Sleman Regency () is an Indonesian regency ( id, Kabupaten) on the island of
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...
. It is located in the north of the
Yogyakarta Special Administrative Region,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, and has an area of , with a population of 1,093,110 at the 2010 Census
[Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.] and 1,125,804 at the 2020 Census.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] Its capital is the town of
Sleman
Sleman is a '' kapanewon'' (regency district) and the seat capital of Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is on the road between Yogyakarta and Magelang
Magelang () is one of six cities in Central Java that are admi ...
. The current
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
is Kustini Sri Purnomo.
History
Pre-Incorporation
During the 8th century, the
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
Sailendra dynasty controlled Sleman, building numerous temples such as
Kalasan
Kalasan ( id, Candi Kalasan, Javanese: ''Candhi Kalasan''), also known as Candi Kalibening, is an 8th-century Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia. It is located east of Yogyakarta on the way to Prambanan temple, on the south side of the main ro ...
.
The palace itself was at
Ratu Boko
Ratu Boko ( jv, Ratu Baka) or Ratu Boko Palace is an archaeological site in Java. Ratu Boko is located on a plateau, about three kilometres south of Prambanan temple complex in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The original name of this site is still uncle ...
.
After the fall of the Sailendra dynasty, the
Mataram Kingdom
The Mataram Kingdom (, jv, ꦩꦠꦫꦩ꧀, ) was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu–Buddhism, Buddhist kingdom that flourished between the 8th and 11th centuries. It was based in Central Java, and later in East Java. Established b ...
ruled over Sleman, taking control of Ratu Boko palace and eventually commingling with the remnants of the Sailendra dynasty.
The
Sanjaya
Sanjaya or Sanjay (Sanskrit: सञ्जय, meaning "victory") or Sanjaya Gavalgana is an advisor from the ancient Indian Hindu war epic ''Mahābhārata''.
In ''Mahabharata''—An ancient story of a war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas ...
dynasty, which replaced the Mataram kingdom, later ruled over Sleman and is believed to have built
Prambanan
Prambanan ( id, Candi Prambanan, jv, ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ, Rara Jonggrang) is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the P ...
850 CE.
Post-Incorporation
Sleman was incorporated on 8 August 1950 with the passing of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 15 1950 about the Creation of Regencies within the Special Region of Yogyakarta.

In 2010,
numerous eruptions of Mount Merapi and the cold
lahar
A lahar (, from jv, ꦮ꧀ꦭꦲꦂ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley.
Lahars are extreme ...
floods afterwards killed 353 people and caused over
Rp. 5.5 trillion (
US$ 610 million) in damages.
Geography

Sleman Regency is located in the north of Yogyakarta Special Region, between the city of
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of 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 a monarchy, ...
to the south, and the
Magelang Regency and
Klaten Regency (of
Central Java
Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta ...
Province) to the northwest and northeast respectively. The northern part is roughly triangular, sloping downhill from
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi, ''Gunung Merapi'' (literally Fire Mountain in Indonesian and Javanese), is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active ...
at the northern apex, and is bordered by
Central Java
Central Java ( id, Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta ...
Province to the west, north and east. The southern part is dominated by the suburbs of the city of
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of 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 a monarchy, ...
, notably the densely-populated districts of Gamping, Mlati and Depok, and is bordered by the remaining three regencies of the Special Region -
Kulon Progo,
Bantul
Bantul is a town and district, and the capital of Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The district (''kapanewon'') covers an area of and had a population of 64,360 at the 2020 Census. It is a bustling town about to the sou ...
, and
Gunung Kidul, as well as
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of 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 a monarchy, ...
to the south.
Administrative districts
Sleman Regency is divided into seventeen administrative
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
(''kapanewon''), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census
and the 2020 Census. The table also includes the location of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (rural ''desa'' and urban ''kelurahan'') in each district and its post code.
Climate
Sleman Regency features 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 sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...
, with a lengthy
wet season
The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the se ...
generally running from October until June and a short
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 ...
that only covers the months of July, August and September. The Regency averages roughly 2200 mm of precipitation annually. Sleman experiences particularly heavy rainfall from November through April. Temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures at around 30 degrees Celsius and average lows at around 22 degrees Celsius.
There is slight variation within Sleman Regency. The northern areas, near Mount Merapi, are much cooler due to the higher altitude. The southern area has nearly the same climate as Yogyakarta, due to their proximity.
Economy
Sleman Regency is heavily agrarian. However, due to the expansion of Yogyakarta there are some areas that have been substantially urbanized,
with malls, hotels, and supermarkets being built. Tourism is also being developed to take advantage of the numerous temples found in Sleman Regency, as well as Mount Merapi.
Agriculture
Due to ashfall from Mount Merapi and easy irrigation, the land in Sleman Regency is very fertile. The
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth or dirt, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Some scientific definitions distinguish ''dirt'' from ''soil'' by restricting the former ...
is thick, with a favourable moisture capacity level. As such,
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
yields are considerably high.
The area is also well known for its production of
salak pondoh, which is also its official plant.
Education
There are 29 universities that have campuses in Sleman Regency,
including
Sanata Dharma University,
Atma Jaya University
Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia (also known as "Atma Jaya University" or "Atma Jaya"; id, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya or abbreviated as ''Unika Atma Jaya'') is an institute of higher learning in Jakarta, Indonesia, whic ...
,
Islamic University of Indonesia,
Yogyakarta State University and
Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University
Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University Yogyakarta ( id, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, abbreviated as UIN Sunan Kalijaga or simply UIN Suka) is an Indonesian state university that offers study programs in the field of Islami ...
.
Sleman is the home of the first established state university in Indonesia, the
Gadjah Mada University
Gadjah Mada University ( jv, ꦈꦤꦶꦥ꦳ꦼꦂꦱꦶꦠꦱ꧀ꦓꦗꦃꦩꦢ; id, Universitas Gadjah Mada, abbreviated as UGM) is a public research university located in Sleman, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Officially founded on ...
.
Health facilities
Hospitals in Sleman Regency include:
* Dr. Sardjito General Public Hospital (state-owned, considered the largest hospital in Special Region of Yogyakarta)
* Gadjah Mada University Hospital
* JIH Hospital
* Sleman Regional Public Hospital, and others.
Tourism

Sleman Regency is home to many temples, including
Prambanan
Prambanan ( id, Candi Prambanan, jv, ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ, Rara Jonggrang) is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the P ...
,
[National Library of Indonesia]
Prambanan Temple
. Retrieved 9 February 2011. Sari
A sari (sometimes also saree or shari)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
* as, শাৰী, xārī, translit-std=ISO
* bn, শাড়ি, śāṛi, translit-std=ISO
* gu, સાડી, sāḍī, translit-std ...
,
Kalasan
Kalasan ( id, Candi Kalasan, Javanese: ''Candhi Kalasan''), also known as Candi Kalibening, is an 8th-century Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia. It is located east of Yogyakarta on the way to Prambanan temple, on the south side of the main ro ...
,
[National Library of Indonesia]
Kalasan Temple
. Retrieved 9 February 2011. and Ijo. As well as temples, there are ruins of an ancient palace, namely
Ratu Boko
Ratu Boko ( jv, Ratu Baka) or Ratu Boko Palace is an archaeological site in Java. Ratu Boko is located on a plateau, about three kilometres south of Prambanan temple complex in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The original name of this site is still uncle ...
.
[National Library of Indonesia]
Ratubaka Temple
. Retrieved 9 February 2011. These temples and ruins, thought to be remnants of the Buddhist
Sailendra dynasty and the Hindu
Mataram kingdom
The Mataram Kingdom (, jv, ꦩꦠꦫꦩ꧀, ) was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu–Buddhism, Buddhist kingdom that flourished between the 8th and 11th centuries. It was based in Central Java, and later in East Java. Established b ...
,
are all open to the public. However, Prambanan is the most popular for tourism, drawing thousands of local and foreign tourists each year.
Sleman Regency also has a number of
tourist villages including
Brayut and others.
[(12 February 2014)]
Yogyakarta intensifies village tourism promotion
'' Antara (news agency)''[(3 January 2004)]
Sleman, home of a thousands tourist villages
''The Jakarta Post
''The Jakarta Post'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Niskala Media Tenggara and based in the nation's capital, Jakarta.
''The Jakarta Post'' started as a collaboration between four Indonesian med ...
''
Due in part to the scenic view at the foot of Mount Merapi,
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...
has become common in Sleman Regency. One of the most common destinations is
Kaliurang Kaliurang is a small town in Hargobinangun, Pakem Pakem () is a district (''kapanewon'') in Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia.
Localities
* Srowolan
Srowolan is a village in Pakem administrative district of Sleman Regency, ...
, a resort town located in the Pakem District.
Sleman Regency includes the
Adisucipto International Airport within its boundaries. There are numerous hotels in the regency, ranging from small
homestay
Homestay (also home stay and home-stay) is a form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the area (host) to which they are traveling. The length of stay can vary from one night to over a year and can be pr ...
s and
inn
Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...
s to
multi-star hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
s. The higher-end, multi-star hotels are located mainly near the road between Yogyakarta and Surakarta, with homestays and inns scattered throughout the regency.

Sleman is home to several museums including:
*
Monumen Jogja Kembali (Monument to the Recapture of Yogyakarta), known colloquially as Monjali), which is dedicated to the
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution, or 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 postwar and postcol ...
and located in the Ngaglik District.
*
Affandi Museum
The Affandi Museum is a museum located in Yogyakarta on Java, Indonesia.
On the bank of the Gajah Wong River on Laksda Adisucipto Street number 167, in 1953 the painter Affandi designed and constructed a home for himself which also functions as a ...
, located in Depok District, which is the former home of and hosts many works of famous Indonesian painter
Affandi.
*Merapi Museum, which hosts exhibits pertaining to
volcanology
Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term ''volcanology'' is derived from the Latin word '' vulcan''. Vulcan was the a ...
as a whole and Merapi in particular and is located within Pakem District.
*Museum Dirgantara Mandala, located within the
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), literally "''Indonesian National Military-Air Force''") sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF, is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The I ...
base near the airport. Exhibits include the history of the Indonesian Air Force as well as numerous planes, rockets, helicopters, and other military equipment.
After the 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, the areas affected have become
disaster tourist attractions. Tourists come from around Indonesia to see the disaster area, either for leisure, to pay their respects, or reflection.
"Indonesian disasters draw tourist dollars".
'' Agence France-Presse'', reprinted in the ''Jakarta Globe''. 7 February 2011. Retrieved on 8 February 2011.
Luxury hotel Royal Ambarrukmo is located in Sleman.
References
External links
*
Sleman Tourism
{{Authority control