Life in Different Cities: Jakarta, Indonesia

"Jakarta is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Indonesia, an archipelago nation of thousands of islands located in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and straddling the equator. Jakarta is the economic, cultural, and political center of Indonesia. While the city is a bustling metropolis with modern skyscrapers, it also includes many kampongs, or traditional native village houses ... "

"The cultures of Java, India, China, and the Netherlands all contribute to the complex character of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Jakarta lies on the northwest coast of the island of Java, in a marshy plain at the edge of the Java Sea ... "

National Geographic Education's resources relevant to Jakarta.

"akarta (also DKI Jakarta), formerly known as Djakarta, Sunda Kelapa, Jayakarta and Batavia is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Located on the northwest coast of the island of Java, Jakarta was established in 397 C.E., as Sunda Pura, the capital of the kingdom of Tarumanagara ... "

" ... The capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta, is the biggest in Indonesia with tremendous population growth and wide of range urban problems ... "

"Asia's biggest cities, from Shanghai to Dhaka, are struggling to manage the impact of decades of growth. Some are sinking. Most are traffic-choked. And almost all struggle with chronic air pollution. Worst of all, coastal cities face the threat of being inundated by rising seas ... "

"Urbanization has many advantages. By bringing people together physically, cities inspire innovation, fuel opportunity, bring workers closer to jobs, and facilitate the diffusion of arts and culture. But the benefits are often accompanied by costs ... "

"With a population of about 10 million, Jakarta is steadily sinking. Its traffic is legendary. Its air quality ranks among the world's worst. It has few parks or cultural monuments. Even walking on its sidewalks is a hazardous exercise ... "

" ... Udin Slamet now laughs when he recounts how he once had to lift his motorbike onto the roof of his home almost every day to protect it from the floods of Jakarta's high tide ... "