The main city of Indonesia is called Jakarta.
It is where the government is.
It is a very big city.
There are old parts and modern parts of the city.
There are places where very poor people live.
In Jakarta the people live in the city and around the cities in suburbs. ©iStock
The capital city of Indonesia is Jakarta. It is located on the north-west coast of the island of Java. A capital city is the place where the country’s government is located. The name ‘Jakata’ comes from the Javanese word ‘Jayakarta’, which means ‘complete victory’ or ‘victorious deed’.
Jakarta is an enormous city and is the centre of government, business and industry. More than nine million people live in the city.
Some old sections of the city have buildings that are hundreds of years old; other parts have new, modern buildings.
Jakarta, Indonesia: There are many old buildings built during the time that the Dutch governed Indonesia. Many are beside canals such as the Kali Besar Canal. ©iStock
The oldest parts of Jakarta were built when the Dutch governed Indonesia. Then it was called Batavia.
The Independence Monument was built when Indonesia became a republic and governed itself. ©iStock
Modern Jakarta
In the centre of Jakarta there are many modern hotels, theatres, cinemas, restaurants, shopping centres, government buildings, museums and parks. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the city every year and these tourists provide work for local people.
Jakarta is one of the best places to shop in South-East Asia. Modern shopping centres are popular and so are traditional markets.
Modern shopping malls are popular places to shop and eat. ©iStock
In and around the city there are factories making electronics, cars, chemicals, machinery and medical supplies manufacturing.
Poorer people live in kampungs like this. ©iStock
People in Jakarta live in modern flats and apartments or in low-cost, multi-story high rise houses. There are also single family dwellings and western style houses. Poorer people live in crowded kampungs.
Jakarta is the city with the most museums in South-East Asia.
The National Museum is a popular place to visit.
The National Museum is just one of many museums in the city.©Getty
Most Indonesians are Muslims and their place of worship is the mosque.
Many beautiful mosques can be seen in Jakarta ©iStock
Watch a video about a child’s life in Indonesia.
What is modern Jakarta like? Watch a video to see!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI-Z70aHNRA
Read other kidcyber pages about Indonesia
Find them here