Yogyakarta
From Freepedia
Yogyakarta (also Jogjakarta or Jogja) is a city and province on the island of Java, Indonesia. It is the only province in Indonesia that is still formally governed by a precolonial Sultanate, the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. The city is known as a center of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry and puppet shows. It is also famous as a center for Indonesian higher education.
The official name of the Yogyakarta province is Special Region of Yogyakarta (Indonesian: Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, or DIY). The city of Yogyakarta is the capital of the province.
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Geography
Yogyakarta is located in south-central Java. It is surrounded by the province of Central Java (Jawa Tengah) and the Indian Ocean in the south. The city is located at 7°47′ S 110°22′ E. The population of DIY in 2003 was approximately 6,000,000.
The province of Yogyakarta has a total area of 3,185.80 sq kilometres. It is subdivided into four districts (kabupaten) and one city (kotamadya), as follows:
- Kotamadya Yogyakarta (32,5 sq kilometres)
- Kabupaten Sleman (574.82 sq kilometres)
- Kabupaten Bantul (506.86 sq kilomtres)
- Kabupaten Gunung Kidul (586.27 sq kilomtres)
- Kabupaten Kulon Progo (1,485.36 sq kilomtres)
Yogyakarta has the second-smallest area of the provinces in Indonesia, after the Jakarta Capital Region However it has with adjacent areas in Central Java, some of the most concentrated population densities [ that is population per square kilometre ] of Java.
History
The sultanate of Yogyakarta, formally the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, was formed in 1755 when the existing Sultanate of Mataram was divided by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in two under the Treaty of Giyanti. This treaty states that the Sultanate of Mataram was divided into the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat with Yogyakarta as the capital and Mangkubumi who became Sultan Hamengkubuwono I the sultan and the Sultanate of Surakarta Hadiningrat with Surakarta as the capital and Pakubuwono III who was the ruler of the Sultanate of Mataram as the sultan. The Sultan Hamengkubuwono I spent the next 37 years building the new capital, with the Kraton as the centrepiece and the court at Surakarta as the blueprint. By the time he died in 1792, his territory exceeded Surakarta's.
The ruler Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX (April 12, 1912 - 1988) held a degree from the Dutch Leiden University, and held for a time the largely ceremonial position of Vice-President of Indonesia, a mark of his status, as well as Minister of Finance and Minister of Defense.
In response to Indonesian indepence, at September 5, 1945, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogya and Sri Paku Alam VIII in Yogya declare their palaces to be part of the Republic of Indonesia. In return for to this declaration, by a law passed in 1950, Yogyakarta was granted the status of province Daerah Istimewa (Special Region Province), with special status in Indonesia that recognizes the power of the Sultan in contemporary affairs. Hence Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX was appointed as the governor for life. During the Indonesian war of independence against the Dutch after World War II (1945-1950), the capital of the newly-declared Indonesian republic was temporarily moved to Yogyakarta when the Dutch reoccupied Jakarta from January 1946 until August 1950.
The current ruler of Yogyakarta is his son, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, who holds a law degree from Universitas Gadjah Mada. On the elder sultan's death, the position of governor, according to the agreement with Indonesia, was to pass to his heir. However, Jakarta insisted on an election. In 1998, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X was elected governor by the people of Yogyakarta directly, defying the will of the central government. He remains the only governor in Java without a military background: "I may be a sultan," he has been quoted in Asia Week as saying, "but is it not possible for me to also be a democrat?" [1]
See also List of Governors of Yogyakarta
The city
At Yogyakarta's center is the kraton, or Sultan's palace. Surrounding the kraton is a densely-populated residential neighborhood that occupies land that was formerly the Sultan's sole domain; evidence of this former use remains in the form of old walls and the ruined "Water Castle" (tamansari), built in 1758 as a pleasure garden. No longer used by the sultan, the garden had been largely abandoned,and was used for housing by palace employees and descendants. Reconstruction efforts began in 2004, and an effort to renew the neighborhood around the kraton has begun.
While the city sprawls in all directions from the kraton, the core of the modern city is to the north, site of a few buildings with distinctive Dutch colonial-era architecture, and the contemporary commercial district.
Jalan Malioboro, with rows of sidewalk vendors and nearby market and malls, is the primary shopping street for tourists in the city, while Jalan Solo, further north, is a shopping district more frequented by locals.
At the southern end of Malioboro, on the east side is the large local market of Beringharjo, not far from Fort Vredeburg a restored Dutch fort.
The province
The Yogyakarta region stretches from the south coast of the island to the mountains, most notably the peak of Mount Merapi. Common destinations out of the city include the beaches at Parangtritis, the mountain resort town of Kaliurang at the base of Merapi, and the Hindu temples of Prambanan and adjacent antiquities.
The Buddhist temple of Borobudur is often associated with and visited from Yogyakarta, although it is located on the province of Central Java.
Arts and culture
Yogyakarta is known for its silver work, leather puppets used for shadow plays (wayang kulit), and a unique style of making batik dyed fabric. It is also known for its vivid contemporary art scene.
Yogyakarta has signed a sister city agreement with Kyoto, Japan, and a sister state agreement with California, United States.
Education
The site of several major universities, Yogyakarta is widely recognized as an educational city. The north of the province is home to Gadjah Mada University, one of the largest and most prestigious univerisities in Indonesia. Other famous universities in Yogyakarta are Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Universitas Sanata Dharma, Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta , and Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana.
Transportation
Yogyakarta's airport is Adisucipto International Airport. The city is located on one of the two major railroad lines across Java between Jakarta and Surabaya. It has two passenger railway stations, Tugu is the major intercity station.
The city has an extensive system of public city buses, and is a major destination for inter-city buses to elsewhere on Java or Bali, as well as taxis, andong, and becak. Motorbikes are by far the most commonly-used personal transportation, but an increasing number of residents own automobiles.
Reference
- Dapartment of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication Regional Office For Yogyakarta Special Region. (1997) Guide To Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta: Department of Tourism, Post and Telecommunication.
- Ricklefs, M.C. (2001) A history of modern Indonesia since c.1200 (3rd ed.). Stanford: Stanford University Press. pp. 126-139, 269-271. IBN 0-8047-4480-7
External links
Travel guide to Yogyakarta from Wikitravel
- Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, "The Sultan and the mermaid: a love story for the ages,"International Herald Tribune: interview with Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX
- Unofficial Site of Jogja City: All Information about Jogja City aka Yogya aka Yogyakarta
- Education Resource and Education Information: Education in Jogjakarta and Studying in Indonesia
- TVRI Stasiun Jogjakarta: Jogjakarta Television
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