Jakarta, officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, is the capital of Indonesia. It lies on the northwest coast of Java. Jakarta is the centre of the economy, culture and politics of Indonesia. It has province level status which had a population of 10,562,088 as of 2020. Although Jakarta extends over only 699.5 square kilometres, and thus has the smallest area of any Indonesian province, its metropolitan area covers 6,392 square kilometres, and is the world’s second-most populous urban area, after Tokyo. It has a population of about 35.934 million as of 2020. Jakarta’s business opportunities, and its ability to offer a potentially higher standard of living than is available in other parts of the country, have attracted migrants from across the Indonesian archipelago, making it a melting pot of numerous cultures. Jakarta’s nickname is “the Big Durian”, after the thorny, strong-smelling fruit of that name that is native to the region. Calling Jakarta “the Big Durian” is seen as a nod to New York’s nickname, “the Big Apple”.
