 and categorised it as an ''emerging performer'', which will see a significant increase in tourist arrivals in less than ten years. According to ''Euromonitor International's latest Top 100 City Destinations Ranking'' of 2019, Jakarta ranked at 57th among 100 most visited cities of the world. Most of the visitors attracted to Jakarta are domestic tourists. As the gateway of
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, ...
, Jakarta often serves as a stop-over for foreign visitors on their way to other Indonesian tourist destinations such as
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 ...
,
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 ...
,
Komodo Island Komodo ( ) is one of the 17,508 islands that comprise the Republic of Indonesia. It is particularly notable as the habitat of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on Earth, which is named after the island. Komodo Island has a surface area of 29 ...
and
Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
. In 2023 about 1.97 million foreign tourists visited the city. Jakarta is trying to attract more international tourists through
MICE A mouse (: mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...
tourism, and arranging increasing numbers of
conventions Convention may refer to: * Convention (norm), a custom or tradition, a standard of presentation or conduct ** Treaty, an agreement in international law ** Convention (political norm), uncodified legal or political tradition * Convention (meeting) ...
. In 2012, the tourism sector contributed Rp. 2.6 trillion (US$268.5 million) to the city's total direct income of Rp. 17.83 trillion (US$1.45 billion), a 17.9% increase from the previous year 2011.


Culture

As the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta is a melting pot of cultures from all ethnic groups in the country. Although
Betawi people Betawi people, Batavi, or Batavians (''Orang Betawi'' in Indonesian, meaning "people of Batavia"), are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the city of Jakarta and its immediate outskirts, as such often described as the inhabitants of the ...
are Jakarta's indigenous community, the city's culture represents many languages and ethnic groups, favouring differences in religion, tradition, and linguistics, rather than a single, dominant culture. Jakarta is dominated by
Javanese people The Javanese ( , ; ) are an Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic group native to the central and eastern part of the Indonesian island of Java. With more than 100 million people, Javanese people are the largest ethnic group in both Indo ...
, followed by Betawi people and
Sundanese people The Sundanese (; ) are an Austronesian people, Austronesian ethnic group native to Java in Indonesia, primarily West Java. They number approximately 42 million and form Ethnic groups in Indonesia, Indonesia's second most populous ethnic group. T ...
.


Arts and festivals

The
Betawi Betawi may refer to: *Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of Native Indonesian, regional immigrants that came ...
culture is distinct from those of the Sundanese or Javanese, forming a
language island A language island (a calque of German ''Sprachinsel''; also language enclave, language pocket) is an enclave of a language that is surrounded by one or more different languages. The term was introduced in 1847. Many speakers of these languages als ...
in the surrounding area. There is a significant Chinese influence in Betawi culture, reflected in the popularity of Chinese cakes and sweets,
firecracker A firecracker (cracker, noise maker, banger) is a small explosive device primarily designed to produce a large amount of noise, especially in the form of a loud bang, usually for celebration or entertainment; any visual effect is incidental to ...
s, and Betawi wedding attire that demonstrates Chinese and Arab influences. Some festivals such as the ''Jalan Jaksa Festival'', ''Kemang Festival'', ''Festival Condet'' and ''Lebaran Betawi'' include efforts to preserve Betawi arts by inviting artists to display performances. Jakarta has several performing art centres, such as the classical concert hall Aula Simfonia Jakarta in Kemayoran,
Taman Ismail Marzuki Ismail Marzuki Park Jakarta Arts Center (, TIM), is an arts, cultural, and science center located at Cikini in Jakarta, Indonesia. Taman Ismail Marzuki complex comprises several facilities including six performing arts theaters, cinemas, an exh ...
(TIM) art centre in Cikini,
Gedung Kesenian Jakarta The Jakarta Art Building (), historically known as ''Schouwburg Weltevreden'', is a concert hall in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, Indonesia, built during the colonial period in Batavia, Dutch East Indies. History The idea for the creation of a t ...
near Pasar Baru, Balai Sarbini in the Plaza Semanggi area,
Bentara Budaya Jakarta Bentara Budaya Jakarta is a cultural center located on Jalan Palmerah Selatan 17, Central Jakarta, Indonesia. The institution consists of a museum and an art gallery. Open from Monday to Friday at 8 AM to 5 PM, the gallery is closed on weekends and ...
in the Palmerah area, Pasar Seni (Art Market) in
Ancol Ancol (, zh, 安恤) is a coastal lowland area located to the east of Kota Tua Jakarta in northern Jakarta, in Indonesia. The coastal lowland stretched from Kota Tua Jakarta to the west and Tanjung Priok to the east. Today, Ancol contains the ma ...
, and traditional Indonesian art performances at the pavilions of some provinces in
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (; formerly Taman Mini "Indonesia Indah" with apostrophes—abbreviated as TMII) is a culture-based recreational area located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. Since July 2021, it is operated by InJourney Destination Managem ...
. Traditional music is often found at high-class hotels, including
Wayang ( , ) is a traditional form of puppet theatre play originating from the Indonesian island of Java. The term refers both to the show as a whole and the puppet in particular. Performances of wayang puppet theatre are accompanied by a ''gamel ...
and
Gamelan Gamelan (; ; , ; ) is the traditional musical ensemble, ensemble music of the Javanese people, Javanese, Sundanese people, Sundanese, and Balinese people, Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussion instrument, per ...
performances. Javanese Wayang Orang performances can be found at Wayang Orang Bharata Theatre. Arts and culture festivals and exhibitions include the annual ARKIPEL – Jakarta International Documentary and Experimental Film Festival,
Jakarta International Film Festival Jakarta International Film Festival ( Indonesian: ''Festival Film Internasional Jakarta'') or JiFFest is the major film festival of Indonesia held every December in the capital, Jakarta, since 1999. The festival is on a shaky financial footing and ...
(JiFFest), Djakarta Warehouse Project,
Jakarta Fashion Week Jakarta Fashion Week or JFW is a fashion event held annually in Jakarta, Indonesia. JFW is dubbed as the largest fashion event in Southeast Asia. JFW is organized as a collaboration platform between major stakeholders of the fashion and creati ...
, Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week, Jakarta Fashion & Food Festival (JFFF),
Jakarnaval Jakarnaval is an annual cultural nuance parade organized by the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government which is arranged as part of commemoration of the anniversary of Jakarta in Indonesia.Anniversary of Jakarta is celebrated by arranging various progr ...
, Jakarta Night Festival, Kota Tua Creative Festival, Indonesia International Book Fair (IIBF),
Indonesia Comic Con Indonesia Comic Con (abbreviated as ICC, simplified as Indo Comic Con) is an annual comic-based multigenre convention in Jakarta, Indonesia, established in 2015. It is organized by Panorama Media (formerly Reed Panorama Exhibitions), the subsid ...
, Indonesia Creative Products and Jakarta Arts and Crafts exhibition. Art Jakarta is a
contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...
fair, which is held annually. ''Flona Jakarta'' is a flora-and-fauna exhibition, held annually in August at
Lapangan Banteng Lapangan Banteng (Indonesian language, Indonesian: "Bull's Field", formerly Waterloo Square (Dutch language, Dutch: Waterlooplein) in Batavia, Dutch East Indies) is a historic Town square, square located in a historic area formerly known as ''Wel ...
Park, featuring flowers, plant nurseries, and pets.
Jakarta Fair Jakarta Fair ( or PRJ, ) is a fair held annually in Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran, Jakarta, Indonesia, in June and July. It features exhibitions, trade promotions, shopping, music performances, various shows, amusement rides and a food fes ...
is held annually from mid-June to mid-July to celebrate the anniversary of the city and is mostly centred around a trade
fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...
. However, this month-long fair also features entertainment, including arts and music performances by local musicians.
Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival (JJF) is one of the largest jazz festivals in the world and arguably the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The annual jazz festival is held every early March and was designed ...
(JJF) is one of the largest jazz festivals in the world, the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, and is held annually in March. Several foreign art and culture centres in Jakarta promote culture and language through learning centres, libraries, and art galleries. These include the Chinese
Confucius Institute Confucius Institutes (CI; ) are public educational and cultural promotion programs of the state of China. The stated aim of the program is to promote Chinese language and culture, support local Chinese teaching internationally, and facilita ...
, the Dutch Erasmus Huis, the
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...
, the French
Institut Français d'Indonésie The Institut Français d'Indonésie or Institut Français Indonesia is an Institut français in Indonesia. It is a French public institution attached to the French Foreign Ministry. The promotion of French culture and French language, language ov ...
, the German
Goethe-Institut The Goethe-Institut (; GI, ''Goethe Institute'') is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit German culture, cultural organization operational worldwide with more than 150 cultural centres, promoting the study of the German language abroad and en ...
, the
Japan Foundation The is a Japanese foundation that spreads Japanese culture around the world. Based in Tokyo, it was established in 1972 by an Act of the National Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture. I ...
, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Indian Cultural Centre.


Cuisine

All varieties of
Indonesian cuisine Indonesian cuisine is a collection of various regional culinary traditions by various ethnic groups that formed in the archipelagic nation of Indonesia. There are a wide variety of recipes and cuisines in part because Indonesia is composed ...
have a presence in Jakarta. The local cuisine is
Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of Native Indonesian, regional immigrants that came from various places in the Indonesian archipelago, as well as Chinese ...
, which reflects various foreign culinary traditions. Betawi cuisine is heavily influenced by Malay-Chinese Peranakan cuisine, Sundanese, and
Javanese cuisine Javanese cuisine () is the cuisine of Javanese people, a major Native Indonesian, ethnic group in Indonesia in the provinces of Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java. Definition Javanese cuisine refers exclusively to the cuisine of Javan ...
, which is also influenced by Indian, Arabic, and European cuisines. One of the most popular local dishes of Betawi cuisine is '' Soto
Betawi Betawi may refer to: *Betawi people *Betawi language *Betawi cuisine Betawi cuisine is rich, diverse and eclectic, in part because the Betawi people that create them were composed from numbers of Native Indonesian, regional immigrants that came ...
'' which is prepared from chunks of beef and
offal Offal (), also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the internal organ (anatomy), organs of a butchered animal. Offal may also refer to the by-products of Milling (grinding), milled grains, such as corn or wheat. Some cultures strong ...
in rich and spicy cow's milk or coconut milk broth. Other popular Betawi dishes include '' soto kaki,
nasi uduk ''Nasi uduk'' (; Javanese script: ) is an Indonesian-style steamed rice cooked in coconut milk dish, especially popular in Betawi and Javanese culinary traditions. Etymology The '' Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia'' describes nasi uduk as rice c ...
(''mixed rice''), kerak telor'' (spicy omelette), ''
nasi ulam ''Nasi ulam'' is a traditional Indonesian and Malaysian dish of steamed rice (''nasi'') served with various herbs and vegetables ('' Ulam (salad)''). The herbs used are mostly the leaves of ''pegagan'' ('' Centella asiatica''), though they ...
,
asinan ''Asinan'' is a pickled (through brined or vinegared) vegetable or fruit dish, commonly found in Indonesia. ''Asin'', Indonesian for "salty", is the process of preserving the ingredients by soaking them in a solution of salty water. ''Asinan' ...
,
ketoprak ''Ketoprak'' () is a theatrical genre of Java featuring actors who may also sing to the accompaniment of the gamelan. It draws its stories from Javanese history and romances and in this differs from '' wayang wong'', which shares with ''wayang k ...
,
rujak Rujak ( Indonesian spelling) or rojak ( Malay spelling) is a salad dish of Javanese origin, commonly found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The most popular variant in all three countries is a salad composed of a mixture of sliced fruit ...
'' and ''
gado-gado ''Gado-gado'' ( Indonesian or Betawi) is an Indonesian salad of raw, slightly boiled, blanched or steamed vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, boiled potato, fried tofu and tempeh, and sliced ''lontong'' (compressed cylinder rice cake wrapped ...
'' Betawi (salad in peanut sauce). Jakarta cuisine can be found in modest street-side ''
warung A warung ( old spelling: waroeng or warong) is a type of small family-owned business — small retail, eatery, or café — in Indonesia. A ''warung'' is an essential part of daily life in Indonesia. Over time, the term ''warung'' has sh ...
'' food stalls and Hawkers travelling vendors to high-end fine dining restaurants. Live music venues and exclusive restaurants are abundant. Many traditional foods from far-flung regions in Indonesia can be found in Jakarta. For example, traditional Padang restaurants and low-budget '' Warteg'' (''Warung Tegal'') food stalls are ubiquitous in the capital. Other popular street foods include ''
nasi goreng ''Nasi goreng'' (English pronunciation: ), (Indonesian language, Indonesian and Malay language, Malay for 'fried rice') is a Southeast Asian rice dish with pieces of meat and vegetables added. It can refer simply to fried pre-cooked rice, a me ...
'' (fried rice), ''
sate Satay ( , in the US also ), or sate in Indonesia, is a Javanese dish of seasoned, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay originated in Java, but has spread throughout Indonesia, into Southeast Asia, Europe, America, and be ...
'' (skewered meats), ''
pecel lele Pecel lele or pecak lele is an Indonesian deep-fried '' Clarias'' catfish dish originating from Lamongan, East Java, Indonesia. Dish It consists of catfish served with traditional ''sambal'' chili paste, often served with fried tempeh and/or ...
'' (fried catfish), ''
bakso Bakso or baso is an Indonesian meatball, or a meat paste made from beef surimi. Its texture is similar to the Chinese beef ball, fish ball, or pork ball. The word ''bakso'' may refer to a single meatball or the complete dish of meatball soup. ...
'' (meatballs), '' bakpau'' (Chinese bun) and ''
siomay Siomay (also somai) () is an Indonesian steamed fish dumpling with vegetables served in peanut sauce. It is derived from the Chinese shumai. It is considered a light meal, similar to the Chinese dim sum. It is traditionally made from pork but ...
'' (fish dumplings). Jalan Sabang, Jalan Sidoarjo, Jalan Kendal at
Menteng Menteng is a district () in the administrative city of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Menteng is surrounded by the districts of Senen and Matraman to the east, Tebet and Setiabudi to the south, Tanah Abang to the west, and Gambir to the north. ...
area, Kota Tua, Blok S,
Blok M Blok M is a business and shopping quarter located in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, Indonesia. It runs east from Iskandarsyah street to Bulungan street in the west. North from Falatehan street to Melawai street in the south. The development is si ...
, Jalan Tebet, are all popular destinations for street-food lovers.
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to: * Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people * Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center * Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see bel ...
street-food who sell ''
Nasi Kapau ''Nasi kapau'' is a Minangkabau steamed rice topped with various choices of dishes originated from Nagari Kapau, Bukittinggi, a tourism and culinary hotspot town in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is often describes as Minang version of '' nasi ram ...
'', ''
Sate Padang Sate padang, more commonly referred to as Padang satay is a speciality satay from Minangkabau cuisine, made from beef cut into small cubes with spicy sauce on top. Its main characteristic is the thick yellow sauce made from rice flour mixed with ...
'', and ''
Soto Padang Soto padang is a kind of clear, non coconut milked soto, which usually contains beef, onion, potatoes, and white vermicelli noodles as its main ingredients. This soto is a culinary specialty originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. The meat ...
'' can be found at Jalan Kramat Raya and Jalan Bendungan Hilir in Central Jakarta.
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
street-food is plentiful at Jalan Pangeran, Manga Besar and Petak Sembilan in the old Jakarta area, while the ''Little Tokyo'' area of
Blok M Blok M is a business and shopping quarter located in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, Indonesia. It runs east from Iskandarsyah street to Bulungan street in the west. North from Falatehan street to Melawai street in the south. The development is si ...
has many
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
style restaurants and bars. Trendy restaurants, cafe and bars can be found at
Menteng Menteng is a district () in the administrative city of Central Jakarta, Indonesia. Menteng is surrounded by the districts of Senen and Matraman to the east, Tebet and Setiabudi to the south, Tanah Abang to the west, and Gambir to the north. ...
,
Kemang Kemang is a neighborhood in southern part of Jakarta, Indonesia. The area is located mostly in Bangka subdistrict of Mampang Prapatan and partly within Pejaten subdistrict of Pasar Minggu. The main area of Kemang is marked by the roads of Kemang ...
, Jalan Senopati,
Kuningan Kuningan () is a town and district located in eastern West Java, Indonesia, between Cirebon and Tasikmalaya, about 200 km east of Jakarta. It is the administrative center of Kuningan Regency. The district is located east of Mount Cereme/Cirem ...
,
Senayan Senayan is an administrative village (''kelurahan'' in Indonesian) at Kebayoran Baru subdistrict, South Jakarta, Indonesia. The post code is 12190. Boundaries The borders of Senayan are: * Semanggi Flyover in the north * General Sudirman Street ...
,
Pantai Indah Kapuk Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK) is an integrated township in northwestern Jakarta, Indonesia; located in parts of Penjaringan, North Jakarta, Kapuk, West Jakarta, and Kosambi, Tangerang, Kosambi, Tangerang Regency. It is one of the most prestigious r ...
, and
Kelapa Gading Kelapa Gading or also known as KG or Gading, is a district () of the administrative city of North Jakarta, Indonesia. The district is known to the local population as a city within a city, due to the integrated residential-commercial plannin ...
.
Lenggang Jakarta Lenggang Jakarta is a food court area (also known as a hawker centre), which is operated at Monas and Kemayoran area in Jakarta, Indonesia. The first food court was built at Monas area, which was known at the time as IR-TI parking. The area was r ...
is a food court, accommodating small traders and street vendors, where Indonesian foods are available within a single compound. At present, there are two such food courts, located at
Monas The National Monument (, abbreviated Monas) is a 132 m (433 ft) obelisk in the centre of Merdeka Square, Jakarta, Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the Indon ...
and
Kemayoran Kemayoran is a district (''kecamatan'') of Central Jakarta, Jakarta in Indonesia. It was best known for the former Kemayoran Airport and it has been transforming as a new central business district. As of 2023, it consists of numerous four and fiv ...
. Thamrin 10 is a food and creative park located at Menteng, where varieties of food stall are available. Global fast-food chains are present and usually found in
Shopping malls A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, it began to be used as a generi ...
, along with local brands like Sederhana, J'CO, Es Teler 77, Kebab Turki, CFC, and Japanese HokBen and
Yoshinoya is a Japanese multinational company, multinational fast food chain, and the second-largest chain of ''gyūdon'' (beef bowl) restaurants. The chain was established in Japan in 1899. Its motto is "Tasty, low-priced, and quick". Etymology and log ...
. Foreign cuisines such as
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
,
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
,
Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...
, Thai,
Singaporean Singaporeans are the citizens and nationals of the sovereign island city-state of Singapore. Singapore is home to a people of a variety of ethno-racial-religious origins, with the city-state itself being a multi-racial, multi-cultural, m ...
, Indian,
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
,
Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...
, Malaysian,
French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...
,
Mediterranean cuisine Mediterranean cuisine is the food and methods of preparation used by the people of the Mediterranean basin. The idea of a Mediterranean cuisine originates with the cookery writer Elizabeth David's book, ''A Book of Mediterranean Food'' (1950), ...
s like
Maghrebi Maghrebi Arabic, often known as ''ad-Dārija'' to differentiate it from Literary Arabic, is a vernacular Arabic dialect continuum spoken in the Maghreb. It includes the Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Libyan, Hassaniya and Saharan Arabic di ...
, Turkish,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
,
Middle Eastern cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine includes a number of cuisines from the Middle East. Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley, and popular dishes include '' kebabs'', ...
, and modern fusion food restaurants can all be found in Jakarta.


Sports

Jakarta hosted the
1962 Asian Games The 1962 Asian Games () also known as the 4th Asian Games, IV Asiad, and Jakarta 1962, were the fourth edition of pan-Asian multi-sport event sanctioned by the Asian Games Federation (AGF). The games were held from 24 August to 4 September 1962, ...
, and the
2018 Asian Games The 2018 Asian Games ( or ''Asian Games 2018''), officially known as the 18th Asian Games (), and also known as Jakarta-Palembang 2018 or Indonesia 2018, were a Asia, continental multi-sport event that was held from 18 August to 2 September 201 ...
, co-hosted by
Palembang Palembang (, Palembang: ''Pelémbang'', Mandarin: 巨港 (Jùgǎng), Hokkien: 舊港 (Kū-káng), Jawi: ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of South Sumatra. The city proper covers on both banks of the Musi River in the ea ...
. Jakarta also hosted the Southeast Asian Games in 1979, 1987, 1997 and 2011 (supporting Palembang). Gelora Bung Karno Stadium hosted the group stage, quarterfinal and final of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup along with Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The largest capacity retractable roof stadium in Asia,
Jakarta International Stadium Jakarta International Stadium () is a retractable roof football stadium in Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the home ground of Persija Jakarta after moving from their previous stadium, Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, and the occasional home o ...
, is located at Tanjung Priok district, completed in 2022. After the success of the Asian Games, the city made a bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympics but did not enter into the final evaluation and was awarded to Brisbane. If the city had been chosen, it would have been the first city in Southeast Asia to host the Olympic Games, senior Olympic Games and the first to be held in the region since the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. The Senayan sports complex has several sports venues, including the Bung Karno football stadium, Madya Stadium, Istora Senayan, an aquatic arena, a baseball field, a basketball hall, a shooting range, several indoor and outdoor tennis courts. The Senayan complex was built in 1960 to accommodate the 1962 Asian Games. For basketball, the Kelapa Gading Sport Mall in
Kelapa Gading Kelapa Gading or also known as KG or Gading, is a district () of the administrative city of North Jakarta, Indonesia. The district is known to the local population as a city within a city, due to the integrated residential-commercial plannin ...
, North Jakarta, with a capacity of 7,000 seats, is the home arena of the Indonesian national basketball team. The BritAma Arena serves as a playground for Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta, the 2017 runner-up of the Indonesian Basketball League. Jakarta International Velodrome is a sporting facility located at Rawamangun, which was used as a venue for the Asian Games. It has a seating capacity of 3,500 for track cycling, and up to 8,500 for shows and concerts, which can also be used for various sports activities such as volleyball, badminton and futsal. Jakarta International Equestrian Park is an Equestrianism, equestrian sports venue located at Pulo Gadung, Pulomas, which was also used as a venue for the Asian Games. The Jakarta Car-Free Days are held bi-weekly on Sunday on the main avenues of the city, Jalan Sudirman, and Jalan Thamrin, from 6 am to 11 am. The briefer Car-Free Day, which lasts from 6 am to 9 am, is held every other Sunday. The event invites local pedestrians to do sports and exercise and have their activities on the streets that are usually full of traffic. Along the road from the Senayan traffic circle on Jalan Sudirman, South Jakarta, to the "Selamat Datang" Monument at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle on Jalan Thamrin, north to the National Monument in Central Jakarta, cars are blocked from entering. During the event, morning gymnastics, calisthenics and aerobic exercises, futsal games, jogging, bicycling, skateboarding, badminton, karate, on-street library and musical performances take over the roads and the main parks. Jakarta's most popular home football club is Persija Jakarta, Persija, which plays in Liga 1 (Indonesia), Liga 1. Another football team in Jakarta is Persitara Jakarta Utara, Persitara which competes in Liga 3 (Indonesia), Liga 3 and plays in Tugu Stadium. The Jakarta Marathon each November is recognised by Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, AIMS and International Athletic Association Federation, IAAF. It was established in 2013. It brings sports tourism. In 2015, more than 15,000 runners from 53 countries participated. Jakarta successfully hosted the first Jakarta ePrix race of the Formula E championship in June 2022 at Jakarta International e-Prix Circuit, Ancol Circuit, North Jakarta.


Media and entertainment

Jakarta is home to most of the Indonesian national newspapers, besides some local-based newspapers. The daily local newspapers in Jakarta are ''Pos Kota'' and ''Warta Kota''. National newspapers based in Jakarta include ''Kompas'' and ''Media Indonesia'', and most of them have a news segment covering the city. A number of business newspapers (''Bisnis Indonesia'', ''Investor Daily'' and ''Kontan'') and a sports newspaper (''Tribun Network, Super Ball'') are also published. Newspapers other than in Indonesian, mainly for a national and global audience, are also published daily. Examples are the English-language newspapers ''The Jakarta Post'' and online-only ''Jakarta Globe, The Jakarta Globe''. Chinese language newspapers also circulate, such as ''Indonesia Shang Bao'' (印尼商报), ''Harian Indonesia'' (印尼星洲日报), and ''International Daily News, Guo Ji Ri Bao'' (国际日报). The only Japanese language newspaper is ''The Daily Jakarta Shimbun'' (じゃかるた新聞). Around 75 radio stations broadcast in Jakarta, 52 on the Frequency modulation, FM band, and 23 on the Amplitude modulation, AM band. Radio entities are based in Jakarta, for example, national radio networks MNC Trijaya FM, Prambors FM, Trax FM, I-Radio, Hard Rock FM, Delta FM, Global FM and the public radio Radio Republik Indonesia, RRI; as well as local stations Gen 98.7 FM, Gen FM, Radio Elshinta and Z99.9 FM, PM2FAS. Jakarta is the headquarters for Indonesia's public television TVRI as well as private national television networks, such as Metro TV (Indonesian TV network), Metro TV, TvOne (Indonesian TV network), tvOne, Kompas TV, RCTI and NET (Indonesian TV network), NET. Jakarta has local television channels such as TVRI Jakarta, JakTV, Elshinta TV and KTV. Many TV stations are analogue PAL, but some are now converting to digital signals using DVB-T2 following a Digital terrestrial television in Indonesia, government plan to digital television migration.


Government and politics

Jakarta is administratively equal to a
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
with special status. The executive branch is headed by an elected Governor of Jakarta, governor and a Vice Governor of Jakarta, vice governor, while the Jakarta Regional People's Representative Council (, DPRD DKI Jakarta) is the legislative branch with 106 directly elected members. The Jakarta City Hall at the south of Merdeka Square houses the office of the governor and the vice governor and serves as the main administrative office. Executive governance consists of five administrative cities (), each headed by a mayor (w''alikota)'' and one Regencies of Indonesia, administrative regency () headed by a regent (''bupati''). Unlike other cities and regencies in Indonesia where the mayor or regent is directly elected, Jakarta's mayors and regents are chosen by the governor. Each city and regency is divided into administrative districts. Aside from representatives to the provincial parliament, Jakarta sends 21 delegates to the People's Representative Council, national lower house parliament. The representatives are elected from Jakarta's three national electoral districts, which also include overseas voters. It also sends 4 delegates, just like other provinces, to the Regional Representative Council, national upper house parliament. The Jakarta Smart City (JSC) program was launched on 14 December 2014 with the goal of smart governance, smart people, smart mobility, smart economy, smart living, and a smart environment in the city using the web and various smartphone-based apps.


Public safety

The Greater Jakarta Metropolitan Regional Police () is the police force that is responsible for maintaining law, security, and order for the
Jakarta metropolitan area The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as ''Jabodetabekpunjur'' (an acronym of Jakarta– Bogor– Depok– Tangerang– Bekasi further extended to include Puncak region of Bogor Regency and portions of Cianjur Regenc ...
. It is led by a two-star police general (Inspector General of Police#Indonesia, Inspector General of Police) with the title of "Greater Jakarta Regional Police Chief" (, abbreviated ). Its office is located at Jl. Jenderal Sudirman Kav. 55, Senayan, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, and their hotline emergency number is 110. The Kodam Jaya, Jayakarta Military Regional Command (, abbreviated ) is the territorial army of the Indonesian Army, which serves as a defence component for Jakarta and its surrounding areas (Greater Jakarta). It is led by an army Major General with the title of "Jakarta Military Regional Commander" (, abbreviated ). The Jakarta Military Command is located at
East Jakarta East Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaktim, is the largest of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia, with a land area of 188.03 km2 (72.6 sq.miles). It had a population ...
and oversees several military battalions ready to defend the capital city and its vital installations. It also assists the Jakarta Metropolitan Police during certain tasks, such as supporting security during state visits, VVIP security, and riot control.


Municipal finances

The Jakarta provincial government relies on transfers from the central government for the bulk of its income. Local (non-central government) sources of revenue are incomes from various taxes such as vehicle ownership and vehicle transfer fees, among others. The ability of the regional government to respond to Jakarta's many problems is constrained by limited finances. The provincial government consistently runs a surplus of between 15 and 20% of planned spending, primarily because of delays in procurement and other inefficiencies. Regular under-spending is a matter of public comment. In 2013, the budget was around Rp 50 trillion ($US5.2 billion), equivalent to around $US380 per citizen. Spending priorities were on education, transport, flood control, environment, and social spending (such as health and housing). Jakarta's regional budget (APBD) was Rp 77.1 trillion ($US5.92 billion), Rp 83.2 trillion ($US6.2 billion), and Rp 89 trillion ($US6.35 billion) for the year of 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively.


Administrative divisions

Jakarta consists of five ''Kota Administratif'' (Administrative cities/municipalities), each headed by a mayor, and one ''Kabupaten Administratif'' (Regencies of Indonesia, Administrative regency). Each city and regency is divided into districts (''kecamatan''). The administrative cities/municipalities of Jakarta are: *
Central Jakarta Central Jakarta (, ), abbreviated as Jakpus, is one of the five Cities of Indonesia, administrative cities () and ''de facto'' Capital City of the Jakarta, Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 census ...
() is Jakarta's smallest city and administrative and political centre. It is divided into eight districts. It is charactesised by large parks and Dutch colonial buildings. Landmarks include the National Monument (
Monas The National Monument (, abbreviated Monas) is a 132 m (433 ft) obelisk in the centre of Merdeka Square, Jakarta, Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the Indon ...
), Istiqlal Mosque,
Jakarta Cathedral Jakarta Cathedral (, ) is a Latin Catholic cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, which is also the seat of the Archbishop of Jakarta, currently Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo. Its official name is , derived from the original name in Dutch, ...
and museums. *
West Jakarta West Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakbar, is one of the five administrative cities of the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. West Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a proper mu ...
() has the city's highest concentration of small-scale industries. It has eight districts. The area includes Jakarta's Chinatown and Dutch colonial landmarks such as the Chinese Langgam building and Toko Merah. It contains part of
Jakarta Old Town Kota Tua Jakarta (Indonesian language, Indonesian for "Jakarta Old Town"), officially known as Kota Tua, is a neighborhood comprising the original downtown area of Jakarta, Indonesia. It is also known as (Dutch language, Dutch for "Old Batavia" ...
. *
South Jakarta South Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaksel, is one of the five administrative cities which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. South Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is not classified as a ...
(), originally planned as a satellite city, is now the location of upscale shopping centres and affluent residential areas. It has ten districts and functions as Jakarta's groundwater buffer, but recently the green belt areas are threatened by new developments. Much of the central business district is concentrated all area in Kebayoran Baru, Setiabudi, a small part in Tebet, Pancoran, Mampang Prapatan, and bordering the Tanah Abang/Sudirman area of Central Jakarta. The area is known as the Golden Triangle of Jakarta, Jakarta Golden Triangle. *
East Jakarta East Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jaktim, is the largest of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia, with a land area of 188.03 km2 (72.6 sq.miles). It had a population ...
() territory is characterised by several industrial sectors. Also located in East Jakarta are
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (; formerly Taman Mini "Indonesia Indah" with apostrophes—abbreviated as TMII) is a culture-based recreational area located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. Since July 2021, it is operated by InJourney Destination Managem ...
and Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport. This city has ten districts. *
North Jakarta North Jakarta (; ), abbreviated as Jakut, is one of the five administrative cities (''kota administrasi'') which form Special Capital Region of Jakarta, Indonesia. North Jakarta is not self-governed and does not have a city council, hence it is ...
() is bounded by the
Java Sea The Java Sea (, ) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South Ch ...
. It is the location of Port of Tanjung Priok. Large- and medium-scale industries are concentrated there. It contains part of
Jakarta Old Town Kota Tua Jakarta (Indonesian language, Indonesian for "Jakarta Old Town"), officially known as Kota Tua, is a neighborhood comprising the original downtown area of Jakarta, Indonesia. It is also known as (Dutch language, Dutch for "Old Batavia" ...
, which was the centre of Dutch East India Company, VOC trade activity during the colonial era. Also located in North Jakarta is
Ancol Dreamland Taman Impian Jaya Ancol also known as Ancol Dreamland is an integral part of Ancol Bay City, a resort destination located along Jakarta's waterfront, in Ancol (Kelurahan), Pademangan, North Jakarta. It is owned by PT. Pembangunan Jaya Ancol Tbk, a ...
(), the largest integrated tourism area in Southeast Asia. North Jakarta is divided into six districts. The only administrative regency () of Jakarta is the
Thousand Islands The Thousand Islands (, ) constitute a North American archipelago of 1,864 islands that straddles the Canada–US border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream fr ...
(), formerly a Districts of Indonesia, district within North Jakarta. It is a collection of 105 small islands located on the Java Sea. It is of high conservation value because of its unique ecosystems. Marine tourism, such as diving, water bicycling, and windsurfing, are the primary tourist activities in this territory. The main mode of transportation between the islands is speed boats or small ferries. The province comprises three of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to the Indonesian Parliament, People's Representative Council. The Jakarta I Electoral District consists of the administrative city of East Jakarta, and elects 6 members to the People's Representative Council. The Jakarta II Electoral District consists of the administrative cities of Central Jakarta and South Jskarta, together with all overseas voters, and elects 7 members to the People's Representative Council. The Jakarta III Electoral District consists of the administrative cities of North Jakarta and West Jakarta, together with the Thousand Islands Regency, and elects 8 members to the People's Representative Council.


Infrastructure

To transform the city into a more liveable one, a ten-year ''urban regeneration'' project was undertaken, for Rp 571 trillion ($40.5 billion). The project aimed to develop infrastructure, including the creation of a better integrated public transit system and the improvement of the city's clean water and wastewater systems, housing, and flood control systems.


Transportation


Healthcare

Jakarta has many of the country's best-equipped private and public Healthcare in Indonesia, healthcare facilities. In 2012, the Governor of Jakarta
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...
introduced a universal health care program, the 'Healthy Jakarta Card' (''Kartu Jakarta Sehat'', KJS). In January 2014, the Indonesian government launched a universal health care system called the ''Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional'' (JKN), which is run by BPJS Kesehatan. KJS integrated into JKN, and KJS cards were valid till 2018. As of 2021, 85.55% of the people of Jakarta is covered by JKN. Government-run hospitals are of a good standard but are often overcrowded. Government-run specialised hospitals include Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital, as well as community hospitals and puskesmas. Other options for healthcare services include private hospitals and clinics. The private healthcare sector has seen significant changes since the government began allowing foreign investment in the private sector in 2010. While some private facilities are run by nonprofit or religious organisations, most are for-profit. Hospital chains such as Siloam Hospitals, Siloam, Pondok Indah Hospital Group, Mayapada, Mitra Keluarga, Medika, Medistra, Ciputra, Radjak Hospital Group, RS Bunda Group, and Hermina Hospitals, Hermina operate in the city.


Water supply

Two private companies, PALYJA and Aetra, provide piped water in the western and eastern half of Jakarta respectively under 25-year concession contracts signed in 1998. A public asset holding company called PAM Jaya owns the infrastructure. Eighty per cent of the water distributed in Jakarta comes through the West Tarum Canal system from Jatiluhur reservoir on the Citarum River, southeast of the city. The water supply was privatised by President Suharto in 1998 to the French company Suez Environnement and the British company Thames Water International. Both companies subsequently sold their concessions to Indonesian companies. Customer growth in the first seven years of the concessions had been lower than before, possibly because of substantial inflation-adjusted tariff increases during this period. In 2005, tariffs were frozen, leading private water companies to cut down on investments. According to PALYJA, the service coverage ratio increased substantially from 34% (1998) to 65% (2010) in the western half of the concession. According to data by the Jakarta Water Supply Regulatory Body, access in the eastern half of the city served by PTJ increased from about 57% in 1998 to about 67% in 2004 but stagnated afterward. However, other sources cite much lower access figures for piped water supply to houses, excluding access provided through public hydrants: one study estimated access as low as 25% in 2005, while another estimated it to be as low as 18.5% in 2011. Those without access to piped water get water mostly from wells that are often salty and unsanitary. As of 2017, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (Indonesia), Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Jakarta had a crisis over clean water.


International relations


International organisations

Jakarta hosts foreign Diplomatic mission, embassies and serves as the seat of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Headquarters and is ASEAN's diplomatic capital. Jakarta also a member of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and ASEAN Smart Cities Network.


Twin towns – sister cities

Jakarta signed sister city agreements with other cities, including Casablanca. To promote friendship between the two cities, the main avenue famous for its shopping and business centres was named after Jakarta's Moroccan sister city. No street in Casablanca is named after Jakarta. However, the Moroccan capital city of Rabat has an avenue named after
Sukarno Sukarno (6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of the Indonesian struggle for independenc ...
, Indonesia's first president, to commemorate his visit in 1960 and as a token of friendship. Jakarta's sister cities are: * Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei * Bangkok, Thailand * Beijing, China * Berlin, Germany * Casablanca, Morocco * Hanoi, Vietnam * Islamabad, Pakistan * Istanbul, Turkey * Jeddah, Saudi Arabia * Kyiv, Ukraine * Los Angeles, United States * Manila, Philippines * Maputo, Mozambique * Moscow, Russia * Mumbai, India * New York City, New York, United States * Pyongyang, North Korea * Seoul, South Korea * Shanghai, China * Tokyo, Japan


Cooperation and friendship

Jakarta has established a partnership with Rotterdam, especially on integrated urban water management, including capacity-building and knowledge exchange. This cooperation is mainly because both cities are dealing with similar problems; they lie in low-lying flat plains and are prone to flooding. Additionally, they have both implemented drainage systems involving canals, dams and pumps vital for both cities for below-sea-level areas. In addition to its sister cities, Jakarta cooperates with: * Arkansas, United States * Budapest, Hungary * New South Wales, Australia * Paris, France * Rotterdam, Netherlands


Notable people


See also

*
Betawi people Betawi people, Batavi, or Batavians (''Orang Betawi'' in Indonesian, meaning "people of Batavia"), are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the city of Jakarta and its immediate outskirts, as such often described as the inhabitants of the ...
* Climate change in Indonesia * Greater Jakarta * List of tallest buildings in Jakarta * Outline of Jakarta * Transport in Jakarta


Notes


References


Bibliography

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Further reading

* *


External links

*
Jakarta
(official travel website) * {{Authority control Jakarta, Capital districts and territories Provinces of Indonesia Capitals in Asia Populated coastal places in Indonesia Populated places established by the Dutch East India Company 1610 establishments in the Dutch Empire Autonomous provinces Populated places established in 1527