Where is Jakarta?

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is located on the northern coast of West Java, in Southeast Asia. Jakarta is one of over 13,000 islands that make up Indonesia and lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Jakarta enjoys the status of a province and owing to its vast size is broken down into five cities – North, South, East, West and Central Jakarta.

In recent years Jakarta has grown to be the most populous city in Southeast Asia with a current population over nine million people, making it the 12th largest city in the world and has developed into one of Asia’s most metropolitan areas. As the capital, Jakarta is the cultural, economic and political centre of Indonesia . The city  is viewed as an area of contrasts, with modern high-rises often lying next to more traditional buildings.

Jakarta has a total area of 664 square kilometres.

Language: Indonesian

Currency: Indonesian rupiah

Population: An estimated 10.2 million people live in Jakarta

History

Jakarta has historically been an important trading city and was named as Indonesia’s capital following its independence in 1945.

With Jakarta located in West Java, it has proved to be a gateway to the rest of Indonesia, as its transport links via air, land and sea have resulted in immigration and tourism into the area. As a consequence Jakarta has developed into one of the most diverse metropolitan city in the region. Approximately 300 different ethnic groups are represented in this area from all over the country, which is made up of around 13,000 islands.

Jakarta has a Governor and its five cities are all headed by a Mayor and a regent. Governors were previously appointed by local parliament but in 2007 the first ever election was held and was won by Fauzi Bowo. The current Governor of Jakarta is Bashuki Tjahaja Purnama.

Jakarta’s economy predominantly depends upon the financial services, while manufacturing and trading are also vital. Key manufacturing industries include automotive, chemical, electronics, biomedical sciences and mechanical engineering.

Sport

Jakarta has been a regular host of international sporting events, having staged the fourth Asian Games in 1962, in which 17 nations competed in 13 sports. Additionally Jakarta has hosted the Southeast Asian Games more than any other country in the region, having staged the multi-event competition in 1979, 1987, 1997 and the most recent event in 2011 where they co-hosted with Palembang.

In 2007 Jakarta hosted football’s Asian Cup final at the Bung Karno Stadium, which has a maximum capacity of 88,083 and is the home of the Indonesian men’s team.

Jakarta will play host to the 2015 Badminton World Championships having previously staged the event in 1980 and 1987, while the World Karate Federation have also held two successful series legs in the region.

Weather

Annual average temperature +28°C

Average temperature in January +27°C

Average temperature in August +27°C

Annual average precipitation 175.5cm

18th Asian Games 2018

Jakarta stepped in to host the 2018 Asian Games after Vietnam pulled out of hosting the event in their capital Hanoi, last April, citing economic reasons for their withdrawal.

The 2018 Games will be the 18th staging of the multi-sport event and it will be the second time Jakarta has hosted, and they will be supported by the cities of Palembang and Bandung. The Indonesian Government has announced that the budget of the Games will be IDR3 trillion (£157 million/$236 million/€200 million).

Competition is set to be held from August 18 to September 2 and 45 National Olympic Committees are expected attend sending around 15,000 athletes and team officials.

Although the sports programme has to be confirmed, it is expected to feature 28 Olympic sports and six non-Olympic sports. Organisers are preparing to recruit 5,000 volunteers to ensure the smooth running of event and predict 7,000 media officials will attend.

Proposed Venues

Jakarta BMW Stadium

The Stadium, currently under construction, will host the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the Games. It is designed to be a multi-purpose venue, which will host football matches after the Asian Games. The Stadium is located at Tanjung Priok.

Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex

The Complex built for the 1962 Asian Games will be one of the main clusters of venues in 2018, as it boasts a stadium with a capacity of 88,000 spectators, an athletics track, an aquatics stadium, archery and baseball fields, indoor gymnasiums and tennis courts.

With the venue over 50-years old it will undergo renovations prior to the Games, which could include rebuilding the swimming venue. The complex is in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Indonesia Convention Exhibition

The exhibition centre has been mooted as a potential host of indoor team sports, including basketball, handball, volleyball and sepak takrawl. The venue has 10 halls and four floors.

Jakarta International Expo

Located in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, the venue would be the home to martial arts event at the Games.

Kelapa Gading Sports Hall

Earmarked as the Judo venue for the Games, the Kelapa Gading Sports Hall is located in East Jakarta.

Rawamangun Velodrome

The outdoor velodrome is due to be torn down and rebuilt as an indoor venue, which has the ability to stage major international cycling races.

With the venues still yet to be confirmed there are reports that Cikole Lembang could host some cycling events, Cipule Karawang for water based events like canoeing and rowing and Depok, just south of Jakarta may host the equestrian competitions. 

Organisers however have confirmed that they will build an Athletes’ Village to accommodate 1,500 athletes and members of the media in Kemayoran, while the Main Press Centre will also be based in the Jakarta Convention Centre.