Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta(English:/ˌjoʊɡjəˈkɑːrtə/YOHG-yə-KAR-tə;Javanese:ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠNgayogyakarta[ŋɑːˈjɔɡjɔˈkɑːrtɔ];Petjo:Jogjakarta) is the capital city of theSpecial Region of YogyakartainIndonesia, in the south-central part of the island ofJava. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled bya monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an important centre for classicalJavanese fine arts and culturesuch as ballet,batiktextiles, drama,literature,music,poetry, silversmithing,visual arts, andwayangpuppetry.Renowned as a centre ofIndonesian education, Yogyakarta is home to a large student population and dozens of schools and universities, includingGadjah Mada University, the country's largest institute of higher education and one of its most prestigious.
Yogyakarta is the capital of theYogyakarta Sultanateand served as the Indonesian capital from 1946 to 1948 during theIndonesian National Revolution, withGedung Agungas the president's office. One of the districts in southeastern Yogyakarta,Kota, was the capital of theMataram Sultanatebetween 1587 and 1613.
The city's population was 388,627 at the 2010 Census,and 373,589 at the 2020 Census;the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 375,699, composed of 182,840 males and 192,859 females.Its metropolitan area was home to 4,010,436 inhabitants in 2010, which includes the city ofMagelangand 65 districts acrossSleman,Klaten,Bantul,Kulon ProgoandMagelangregencies. Yogyakarta has one of the highestHDI(Human Development Index) in Indonesia.It has the highest HDI in all of regencies and cities of Indonesia. Its HDI score is 0.887, whereas the regency and city with the lowest HDI isNduga Regency, with a score of 0.351.
Yogyakarta is named after the Indian city ofAyodhya, the birthplace of the eponymous heroRamafrom theRamayanaepic.Yogyameans "suitable; fit; proper", andkartameans "prosperous; flourishing". Thus,Yogyakartameans "[a city that is] fit to prosper".
In colonial era correspondence, the city is often written in theJavanese scriptasꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ,read as/ˌŋɑːjɒɡjəˈkɑːrtə/with the added prefixnga-.
In theorthography of the time, the proper name was spelt with theLatin alphabetas "Jogjakarta". As the orthography of theIndonesian languagechanged, the consonant/j/came to be written with⟨y⟩, and the consonant/dʒ/with⟨j⟩. Personal and geographical names however, were allowed to maintain their original spelling according tocontemporary Indonesian orthography. Thus, the city can be written as "Yogyakarta", which is true to its original pronunciation and the Javanese script spelling, or "Jogjakarta", which is true to the old Dutch spelling and reflects popular pronunciation today, but differs from the original Ayodhya etymology. One may encounter either "Yogyakarta" or "Jogjakarta" in contemporary documents.
According to theCanggal inscriptiondated 732 CE, the area traditionally known as "Mataram" became the capital of theMedang Kingdom, identified asMdang i Bhumi Mataramestablished byKing Sanjaya of Mataram. The inscription was found in a Hindu temple in Central Java, 40 km away from Yogyakarta and 20 km away from the giantBorobudur temple complex. This Hindu temple itself was on the border between the area of theHinduSañjaya dynastyand the area of theBuddhistShailendra dynasty.
Mataram became the centre of a refined and sophisticated Javanese Hindu-Buddhist culture for about three centuries in the heartland of theProgo River valley, on the southern slopes ofMount Merapivolcano. This time period witnessed the construction of numerouscandi, includingBorobudurandPrambanan.
Around the year 929 CE, the last ruler of theSañjaya dynasty,King Mpu Sindok of Mataram, moved the seat of power of the Mataram Kingdom fromCentral JavatoEast Javaand thus established theIsyana dynasty. The exact cause of the move is still uncertain; however, a severe eruption from Mount Merapi or a power struggle with theSumatra-basedSrivijaya kingdomprobably caused the move.
Historians suggest that some time during the reign ofKing Wawa of Mataram(924–929 CE), Merapi erupted and devastated the kingdom's capital in Mataram.
During theMajapahitera, the area surrounding modern Yogyakarta was identified again as "Mataram" and recognised as one of the twelve Majapahit provinces in Java ruled byBhre Mataram. During the reign of the fourth king of the Majapahit Empire, the HinduKing Hayam Wuruk(1350–1389) of theRajasa dynasty, the title of Bhre Mataram was held by the king's nephew and son-in-lawWikramawardhana, later the fifth king of Majapahit.
Kotagede, now a district in southeastern Yogyakarta, was established as the capital of theMataram Sultanatefrom 1587 to 1613.
During the reign ofSultan Agung Hanyokrokusumo(1613–1645), the Mataram Sultanate reached its zenith as the greatest kingdom in Java, and expanded its influence to Central Java, East Java, and half of West Java. After two changes of capital—to Karta and then to Plered, both located in present-dayBantul Regency—the capital of the Mataram Sultanate finally moved toKartasura.
A civil war in the Mataram Sultanate broke out betweenPakubuwono II(1745–1749), the last ruler ofKartasura, and his younger brother and heir apparent to the throne,Prince Mangkubumi(later known as Hamengkubuwono I, the firstSultan of Yogyakarta, and the founder of the current ruling royal house). Pakubuwono II had agreed to cooperate with theDutch East India Company, and ceded some Mataram territory to the Dutch. Prince Mangkubumi, stood against the agreement, citing concerns that the people would become slaves under Dutch rule. During the war, Prince Mangkubumi defeated Pakubuwono II's forces and declared sovereignty in the Sultanate of Yogyakarta, occupying the southern parts of the former Mataram Sultanate.
With Pakubowono II dead from illness, theYogyakarta Sultanatewas established as a result of theTreaty of Giyanti(Perjanjian Gianti), signed and ratified on 13 February 1755 among Prince Mangkubumi, the Dutch East India Company, and his nephewPakubuwono IIIand his allies. Ascending to the newly created Yogyakarta throne with the name Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, Mangkubumi thus established the royalHouse of Hamengkubuwono, still the ruling house of Yogyakarta today. Sultan Hamengkubuwono I and his family officially moved into thePalace of Yogyakarta, still the seat of thereigning sultan, on 7 October 1756. These events consequently marked the end of the Mataram Sultanate, resulting in the births of the rivalYogyakarta Sultanateand theSurakarta Sunanate.
During the brief period ofBritish rule over Javain 1811, rumours of plans by the Yogyakarta court to launch an attack against the British led to uneasiness among the Britons stationed in Java. On 20 June 1812,Sir Stamford Rafflesled a 1,200-strong British force to capture the Yogyakarta kraton. The Yogyakarta forces, surprised by the attack, were easily defeated; the kraton fell in one day, and was subsequently sacked and burnt.
The attack on the kraton was the first of its kind inIndonesian history, leaving the Yogyakarta court humiliated. The sultanate found itself involved in conflict again during theJava War.
In 1942, theJapanese Empireinvaded theDutch East Indiesand ruled Java until they were defeated in 1945.Sukarnoproclaimed the independence of theIndonesian Republicon 17 August 1945; SultanHamengkubuwono IXpromptly sent a letter to Sukarno, expressing his support for the newly born nation of Indonesia and acknowledging the Yogyakarta Sultanate as part of the Indonesian Republic.
The Sultanate of Surakarta did the same, and both of the Javanese kingdoms were accordingly awarded privileged statuses as "Special Regions" within the Indonesian Republic. However, because of a leftist anti-royalist uprising in Surakarta, the Sunanate of Surakarta lost its special administrative status in 1946 and was absorbed intoCentral JavaProvince.
Yogyakarta's support was essential in the Indonesian struggle for independence during theIndonesian National Revolution(1945–1949). The city of Yogyakarta became the capital of the Indonesian Republic from 1946 to 1948, after the fall of Jakarta to the Dutch. Laterthe Dutch also invaded Yogyakarta, causing the Republic's capital to be transferred once again, toBukittinggiinWest Sumatraon 19 December 1948. TheGeneral Offensive of 1 March 1949resulted in an Indonesian political and strategic victory against the Dutch and the withdrawal of Dutch forces from Yogyakarta. On 29 June 1949 Yogyakarta was completely cleared of Dutch forces, under pressure from theUnited Nations.
For its significant contribution to the survival of the Indonesian Republic, Yogyakarta was given autonomy as a "special district",making it the only region headed by a recognised monarchy inIndonesia.
The area of the city of Yogyakarta is 32.82 square kilometres (12.7 square miles). While the city spreads in all directions from theKraton, the Sultan's palace, the core of the modern city is to the north, centred aroundDutch colonial-erabuildings and the commercial district.Jalan Malioboro, with rows of pavement vendors and nearby markets and malls, is the primary shopping street for tourists in the city, while Jalan Solo, further north and east, is the shopping district more frequented by locals. The large local market ofBeringharjo(id) and the restored Dutch fort ofVredeburgare on the eastern part of the southern end of Malioboro.
Surrounding theKratonis a densely populated residential neighbourhood that occupies land that was formerly the Sultan's sole domain. Evidence of this former use remains in the form of old walls, scattered throughout the city, and the ruins of theTaman Sariwater castle, built in 1758 as a pleasure garden. No longer in use by the Sultan, the garden was largely abandoned before being used for housing by palace employees and descendants. Reconstruction efforts began in 2004, and the site is now a popular tourist attraction.
Nearby to the city of Yogyakarta isMount Merapi, with the northern outskirts of the city running up to the southern slopes of the mountain inSleman Regency. Mount Merapi (literally "mountain of fire" in both Indonesian and Javanese), is an activestratovolcanolocated on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548, with the last eruption occurring in May 2018.
Yogyakarta features atropical monsoon climate(Köppen:Am) as the precipitation in the driest months between June and September are below 100 millimetres (3.9 inches). The wettest month in Yogyakarta is January with precipitation totalling 392 millimetres (15.4 inches). The climate is influenced by the monsoon. The annual temperature is roughly about 26 to 27 Celsius. The hottest month is April with average temperature 27.1 Celsius.
The city of Yogyakarta is an administrative part of theYogyakarta Special Regionwhich has the status of a province in Indonesia. In 2020, Yogyakarta City held the highest population density in Greater Yogyakarta, with 11,546 people per square kilometre, Sleman and Bantul Regencies holding the second place with a population density of 1,958.5 people/sq kilometre, and third place with 1,940 people/sq kilometre respectively.Within the Greater Yogyakarta area lies Yogyakarta city.
Yogyakarta is divided into fourteendistrict-level subdivisions calledkemantren(Javanese:ꦏꦼꦩꦤ꧀ꦠꦿꦺꦤ꧀), which makes Yogyakarta the only city in Indonesia to have such a designation, as it applied only within the Special Region of Yogyakarta. Below is a list of thekemantrens with their areas and their populations as at the 2010 Censusand the 2020 Census,together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number ofadministrative villageswithin each district, and its post codes.
In 2017, the Gross Domestic Regional Product (GRDP) of Yogyakarta City at current prices was 31.31 trillion rupiahs (around US$2.2 billion).The tertiary sector contributed an important share (around 78% of GDP). the tertiary sector included wholesale and retail trade; repair of cars and motorcycles, transportation and warehousing; provision of accommodation and eating and drinking; information and communication; financial services and insurance; real estate; corporate services; government administration, defence and compulsory social security; educational services; health services and social activities as well as other services. In 2017, economic growth of Yogyakarta City reached 5.24 percent slightly faster compared to 2016, which the growth reached 5.11 percent.
To rapidly jumpstart the economy, a plan for the 2nd phase of Indonesianhigh speed trainis currently being developed fromBandungto Yogyakarta &Solo, initiating construction by 2020, which is projected to be completed by 2024.This proposal would connect to otherhigh-speed rail in Indonesia.
In 2014, the religious composition in Yogyakarta was distributed overIslam(82.32%),Catholicism(10,66%),Protestantism(6.54%),Buddhism(0.34%),Hinduism(0.13%), andConfucianism(0.01%).
Yogyakarta has been traditionally known as a region where different faithslive in harmony, but in recent years religious intolerance has grown.
In 2018, the governor of theSpecial Region of Yogyakarta,Hamengkubuwono X, called for religious freedoms to be preserved after aterrorist attack against churches and public buildings in Surabayathe same year.
Yogyakarta is home to a myriad of heritage buildings, landmarks and important monuments. Because of its proximity to theBorobudurandPrambanantemples, and presence of the Javanese courtKratonculture of Kraton Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta hosts a sizeable tourist industry.Kotagede, the capital ofMataram Sultanateis also located in the city.
Malioboro streetis a popular shopping and culinary area within the city, which has pedestrian zone.Yogyakarta Kratonis the palace and seat of the reigningSultan of Yogyakartaalso located in the city. The palace complex is a centre ofJavanese culture, and contains a museum displaying royal artefacts.Tugu monumentis an important landmark of Yogyakarta. 1 March monument located on Jalan Malioboro was built to commemorateGeneral Offensive of 1 March 1949during theIndonesian National Revolution.
Notable local traditions and marketplaces in Yogyakarta include:
Yogyakarta has several historical sites, such as theCandi Prambanantemple, museums in the royal court, theSonobudoyo Museum, and museums in colonial buildings such as theFort Vredeburg Museumhoused in a former Dutch fort. Due to the importance of Yogyakarta during thewar of independence from the Dutch, there are numerous memorials and museums, such as theMonument to the Recapture of Yogyakarta.
To the east of the town centre is the large Air Force Museum (Museum Pusat Dirgantara Mandala), with 36 aircraft in the building and six aircraft displayed outdoors. As Indonesia was for a period in the Soviet sphere of influence, this museum contains a number of vintage Russian aircraft not widely available for inspection in the NATO sphere of influence. The collection includes examples of theMikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15trainer,Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17,Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19,Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21andTupolev Tu-16, together with an assortment of Japanese, American and British aircraft.Other museums include theJogja National Museum.
PSIM Yogyakartafootball team, which currently plays in theLiga 2, is based in Yogyakarta.
Yogyakarta is home toGadjah Mada University, Indonesia's largest university and one of its most prominent. Other public universities in Yogyakarta includeYogyakarta State University,Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University, TheIndonesian Institute of the ArtsandPoltekkes Kemenkes Yogyakarta. There is also one public university in Yogyakarta providing education through distance learning ordistance educationat Universitas Terbuka orIndonesia Open University.The city is also the location of several well-known private universities such asMuhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta,College of Health Sciences Ahmad Yani Yogyakarta,Islamic University of Indonesia,Atma Jaya University,Duta Wacana Christian University, Ahmad Dahlan University andSanata Dharma University.
The city is also home to theIndonesian Air Force Academy, located on theAdisucipto Airportcomplex.
Primagama, one of the largest tutoring institutions in Indonesia, is headquartered in the city.
Yogyakarta is served primarily byYogyakarta International Airportin Kulon Progo Regency, which connects the city with other major cities in Indonesia, such asJakarta,Surabaya,Denpasar,Lombok,Makassar,Balikpapan,Banjarmasin,Pekanbaru,Palembang, andPontianak. It also internationally connects the city withKuala Lumpur(operated byAirAsiaandIndonesia AirAsia). Another airport isAdisutjipto Airportin Sleman Regency, which only serves limited commercial planes.
Yogyakarta was first served by rail in 1872. The city is located on one of the two majorrailwaylines that run across Java betweenJakartain the west andSurabayain the east.
Yogyakarta has two passenger railway stations,Yogyakarta Stationwhich serves business and executive class trains, andLempuyangan Stationwhich serves economy class trains; both stations are located in the centre of the city. Yogyakarta Station is the terminus of two commuter train services:KRL Commuterline Yogyakarta–Solo, which runs toSolo Balapan Stationin the city ofSurakartaandPrambanan Express(Prameks), which runs toKutoarjo StationinKutoarjo. Other commuter trains run from Madiun Jaya (Madiun Station-Lempuyangan Station), and Joglosemar (Semarang Poncol Station-Lempuyangan Station).Yogyakarta International Airport Rail Linklinks Yogyakarta International Airport to the city center.
The city has an extensive system of public city buses, and is a major departure point for inter-city buses to other cities in Java and Bali, as well as taxis, andongs, andbecaks.Motorbikesare by far the most commonly used personal transportation, but an increasing number of residents own automobiles.Yogyakarta and surrounding areas also have a circle highway known as theRing Roadand overpasses including Janti Overpass, Lempuyangan Overpass, and a recently built Jombor Overpass.
Since early 2008, the city has operated abus rapid transitsystem,Trans Jogja, also known as "TJ". Trans Jogja is modelled after theTransJakartasystem in the capital, but unlike TransJakarta, there is no special lane for Trans Jogja buses, which instead run on main streets. There are currently six Trans Jogja lines, with routes through the main streets of Yogyakarta, some of which overlap. The lines extend from theJombor Bus Terminalin the north to theGiwangan Bus Terminalin the south, and to thePrambananbus shelter in the east viaAdisucipto International Airport.
Notable hospitals in Yogyakarta include:
Kedaulatan Rakyat(KR) is the major newspaper in Yogyakarta, its headquarters is located near the Tugu monument. First published in 1945, the paper is one of the oldest continuously published newspaper in Indonesia.Other major daily newspapers includeHarian Jogja,Koran MerapiandTribun Jogja, as well as online-onlyBernas. KR-ownedMinggu Pagiis the major weekly newspaper.
Yogyakarta is served by radio and television stations covering Special Region of Yogyakarta and surrounding areas. The public radioRRIYogyakarta has one of its studios in the city. Other radio stations based in Yogyakarta includeGeronimo FM, Retjo Buntung FM and Yasika FM. However most of television stations is located in nearby Sleman Regency, such as the publicTVRI Yogyakarta, AdiTV, Jogja TV and RBTV, though their broadcast coverage include Yogyakarta city.
Yogyakarta istwinnedwith: