Jakarta

Capital (pop., 2000: city, 8,347,083; 2003 est.: urban agglom., 12,300,000) and largest city of Indonesia. Located on the northwestern coast of Java, it was founded in 1527 after the sultan of Bantam defeated the Portuguese on the site. The Dutch razed the city in 1619, rebuilding and renaming it Batavia and establishing it as the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company. In 1949 the city was renamed and made Indonesia's capital. It grew rapidly, soon becoming one of the world's most populous cities. A major trade, industrial, and financial centre, it is also the seat of several universities.