Sleman Regency (; ) is an Indonesian regency () on the island of
Java
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. It is located in the north of the
Yogyakarta Special Administrative Region,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
, and has an area of , with a population of 1,093,110 at the 2010 Census
[Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.] and 1,125,804 at the 2020 Census;
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 1,157,292 - comprising 573,760 males and 583,540 females.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kabupaten Sleman Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3404)] Its capital is the town of
Sleman
Sleman is a ''List of districts of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, kapanewon'' (administrative district) and the seat capital of Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is on the road between Yogyakarta and Magelang. Sleman c ...
. The current
regent
In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
is Kustini Sri Purnomo.
History
Pre-Incorporation
During the 8th century, the
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
Sailendra
The Shailendra dynasty (, derived from Sanskrit combined words ''Śaila'' and ''Indra'', meaning "King of the Mountain", also spelled Sailendra, Syailendra or Selendra) was the name of a notable Indianised dynasty that emerged in 8th-century ...
dynasty controlled Sleman, building numerous temples such as
Kalasan
Kalasan (, Javanese language, Javanese: ꦕꦟ꧀ꦝꦶꦏꦭꦱꦤ꧀, ''Candhi Kalasan''), also known as Candi Kalibening, is an 8th-century Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia. It is located east of Yogyakarta (city), Yogyakarta on the way to ...
.
The palace itself was at
Ratu Boko
Ratu Boko () or Ratu Boko Palace () is an archaeological site in Java. Ratu Boko is located on a plateau, about three kilometres south of Prambanan temple complex in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The original name of this site is still unclear, however ...
.
After the fall of the Sailendra dynasty, the
Mataram Kingdom ruled over Sleman, taking control of Ratu Boko palace and eventually commingling with the remnants of the Sailendra dynasty.
The
Sanjaya
Sanjaya (Sanskrit: सञ्जय, meaning "victory") or Sanjaya Gavalgana is a figure from the ancient Indian Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. Sanjaya is the advisor of the blind king Dhritarashtra, the ruler of the Kuru kingdom and the fathe ...
dynasty, which replaced the Mataram kingdom, later ruled over Sleman and is believed to have built
Prambanan
Prambanan (, , Javanese script, Hanacaraka: ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ) is a 9th-century Hindu temple, Hindu Candi of Indonesia, temple compound in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, in southern Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, Trimūr ...
850 CE.
Post-Incorporation
Sleman was incorporated on 8 August 1950 with the passing of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 15 1950 about the Creation of Regencies within the Special Region of Yogyakarta.

In 2010,
numerous eruptions of Mount Merapi and the cold
lahar
A lahar (, from ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of Pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a valley, river valley.
Lahars are o ...
floods afterwards killed 353 people and caused over
Rp. 5.5 trillion (
US$
The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...
610 million) in damages.
Geography

Sleman Regency is located in the north of Yogyakarta Special Region, between the city of
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
to the south, and the
Magelang Regency
Magelang () is a regency in Central Java, Indonesia, famous for its 9th century Buddhist temple of Borobudur. Its capital is Mungkid. It covers an area of 1,129.98 km2 and had a population of 1,181,723 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statist ...
and
Klaten Regency
Klaten is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency (''kabupaten'') in the Indonesia, Indonesian province of Central Java. Klaten is situated between the two major cities of Yogyakarta to its Southwest and Surakarta (colloqially known as Solo) to its No ...
(of
Central Java
Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogya ...
Province) to the northwest and northeast respectively. The northern part is roughly triangular, sloping downhill from
Mount Merapi
Mount Merapi (, ) is an active stratovolcano located on the border between the province of Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It is loc ...
at the northern apex, and is bordered by
Central Java
Central Java (, ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogya ...
Province to the west, north and east. The southern part is dominated by the suburbs of the city of
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
, notably the densely-populated districts of Gamping, Mlati and Depok, and is bordered by the remaining three regencies of the Special Region -
Kulon Progo,
Bantul
Bantul is a town and district, and the capital of Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The district (''kapanewon'') covers an area of and had a population of 64,360 at the 2020 Census. It is a bustling town about to the s ...
, and
Gunung Kidul, as well as the city of
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
to the south.
Administrative districts
Sleman Regency is divided into seventeen administrative
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 ...
(''kapanewon''), tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census
[Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.] and the 2020 Census,
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.] together with the official estimates as at mid 2023.
[Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kabupaten Sleman Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.3404)] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of
administrative village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...
s (all classed as ''kalurahan'') in each district, and its post code.
Climate
Sleman Regency features 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 subtype that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ' ...
, with a lengthy
wet season
The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...
generally running from October until June and a short
dry season
The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...
that only covers the months of July, August and September. The Regency averages roughly 2200 mm of precipitation annually. Sleman experiences particularly heavy rainfall from November through April. Temperatures remain relatively constant throughout the course of the year, with average high temperatures at around 30 degrees Celsius and average lows at around 22 degrees Celsius.
There is slight variation within Sleman Regency. The northern areas, near Mount Merapi, are much cooler due to the higher altitude. The southern area has nearly the same climate as Yogyakarta, due to their proximity.
Economy
Sleman Regency is heavily agrarian. However, due to the expansion of Yogyakarta there are some areas that have been substantially urbanized,
with malls, hotels, and supermarkets being built. Tourism is also being developed to take advantage of the numerous temples found in Sleman Regency, as well as Mount Merapi.
Agriculture
Due to ashfall from Mount Merapi and easy irrigation, the land in Sleman Regency is very fertile. The
soil
Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...
is thick, with a favourable moisture capacity level. As such,
rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
yields are considerably high.
The area is also well known for its production of
salak pondoh, which is also its official plant.
Education
There are 29 universities that have campuses in Sleman Regency,
including
Sanata Dharma University
Sanata Dharma University () abbreviated as USD or Sandhar, is a private, Catholic, research, coeducational higher education institution run by the Indonesian Province of the Society of Jesus in Yogyakarta (city), Yogyakarta Indonesia. The two w ...
,
Atma Jaya University,
Islamic University of Indonesia
Islamic University of Indonesia (''Universitas Islam Indonesia'', abbreviated as UII) is a national private university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It was established on 27 Rajab 1364 (Islamic calendar) or on 8 July 1945 as Islamic Higher School (' ...
,
Yogyakarta State University
Yogyakarta State University (or State University of Yogyakarta; , abbreviated as UNY) is a Public university, public State university system, state university established in Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1964. The university's main ...
and
Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University.
Sleman is the home of the first established state university in Indonesia, the
Gadjah Mada University
Gadjah Mada University (; , abbreviated as UGM) is a public research university located in Sleman, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Officially founded on 19 December 1949, Gadjah Mada University is one of the oldest and largest institut ...
.
Health facilities
Hospitals in Sleman Regency include:
* Dr. Sardjito General Public Hospital (state-owned, considered the largest hospital in Special Region of Yogyakarta)
* Gadjah Mada University Hospital
* JIH Hospital
* Sleman Regional Public Hospital, and others.
Tourism

Sleman Regency is home to many temples, including
Prambanan
Prambanan (, , Javanese script, Hanacaraka: ꦫꦫꦗꦺꦴꦁꦒꦿꦁ) is a 9th-century Hindu temple, Hindu Candi of Indonesia, temple compound in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, in southern Java, Indonesia, dedicated to the Trimurti, Trimūr ...
,
[National Library of Indonesia]
Prambanan Temple
. Retrieved 9 February 2011. Sari
A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...
,
Kalasan
Kalasan (, Javanese language, Javanese: ꦕꦟ꧀ꦝꦶꦏꦭꦱꦤ꧀, ''Candhi Kalasan''), also known as Candi Kalibening, is an 8th-century Buddhist temple in Java, Indonesia. It is located east of Yogyakarta (city), Yogyakarta on the way to ...
,
[National Library of Indonesia]
Kalasan Temple
. Retrieved 9 February 2011. and Ijo. As well as temples, there are ruins of an ancient palace, namely
Ratu Boko
Ratu Boko () or Ratu Boko Palace () is an archaeological site in Java. Ratu Boko is located on a plateau, about three kilometres south of Prambanan temple complex in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The original name of this site is still unclear, however ...
.
[National Library of Indonesia]
Ratubaka Temple
. Retrieved 9 February 2011. These temples and ruins, thought to be remnants of the Buddhist
Sailendra
The Shailendra dynasty (, derived from Sanskrit combined words ''Śaila'' and ''Indra'', meaning "King of the Mountain", also spelled Sailendra, Syailendra or Selendra) was the name of a notable Indianised dynasty that emerged in 8th-century ...
dynasty and the Hindu
Mataram kingdom,
are all open to the public. However, Prambanan is the most popular for tourism, drawing thousands of local and foreign tourists each year.
Sleman Regency also has a number of
tourist villages including
Brayut and others.
[(12 February 2014)]
Yogyakarta intensifies village tourism promotion
''Antara (news agency)
Antara is an Indonesian news agency organized as a statutory corporation. It is the country's national news agency, supplying news reports to many domestic media organizations. It is the only organization authorized to distribute news materials ...
''[(3 January 2004)]
Sleman, home of a thousands tourist villages
''The Jakarta Post
''The Jakarta Post'' is a daily English-language newspaper in Indonesia. The paper is owned by PT Bina Media Tenggara and based in the nation's capital, Jakarta.
''The Jakarta Post'' started as a collaboration between four Indonesian media ...
''
Due in part to the scenic view at the foot of Mount Merapi,
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...
has become common in Sleman Regency. One of the most common destinations is
Kaliurang, a resort town located in the Pakem District.
Sleman Regency includes the
Adisucipto International Airport within its boundaries. There are numerous hotels in the regency, ranging from small
homestay
Homestay (also home stay and home-stay) is a form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the area (host) to which they are traveling. The length of stay can vary from one night to over a year and can be prov ...
s and
inn
Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...
s to
multi-star hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
s. The higher-end, multi-star hotels are located mainly near the road between Yogyakarta and Surakarta, with homestays and inns scattered throughout the regency.

Sleman is home to several museums including:
*
Monumen Jogja Kembali (Monument to the Recapture of Yogyakarta), known colloquially as Monjali), which is dedicated to the
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution (), also known as the Indonesian War of Independence (, ), was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during A ...
and located in the Ngaglik District.
*
Affandi Museum, located in Depok District, which is the former home of and hosts many works of famous Indonesian painter
Affandi
Affandi (18 May 1907 – 23 May 1990) was an Indonesian artist. Born in Cirebon, West Java, as the son of R. Koesoema, who was a surveyor at a local sugar factory, Affandi finished his upper secondary school in Jakarta. He gave up his studies to p ...
.
*Merapi Museum, which hosts exhibits pertaining to
volcanology
Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geology, geological, geophysical and geochemistry, geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term ''volcanology'' is derived from the Latin language, Latin ...
as a whole and Merapi in particular and is located within Pakem District.
*Museum Dirgantara Mandala, located within the
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...
base near the airport. Exhibits include the history of the Indonesian Air Force as well as numerous planes, rockets, helicopters, and other military equipment.
After the 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi, the areas affected have become
disaster tourist attractions. Tourists come from around Indonesia to see the disaster area, either for leisure, to pay their respects, or reflection.
"Indonesian disasters draw tourist dollars".
''Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency.
With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...
'', reprinted in the ''Jakarta Globe''. 7 February 2011. Retrieved on 8 February 2011.
Luxury hotel Royal Ambarrukmo is located in Sleman.
References
External links
*
Sleman Tourism
{{Authority control
Opak-Oyo basin
Progo basin