Indonesia proposes to call its new capital Nusantara, which means “archipelago.” Indonesia passed a bill replacing its capital Jakarta with East Kalimantan. It is on the east of Borneo island. The new capital city of the country takes the name, Nusantara. It cited the need to address the country’s massive environmental concerns and redistribute wealth.
President Joko Widodo originally announced the proposal to relocate Indonesia’s capital in 2019. Due to the epidemic, the migration has been postponed, however, it might happen in 2024. The government believes that it would ease the pressure on Jakarta. It is a ten-million-strong metropolis that is famously overcrowded, regularly floods and is one of the world’s fastest sinking cities owing to excessive groundwater extraction.
Why Nusantara?
Widodo chose the new name from more than 80 choices. The reason is, it matched Indonesia’s topography and was internationally recognised. Suharso Monoarfa said this, the national development planning minister.
Pada siang yang berbahagia ini, saya menyampaikan bahwa pemerintah telah melakukan kajian mendalam, terutama tiga tahun terakhir.
Hasilnya, lokasi ibu kota baru paling ideal adalah di Kalimantan Timur, sebagian di Kab. Penajam Paser Utara dan sebagian di Kab. Kutai Kartanegara. pic.twitter.com/CjxTz3joQ4— Joko Widodo (@jokowi) August 26, 2019
“On this happy afternoon, I would like to convey that the government has conducted an in-depth study, especially in the last three years.
As a result, the most ideal location for the new capital city is in East Kalimantan, partly in Kab. Penajam Paser Utara and some in Kab. Kutai Kartanegara.” tweeted Widodo.
Some have suggested that the option may be confusing because Nusantara is also used to refer to the whole island nation. Others have questioned why Nusantara, an old Javanese word, was selected as the new capital’s name as Kalimantan was being created.
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When Will The New Capital Be Established?
After parliament adopted a measure on the new capital on Tuesday, construction might begin this year.
The government also intends to redistribute wealth by shifting the capital. Despite the fact that Kalimantan is nearly four times larger. Java is home to 60% of the country’s population and more than half of its economic activity.
Jakarta will continue to be the country’s economic and financial hub. But government administrative duties would shift to East Kalimantan. This is roughly 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) north of Jakarta. The new capital will be in the North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara areas of Indonesia.