Bima (
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 ...
: ''Kota Bima'') is a city on the eastern coast of the island of
Sumbawa
Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. Along with Lombok, it forms the province of West Nusa Tenggara, but th ...
in central
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 ...
's province
West Nusa Tenggara
West Nusa Tenggara ( id, Nusa Tenggara Barat – NTB) is a province of Indonesia. It comprises the western portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the exception of Bali which is its own province. Mataram, on Lombok, is the capital and largest ...
. It is the largest city on the island of
Sumbawa
Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. Along with Lombok, it forms the province of West Nusa Tenggara, but th ...
, with a population of 142,443 at the 2010 census and 155,140 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2021 was 156,224. It is separate from (but surrounded on the landward side by) the adjoining
Regency of Bima which had a population of 520,444 according to the mid 2021 official estimates..
The people of Bima and the entire eastern side of Sumbawa speak what is known as
Bima language (
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 ...
: ''Bahasa Bima'' ;
Bima
Bima (Indonesia: ''Kota Bima'') is a city on the eastern coast of the island of Sumbawa in central Indonesia's province West Nusa Tenggara. It is the largest city on the island of Sumbawa, with a population of 142,443 at the 2010 census and 155,1 ...
: ''Nggahi Mbojo''). From 1620 to 1958 it was the capital of the
Bima Sultanate
The Sultanate of Bima (كسلطانن بيما) was a Muslim state in the eastern part of Sumbawa in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day regency of Bima. It was a regionally important polity which formed the eastern limit of Islam in this ...
. In modern times, Bima is the largest regional and economic hub of Eastern Sumbawa with transmigrants from other parts of Indonesia, especially Java, Bali, and Lombok. It has a central downtown commercial zone. It is home to the Sultan Salahuddin mosque and the Sultan Salahuddin museum (former
Bima Sultanate
The Sultanate of Bima (كسلطانن بيما) was a Muslim state in the eastern part of Sumbawa in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day regency of Bima. It was a regionally important polity which formed the eastern limit of Islam in this ...
palace). It is connected by provincial road to
Dompu
Dompu is a town and the administrative centre of the Dompu Regency, located in the eastern part of the island of Sumbawa, in central Indonesia's province of West Nusa Tenggara. It is the third largest town on the island of Sumbawa, with a populat ...
and
Sape.
Administrative districts
Bima city consists of five
districts (''kecamatan''), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2021.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2022.]
Geography
The city is located on the eastern shore of Bima Bay. Traditionally Bima was a port city that connected to other port cities in Eastern Indonesia such as
Makassar and
Ternate
Ternate is a city in the Indonesian province of North Maluku and an island in the Maluku Islands. It was the ''de facto'' provincial capital of North Maluku before Sofifi on the nearby coast of Halmahera became the capital in 2010. It is off the ...
, as well as to ports in
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is ...
,
Bali, and East Java.
Climate
Bima has a
tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Aw'') with moderate to little rainfall from April to November and heavy rainfall from December to March.
Demography
Bima, based on data for 2000, had a population of 116,295 – comprising 57,108 male (49%) and 59,187 female (51%). There is uneven population distribution, with the densest population concentrated in the centers of economic activity and governance. The largest population was in the village of Paruga, which amounted to 12,275 people (11%) and the least was in the village of Kendo, with 1130 souls (1%). At the population census of 2010, the population in Bima numbered 142,443 – 69,841 men and 72,602 women, and at the population census of 2020, the population in Bima numbered 155,140 – 77,009 men and 78,131 women.
The majority of the populace in Bima are Muslims, who form about 97.38%, and the rest are Protestant 0.89%, Catholic Christians 0.62%, and Hindus and Buddhists around 1.11%.
Transportation
Bima is connected through trans Sumbawa road to
Sape harbour in the east and
Dompu
Dompu is a town and the administrative centre of the Dompu Regency, located in the eastern part of the island of Sumbawa, in central Indonesia's province of West Nusa Tenggara. It is the third largest town on the island of Sumbawa, with a populat ...
in Southwest all the way to
Sumbawa Besar and
Taliwang
Taliwang is the regency seat of West Sumbawa Regency, on the western coast of the island of Sumbawa. It is the fifth largest town on the island of Sumbawa, with a population of 44,136 at the 2010 Census and 55,340 at the 2020 Census.Badan Pusat St ...
in the western part of Sumbawa. Bus services connected Bima to other neighboring cities in Sumbawa as far as
Mataram in
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is ...
are available. Air transportation is served through
Sultan Salahuddin Airport in southern outskirt of Bima by
NAM Air and
Wings Air
PT Wings Abadi Airlines, operating as Wings Air, is a scheduled commuter passenger low cost airline based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The airline operates out of Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar as well as several other airports a ...
to
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is ...
,
Denpasar
Denpasar (; Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ) is the capital of Bali and the main gateway to the island. The city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands.
With the rapid growth of the tourism industry in Bali, Denpasar has e ...
and
Makassar. Bima was also a stop on Qantas Airways' pre-war route between Sydney and Singapore, serviced by
C Class Empire flying boats.
History
Bima was once one of the four
sultanate
This article includes a list of successive Islamic states and Muslim dynasties beginning with the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (570–632 CE) and the early Muslim conquests that spread Islam outside of the Arabian Peninsula, and continuin ...
s on the island of Sumbawa. From the 17th to 20th centuries, it was the capital of the
Bima Sultanate
The Sultanate of Bima (كسلطانن بيما) was a Muslim state in the eastern part of Sumbawa in Indonesia, at the site of the present-day regency of Bima. It was a regionally important polity which formed the eastern limit of Islam in this ...
and is home to an old palace of the city's rulers. In the early 17th century, the Islamization of Bima had fallen off the old Hindu kingdom on the east coast of the island of Sumbawa.
In 1792, Sultan Abdu'l Hamid Muhammad Shah signed a contract with the
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
, through which Bima became the Protectorate of the Dutch..
Tourism
![Child dancers, Sumbawa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Child_dancers%2C_Sumbawa.jpg)
Bima has several well-known tourist destinations, such as
Mount Tambora
Mount Tambora, or Tomboro, is an active stratovolcano in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. Located on Sumbawa in the Lesser Sunda Islands, it was formed by the active subduction zones beneath it. Before 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, 1815, its e ...
, Wawo traditional Village, Sambori traditional village, Snake Island, Ana fari Lake (Lake of the angels) and
Satonda Island. There are many white sandy beaches both in the northern and southern parts of Bima. The city has modest tourist accommodations, such as 1-star hotels and some restaurants. Its main attractions are the Sultan Salahuddin mosque, the Terapung mosque and Sultan Salahuddin museum (former Bima Sultanate palace).
Bima airport serves as the air-hub for domestic and foreign visitors, who are more attracted to visit
Hu'u beach for
surfing or
Tambora volcano for
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
.
Sister cities
*
Alor Setar,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
References
Further reading
* Anthony Reid, The rise of Makassar. Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs 17:117-160, 1983.
* Anthony Reid, Pluralism and progress in seventeenth century Makassar. Paper presented at the Leiden workshop “Trade, society and belief in South Sulawesi”. MS, 1987.
* A. Ligtvoet, "Transcriptie van de Lontara-Bilang of het Dagboek der Vorsten van Gowa en Tello", Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië, Vierde Volgreeks, Vierde Deel - 1e stuk. Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, The Hague, 1880. pages 1–259.
* D.F.van Braam Morris, "Nota van toelichting behoorende bij het contract gesloten met het Landschap Bima op den 20sten October 1886". Tijdschrift voor Indische Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde uitgegeven door het Bataviaasch Genootschap van Kunsten en Wetenschappen. Deel XXXIV, pp. 176–233. Batavia, 1891.
* Henri Chambert-Loir. ''Ceritera Asal Bangsa Jin dan Segala Dewa-Dewa'', Ecole française d'Extrême-Orient, Bandung, Angkasa, 1985.
* Henri Chambert-Loir and Siti Maryam R. Salahuddin, ''Bo' Sangaji Kai: Catatan Kerajaan Bima''. Ecole française d'Extrême-Orient/Yayasan Obor Indonesia, Jakarta, 1999.
* Dr S.W.R. Mulyadi and H.Siti Maryam R. Salahuddin, SH. ''Bandar Bima''. Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan …, 1993.
* Dr S.W.R. Mulyadi and H.Siti Maryam R. Salahuddin, SH. ''Katalogus Naskah Melayu Bima.'' Yayasan Museum Kepudayaan "Samparaja" Bima, 1990.
* J. Noorduyn, ''Bima en Sumbawa: Bijdragen tot de geschiedenis van de sultanen Bima en Sumbawa door A. Ligtvoet en G.P. Rouffaer''. Foris Publications, Dordrecht-Holland, 1987.
* J. Noorduyn, "Makasar and the Islamization of Bima". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde van Nederlandsch-Indië. Uitgegeven door het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, part 143, pp. 312–342.
* Leonard Y Andaya, The heritage of Arung Palakka. A history of South Sulawesi (Celebes) in the seventeenth century. The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1981.
* Michael Hitchcock, Islam and Identity in Eastern Indonesia. University of Hull Press, 1996.
* Muhammad Adlin Sila, "Momentum Hari Jadi ke 372 Bima: Meempertegas Identitas Islam Dou Labo Dana Mbojo." Wednesday, 11 July 2012 (www.bimakini.com).
* Muhammad Adlin Sila, "Asi dan BO Mbojo: Refleksi Integritas Dou Labo Dana Mbojo." Tuesday, 17 July 2012 (www.bimakini.com).
* Muhammad Adlin Sila, "Peranan Kesultanan Bima dalam Sejarah Pendidikan di Bima." Saturday, 12 May 2012 (www.bimakini.com).
* F. David Bulbeck, "The Politics of Marriage and the Marriage of Polities in Gowa, South Sulawesi, During the 16th and 17th Centuries".In Peter Bellwood, James J. Fox and
Darrell Tryon (eds) The Austronesians: historical and comparative perspectives, pp. 214–228. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University, 1995.
* M. Hilir Ismail, Peran Kesultanan Bima Dalam Perjalanan Sejarah Nusantara. Mataram, Nusa Tenggara Barat: Penerbit Lengge, 2004.
* M. Hilir Ismail, Kebangkitan Islam di Dana Mbojo (Bima) (1540-1950). Bogor, Indonesia: Penerbit CV Binasti, 2008.
* Abdurrazak daeng Patunru, Sedjarah Goa. ''Jajasan Kebudajaen Sulawesi Selatan dan Tenggara'', Makassar, 1967.
* Michael Prager. 2010. ABANDONING THE 'GARDEN OF MAGIC' : Islamic modernism and contested spirit assertions in Bima. Indonesia and the Malay World, Volume 38, Issue 110 March 2010, pages 9 – 25.
* Peter Just. 2000. ''Dou Donggo Justice: Conflict and Morality in an Indonesian Society.'' Rowman & Littlefield.
External links
*
Bima Wordlist at the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database* Hägerdal, Hans (2017), ''Held's History of Sumbawa''. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Pres
{{Authority control
Populated places in West Nusa Tenggara
Cities in Indonesia