Indonesia to move capital away from Jakarta
The idea of shifting the capital from the metropolis of Jakarta has been mooted for years but now appears to be finally happening.
Monday 29 April 2019 10:57, UK
Indonesia's president has decided to switch the country's capital from Jakarta to another city off the main island of Java.
The exact location is still to be decided and could take up to 10 years to implement, said the country's planning minister Bambang Brodjonegoro.
Jakarta has a population of around 10 million, with an estimated 30 million in the larger metropolitan area.
The island of Java is only the fourth largest in Indonesia but is home to more than 140 million people - more than half the country's population.
Palangka Raya on the island of Borneo is said to be favourite to take over as capital.
It is much larger in area than Jakarta and has a population of only around quarter of a million. There is also less risk of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The idea of relocating Indonesia's capital has been proposed for decades.
President Joko Widodo may have been finally convinced by Jakarta's massive population and environmental reasons, such as pollution and crippling traffic jams.
Moving to Palangka Raya would also shift Indonesia's capital closer to its geographic centre, go some way to rebalancing the dominance of Java, and help boost the economy of Kalimantan province.
Other countries that have moved their capital include:
Nigeria - Lagos to Abuja; Brazil - Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia; Myanmar - Yangon to Naypyidaw; Russia - St Petersburg to Moscow; Pakistan - Karachi to Islamabad.