Jakarta

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History

Archaeological evidence from the wider north coast of western Java predates the written record of the Jakarta area. The Buni culture, a prehistoric pottery tradition in coastal northern and western Java, is generally dated from about 400 BC to 100 AD and may have survived until the 5th century. Written evidence from the Jakarta area appears in the mid-5th-century Tugu inscription, found in present-day North Jakarta. The inscription records river works ordered by King Purnawarman of Tarumanagara and mentions the Candrabhaga and Gomati rivers, although several details of the works and their setting remain uncertain. After Tarumanagara, western Java came under the Sunda Kingdom. The Chinese work Chu-fan-chi referred to Sin-t'o, identified as western Java, and noted its harbour and pepper. By the early 16th century, Sunda Kelapa was the main commercial port of the Sunda Kingdom. The Suma Oriental described Calapa as the most important of Sunda's ports, with trade arriving from Sumatra, Java, and other places. The VOC then rebuilt the settlement as a fortified city named Batavia, which became the company's headquarters in Asia. Batavia was laid out as a walled canal city on low-lying coastal land at the mouth of the Ciliwung river. Its canals served transport, drainage, and water-management functions, but poor flow, sedimentation, and coastal silting made flooding and sanitation recurring problems. By the 18th century, the old town had gained a reputation for disease and decay. Even so, Batavia remained an important commercial and administrative centre. Chinese residents played a large role in its commerce, agriculture, crafts, and construction, and lived both inside and outside the walled city. In 1740, conflict between VOC authorities and Batavia's Chinese community…

Geography

Jakarta covers about of land and of sea area. Its urban area extends beyond the provincial boundary into the Jakarta metropolitan area, or Jabodetabek, which includes neighbouring cities and regencies in West Java and Banten. Daily commuting links Jakarta with surrounding municipalities, especially Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi. The city lies on the northwestern coast of Java at the mouth of the Ciliwung River, facing Jakarta Bay, an inlet of the Java Sea. Administratively, Jakarta includes five mainland municipalities and the Thousand Islands regency to the north of the mainland city. Except for some hilly areas in the south, Jakarta spreads across low, flat terrain. Much of the city lies on an alluvial plain crossed by rivers and canals, with extended areas ranging from below sea level to about above sea level. Flood-control policy has long relied on engineered works, including canals, river improvements, drainage infrastructure, pumps, and coastal-protection schemes. Land subsidence has increased coastal-flood risk, especially along the northern coast. Groundwater extraction and urban development are among the causes of land subsidence, which contributes to coastal-flood risk. Jakarta also has serious air- and water-quality problems, including polluted river water and health burdens from air pollution. Jakarta has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen: Am), with warm conditions throughout the year and a marked wet–dry rainfall pattern. The wet season generally lasts from October to May, while June to September is relatively drier, although rain occurs in every month. The heaviest rainfall usually falls between December and March, when average monthly totals exceed 150 millimetres, while July and August are normally the driest months. The wet season is also…

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

  Passer montanus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,103
• Cave Swiftlet

  Collocalia linchi Horsfield & F.Moore, 1854 · Aves
  2,100
• Spotted dove

  Spilopelia chinensis (Scopoli, 1786) · Aves
  2,081
• Javan Pond-Heron

  Ardeola speciosa (Horsfield, 1821) · Aves
  1,570
• Pink-necked Pigeon

  Treron vernans (Linnaeus, 1771) · Aves
  1,310
• Yellow-vented Bulbul

  Pycnonotus goiavier (Scopoli, 1786) · Aves
  1,289
• Pacific Swallow

  Hirundo javanica Sparrman, 1789 · Aves
  1,077
• Golden-bellied Gerygone

  Gerygone sulphurea Wallace, 1864 · Aves
  1,049

Most recent

• M 4.3 — 2026-02-21
  2 km SSW of Teluknaga, Indonesia
• M 4 — 2025-12-09
  75 km NNE of Serang, Indonesia
• M 4.1 — 2025-09-20
  16 km W of Cicurug, Indonesia
• M 4.9 — 2025-08-20
  23 km SSE of Cikarang, Indonesia
• M 4.2 — 2025-07-30
  13 km NW of Kresek, Indonesia
• M 4.4 — 2025-07-26
  9 km NNW of Ciampea, Indonesia