Brace yourself to the city of Jakarta, (city of complete victory) the capital of Indonesia; the most populous city in Southeast Asia and the twelfth- largest city in the world. Jakarta is known as the largest and the most populous city of Indonesia because it is the center of trade, culture, and economy, transportation and politics. It is located in the Northwest coast of Java with the land area of 661 square kilometers. In the year 1522, Sunda Kelapa (former name of Jakarta) was then a trading town and the international trading center of Indonesia.
The Portuguese were the first people who step down in the city as the delegate of governor Malaka. The Portuguese built a castle near the Cliwung river after entering into an agreement. In 1527, the Portuguese came again without knowing that the city is already under the hands of Fatahilla. The battle started in Jakarta Gulf and won by Fatahilla and changed the city from Sunda Kelapa to Jayakarta which means “perfect victory”.
In the year 1596, the Dutch arrived under the leadership of Cornelis de Houtmann to establish trade in the city. In 1618, the Englishmen took over to the win the sympathy of the people and the Dutch trading company snatched away Jayakarta and changed its name into Batavia in the year 1619. From that time, the Dutch started to colonize Indonesia for more than 3.5 centuries until the Japanese armies arrived in 1942. On the same year, Batavia changed its name to Jakarta after falling into Japanese hands. Indonesia proclaimed its independence in the year 1945 when the Japanese armies surrendered to the allied force. In 1999, Jakarta was inaugurated as Jakarta province.
Jakarta uses Bahasa Indonesia as their official language and English is also understood and spoken by many as a way of communication especially in business. Rupiah is the currency of Indonesia, US$1.00 is equivalent to 9,057.00 rupiah and 1 rupiah is equivalent to US$0.0001104.
People from Jakarta loves to eat spicy foods, as for them, their meal would be incomplete without a chili that they even eat red and green chili as their appetizer. Noodles are also everywhere in Jakarta, and the most famous is the Indomei which is described as a fried noodles with the ingredients of onions, garlic, leafy vegetable and the chili. The main food of the natives is of course the rice. Jakarta restaurants also serve different kinds of cuisine, might it be European style, American, Chinese or Asian, they have it all because many different kinds of restaurants are scattered around the city of Indonesia with the best cooks from different parts of Asia, Europe and America who can satisfy your taste of foods.
Jakarta boasts its friendly environment and people; it is a city with a fervent spirit and lively outlook. Entering Jakarta is your way to the amazing world of benefits, from accessories, foods, culture, history and many more!
Here are some of the best features of the city:
- Fatahilla Square –located at the historic site of the city stands the three of the city’s most interesting museums with the fountain in the middle.
- Monas- this is the famous landmark in the city, the 137 meters high monument located in the center of Merdeka Square. This is the administrative heart of Jakarta.
- Istiqlal Mosque- this is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. Since 90% of the population in Indonesia is Moslem, you can witness the spirit of holiness and chants on how the people worship.
- Sunda Kelapa Port- This is the old port area of Sunda Kelapa and remains a hub for those involved in interisland trade and adventure.
The months of May until September are the best months to visit Jakarta for a dry season however if you want to witness the grand celebration from Ramadan to Christmas, the months of October to December are the best.
Visit your travel guide online or travel Jakarta to know more about this friendly city of Jakarta.
