Every city has a story to tell. Jakarta’s history is full of conquests and colonization. From the 16th century onwards, various powers such as the Portuguese and the Dutch took control over the city and colonized it.
The Republic of Indonesia is a country composed of more than 17,000 islands and Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. The cit probably came into existence in the 14th century with the development of a small port of the Hindu Pajajaran kingdom at the mouth of the Ciliwung River. The Portuguese, the first Europeans to arrive in the city, came in search of the ‘spice islands’ of Indonesia. They established a fortress in Jakarta in the early I6th century. The Dutch followed the Portuguese. Indonesia was under the colonial rule of the Dutch for nearly 350 years.
The Japanese invaded the country in 1942. They ruled Indonesia for about three years. The country declared independence on August 17th, l945, and Jakarta became the capital of Indonesia. The nation’s economy culture and politics revolve around Jakarta today. Some of the major landmarks in the city are the National stock exchange of Indonesia, the Bank of Indonesia and the National Monument.
Picture Credit : Google
