city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in
West Java
West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, located on the eastern border of
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
.the city of planet Bekasi is his nickname.It serves as a commuter city within the
Jakarta metropolitan area
The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as Jabodetabek (an acronym of Jakarta–Bogor–Depok–Tangerang–Bekasi), and sometimes extended to Jabodetabekjur (with the acronym extended to include part of Cianjur Regency) ...
. According to the 2020 Census by
Statistics Indonesia
Statistics Indonesia ( id, Badan Pusat Statistik, BPS, ), is a non-departmental government institute of Indonesia that is responsible for conducting statistical surveys. Its main customer is the government, but statistical data is also availabl ...
(BPS), Bekasi had 2,543,676 inhabitants. The official estimate for mid 2021 was 2,564,940. It lies within the largest metropolitan area in Indonesia (''
Jabodetabek
The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as Jabodetabek (an acronym of Jakarta–Bogor–Depok–Tangerang–Bekasi), and sometimes extended to Jabodetabekjur (with the acronym extended to include part of Cianjur Regency) ...
''). The city is bordered by
Bekasi Regency
Bekasi Regency (Indonesian language, Indonesian: Kabupaten Bekasi) is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency ''(kabupaten)'' of West Java Province, Indonesia. Its regency seat is in the district of Central Cikarang. It is bordered by Jakarta and by Bek ...
to the north and the east,
Bogor Regency
Bogor Regency (Indonesian: ''Kabupaten Bogor'') is a landlocked regency (''kabupaten'') of West Java, Indonesia, south of DKI Jakarta. Covering an area of 2,986.20 km2, it is considered a bedroom community for Jakarta, and was home to 5,427, ...
and
Depok en, Starfruit City
, motto =
''Pariraca Darma''(Servant of the righteousness)
, image_map = Map of West Java highlighting Depok City.svg
, mapsize =
, map_caption ...
to the south, and
East Jakarta
) in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), Jatinegara railway station and Museum of Transportation at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.
, image_seal = Lambang Kota Jakarta Timur.png
, motto =
, image_map ...
to the west.
Bekasi is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being the capital city of the Kingdom of Tarumanagara. At that time, the name of Bekasi was Dayeuh Sundasembawa or Jayagiri. The earliest evidence of its existence dates from the fifth century according to the
Tugu inscription
The Tugu inscription is one of the early 5th century Tarumanagara inscriptions discovered in Batutumbuh hamlet, Tugu village, Koja, North Jakarta, in Indonesia. The inscription contains information about hydraulic projects; the irrigation and ...
, which describes the name of two rivers that run through the city, i.e. Candrabhaga and Gomati and one of those rivers, i.e. Candrabhaga is the origin of the name Bekasi where the name Candrabhaga evolved into Bhagasasi due to the Sanskrit word candra which means moon evolved into
Old Sundanese
Old Sundanese (Sundanese script: , Old Sundanese script: , Buda script: , ) is the earliest recorded stage of the Sundanese language which is spoken in the western part of Java. The evidence is recorded in inscriptions from around the 12th to ...
word 'sasi' which also means moon and then the name Bhagasasi was misspelled as Bhagasi and then Dutch colonial government also misspelled the name Bhagasi as Bacassie and finally it became Bekasi. During the
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
period, Bekasi was a part of
Batavia
Batavia may refer to:
Historical places
* Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands
* Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
residency. As a dormitory city, many middle class satellite areas have been developed in Bekasi, complete with their own shopping malls, schools, hospitals, club houses,
water park
A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other baref ...
, and shuttle bus services to
central Jakarta
Central Jakarta ( id, Jakarta Pusat) is one of the five administrative cities () which form the Special Capital Region of Jakarta. It had 902,973 inhabitants according to the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 1,056,896 at the 2 ...
. The large number of
multinational companies
A multinational company (MNC), also referred to as a multinational enterprise (MNE), a transnational enterprise (TNE), a transnational corporation (TNC), an international corporation or a stateless corporation with subtle but contrasting senses, i ...
has apparently attracted many expatriates (mainly
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
and
Korean
Korean may refer to:
People and culture
* Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula
* Korean cuisine
* Korean culture
* Korean language
**Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl
**Korean dialects and the Jeju language
** ...
) to settle in Bekasi.
Economy
Bekasi has already grown to become one of the centre of growth in Jabodetabek. The city accounts for 2.11% of total national
GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is often ...
. Recently, many foreigners (mostly Korean,
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
, and Chinese) have set up their business to take advantage of its dynamism and boost its economy. Bekasi's economy was mainly based on service and manufacturing.
Commerce
Bekasi is one of the most promising property markets in
Jabodetabek
The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as Jabodetabek (an acronym of Jakarta–Bogor–Depok–Tangerang–Bekasi), and sometimes extended to Jabodetabekjur (with the acronym extended to include part of Cianjur Regency) ...
besides
South Tangerang
South Tangerang is a List of regencies and cities of Indonesia, city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the southwestern border of Jakarta, the city forms part of the Jabodetabek, Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. It was administra ...
, and several high-value developments have transformed its property market. Many of country's big property developers are building apartments, hotels, and shopping malls in the city. In recent years, some residences have developed along the Jatiwarna/Jatibening — East Bekasi toll highway, further to Cibatu in Bekasi Regency. These include
Harapan Indah
Harapan Indah ( Indonesian: Kota Harapan Indah) is a suburb at Cakung, East Jakarta and Pejuang, Medan Satria, Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia. It is a rapidly developing community with its own supermarket, school, sports club and a number of office ...
, Summarecon Bekasi, Kemang Pratama and Grand Galaxy City.
Prime business and commercial centres are situated in the western part of city. There are some financial centres, restaurants, and shopping centres along Jalan Ahmad Yani, Jalan Sudirman, Jalan K.H. Noer Alie, and Harapan Indah Boulevard. The largest shopping centre is Grand Metropolitan with over of floor space.
Other shopping centres include Metropolitan Mall, Summarecon Mal Bekasi, Mal Ciputra Cibubur, Mega Bekasi Hypermall, Grand Galaxy Park, Grand Mall, Blu Plaza, BTC Mall, GP Mall, Bekasi Cyber Park, Plaza Pondok Gede, and Lagoon Avenue. Many hotels developed in Bekasi, such as Santika, Horison, Harris, Aston Imperial, Amaris, Amaroossa and Tune Hotel.
Infrastructure
The development of large scale residential areas and industrial parks in Bekasi has been induced by infrastructure development, especially roads, highways and railways.
Road and highway
Bekasi is connected by the Trans-Java Toll Road, the main road across Java. There are three expressways connections from the
Jabodetabek
The Jakarta metropolitan area or Greater Jakarta, known locally as Jabodetabek (an acronym of Jakarta–Bogor–Depok–Tangerang–Bekasi), and sometimes extended to Jabodetabekjur (with the acronym extended to include part of Cianjur Regency) ...
urban area: the
Jakarta–Cikampek Toll Road
The Jakarta–Cikampek Toll Road or Japek toll road is an expressway that was inaugurated in 1988. The highway links Jakarta with cities to its east in the province of West Java, in Indonesia.
History
Jakarta–Cikampek Toll Road was inaugurat ...
, which has three exits in Bekasi; the
Jakarta Outer Ring Road
The Jakarta Outer Ring Road ( id, Jalan Tol Lingkar Luar Jakarta, abbreviated JORR) is a tolled ring road circling Jakarta, Indonesia. It is divided into 7 sections, totalling up to . The JORR is managed by four toll road companies: Jakarta Ling ...
, which provides access to
Tangerang
Tangerang (Sundanese: , ) is a city in the province of Banten, Indonesia. Located on the western border of Jakarta, it is the third largest urban centre in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi; the sixth largest city pro ...
, Jakarta and
Bogor
Bogor ( su, , nl, Buitenzorg) is a city in the West Java province, Indonesia. Located around south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is the 6th largest city in the Jakarta metropolitan area and the 14th overall nationwide.Bekasi-Cawang-Kampung Melayu Toll Road. In 2019, Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road will operate to ease traffic on the current toll road between Cikunir and West Karawang with a total length of 36.4 kilometres. Owing to its location as a satellite city of
Jakarta
Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, heavy
rush hour
A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice every weekday: on ...
traffic jams have become common on the roads between East Jakarta and Bekasi.
Railway
The government is currently constructing a double track railway connecting Manggarai to Cikarang, which would be finished around 2020. Beside a double track railway, the government also building a 17.9 km light rail transit line connecting East Bekasi-Cawang-Dukuh Atas across Greater Jakarta.
Transport
At present, rapid transit in Bekasi across Greater Jakarta consists of a commuter rail
KRL Commuterline
KRL Commuterline, or commonly known as Commuterline, is a commuter rail system for Greater Jakarta in Indonesia. It was previously known as KRL Jabodetabek. It is operated by PT KAI Commuter Indonesia (KAI Commuter/KCI), a subsidiary of the In ...
and a bus rapid transit
TransJakarta
TransJakarta (stylised as transjakarta, often erroneously called Busway) is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Jakarta, Indonesia. The first BRT system in Southeast Asia, it commenced operations on 15 January 2004 to provide a fast public trans ...
Manggarai
The Manggarai are an ethnic group found in western Flores in the East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. Manggarai people are spread across three regencies in the province, namely the West Manggarai Regency, Manggarai Regency and East Manggarai Re ...
) and
Cikarang
Cikarang is a town serving the seat of Bekasi Regency, West Java, Indonesia. The biggest industrial estate in Southeast Asia, Kota Jababeka is located there.
Industrial area
Cikarang is an area located in Kota Deltamas that includes the gove ...
. Bekasi Station also serves intercity trains to cities across Java.
TransJakarta and the Transjabodetabek premium serves commuters from Harapan Indah, Summarecon Bekasi, Bulak Kapal, and Jatiwarna, as well as the feeder buses from Kemang Pratama and Grand Galaxy City to Jakarta city center. The Trans Patriot operates a route within the city. Damri
shuttle bus service
Public transport bus services are generally based on regular operation of transit buses along a route calling at agreed bus stops according to a published public transport timetable.
History of buses Origins
While there are indications ...
is available from the
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Internasional Soekarno–Hatta) , abbreviated SHIA or Soetta, formerly legally called Jakarta Cengkareng Airport ( id, Bandar Udara Jakarta Cengkareng) (hence the IATA designator "CGK" ...
to Kayuringin, Harapan Indah and Summarecon Bekasi. Taxis are widely available. The primary means of public transportation is by minibus, called ''angkot''. They serve certain routes throughout the city.
The main bus terminal is Terminal Bekasi, located in East Bekasi. The other terminals are Pondok Gede, Harapan Indah and Kayuringin.
Demographics
The 2020 Census of Bekasi's population was 2,543,676. Bekasi is inhabited by many different ethnic groups, mostly
Sundanese
Sundanese may refer to:
* Sundanese people
* Sundanese language
* Sundanese script
Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
Sundanese
Sundanese may refer to:
* Sundanese people
* Sundanese language
* Sundanese script
Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
are the largest minority as well as other minorities include
Minangkabau Minangkabau may refer to:
* Minangkabau culture, culture of the Minangkabau people
* Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center
* Minangkabau Express, an airport rail link service serving Minangkabau International Airport (''see below' ...
,
Batak
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, ...
s, and
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...
.
Most citizens in Bekasi adhere to Islam. Other religions include Christianity (
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
and
Protestantism
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
),
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
,
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, and
Confucianism
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
('kecamatan'), listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates for mid 2021.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2022. The table also includes the number of urban villages (''kelurahan'') within the district, and its postal codes.
Climate
Bekasi has a
tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...
(Am) according to
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
. The wettest month (highest precipitation) is January, with a precipitation total of , while the driest month (lowest precipitation) is August, with a precipitation total of . (as of 2020)
In popular culture
*
Chairil Anwar
Chairil Anwar (26 July 1922 – 28 April 1949) was an Indonesian poet and member of the " 1945 Generation" of writers. He is estimated to have written 96 works, including 70 individual poems.
Anwar was born and raised in Medan, North Sumatr ...
's poem ''Karawang-Bekasi'' (1948).
*
Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Pramoedya Ananta Toer ( EYD: Pramudya Ananta Tur) (6 February 1925 – 30 April 2006) was an Indonesian author of novels, short stories, essays, polemics and histories of his homeland and its people. His works span the colonial period under Dutc ...
Khouw family of Tamboen
The Khouw family of Tamboen was an aristocratic landowning dynasty of bureaucrats and community leaders, part of the ''Cabang Atas'' or the Peranakan Chinese gentry of colonial Indonesia.
Many members of the family held the rank of ''Majoor ...
*
Shella Devi Aulia
Shella Devi Aulia (born 4 July 1994) is an Indonesian badminton player affiliated with Jaya Raya Jakarta club. She was the silver medalists in girls' and mixed doubles event at the BWF World Junior Championships.
Achievements
ASEAN Universit ...
: badminton player
*
S. K. Trimurti
Soerastri Karma Trimurti (11 May 1912 – 20 May 2008), who was known as S. K. Trimuti, was an Indonesian journalist, writer and teacher, who took part in the Indonesian independence movement against colonial rule by the Netherlands. She later ...
: government minister,
Independence
Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the statu ...
activist, writer and journalist
*
Tutty Alawiyah
Tutty Alawiyah (March 30, 1942 – May 4, 2016), sometimes spelled Tuty Alawiyah, was an Indonesian politician and women's rights advocate. She served as Minister of State for Women's Affairs from March 1998 to October 1999 during the administratio ...
: government minister and women's rights advocate
*
Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja
Gloria Emanuelle Widjaja (born 28 December 1993) is an Indonesian badminton player affiliated with PB Djarum since 2007. She was the 2011 Indonesian National Badminton Championships#Juniors, Indonesia National and 2011 BWF World Junior Champions ...
: badminton player
*
Rinov Rivaldy
Rinov Rivaldy (born 12 November 1999) is an Indonesian badminton player affiliated with Djarum club. He won the gold medal at the 2017 World Junior Championships, and bronze medals at the 2019 and 2021 Southeast Asian Games in the mixed doubles ...
Althaf Indie
Althaf Indie Alrizky (born 6 January 2003) is an Indonesian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga 1 club Persis Solo.
Club career Persis Solo
He was signed for Persis Solo to played in Liga 1 on 2022 season. Althaf made his l ...