Nusantara (city) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nusantara
Planned capital city
Capital City of Nusantara Ibu Kota Nusantara
Presidential Palace Complex with Garuda Palace on top and State Palace underneath Zero point of the City Ceremony Plaza, part of the National Axis Balang Island Bridge
Emblem
Motto(s):  "Kota Dunia untuk Semua" ("A Global City for All")
Nusantara Location in Kalimantan Show map of Kalimantan Nusantara Location in Indonesia Show map of Indonesia
Country	Indonesia
Region	Kalimantan
Established (Law on State Capital)	15 February 2022
Government
• Body	Capital City Authority
Area
• Total	2,561.42 km2 (988.97 sq mi)
• Capital city area	561.8 km2 (216.9 sq mi)
• Main governmental zone	68.56 km2 (26.47 sq mi)
Elevation	33 m (108 ft)
Time zone	UTC+08:00 (Indonesia Central Time)
Area code	(+62) 542

Nusantara, officially called the Capital City of Nusantara (Indonesian: Ibu Kota Nusantara, IKN), is Indonesia's future capital city. It is planned to open on 17 August 2024, which is also Indonesian Independence Day. Nusantara will take over from Jakarta as the national capital. Jakarta has been the capital since Indonesia became independent in 1945.

On 29 July 2024, the current Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, started working from the new presidential palace in Nusantara. He plans to spend his last months as president there.

The new city is located on the east coast of Borneo island, in the province of East Kalimantan. Nusantara is expected to cover about 2,560 square kilometers (988 sq mi). It will be surrounded by hills, a forest, and a natural bay.

Building work began in July 2022. The first steps included clearing land and building roads. The first part to be finished is called the 'Government Central Area zone'. This area will have government offices, schools, and hospitals.

The whole project is expected to cost around 523 trillion Indonesian Rupiah (about US$35 billion). It will be built in 5 stages. Phase 1 started in August 2022. Around 150,000 to 200,000 workers from all over Indonesia are helping with this project. Local workers from the Nusantara region are also involved. The city is expected to be fully finished by 2045, with Phase 5 being the last.

About 6,000 government workers are expected to move to Nusantara by October 2024. This is in time for the inauguration of the new President, Prabowo Subianto. By the end of 2024, about 12,000 government workers are expected to live in Nusantara. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing was the first ministry to move to Nusantara in July 2024, followed by the Office of the President of Indonesia.

On 8 August 2024, a government spokesperson announced that Nusantara would be a city open to everyone, not just government officials. The city aims to be a diverse place that welcomes everyone and focuses on being sustainable and green.

On 12 August 2024, the first cabinet meeting was held in Nusantara. This marked the start of moving political power from Jakarta to Nusantara.

What Does "Nusantara" Mean?

The word nusantara comes from an old Javanese word. It combines nūsa (meaning 'islands') and antara (meaning 'outer'). So, it roughly means 'the outer islands' when seen from Java island. This term comes from an old oath by a historical figure named Gajah Mada. It can also be seen as a translation of Dvīpāntara, an even older Sanskrit word with a similar meaning.

Nusantara was chosen as the official name for Indonesia's new capital. It represents the country's national idea called Wawasan Nusantara (which means 'Nusantara Vision' or 'Vision of the Indonesian archipelago'). This name also shows that Indonesia is a country made up of many islands. According to local stories from the Kutai people, the area was called Nusentara (meaning 'land that is divided') before it was named Kutai in the 13th century.

How Nusantara Was Planned

Early Ideas and Development

In April 2017, the government of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) brought back an old idea: moving Indonesia's capital from Jakarta. They promised to look at possible new locations by the end of that year.

An official from the Ministry of National Development Planning of Indonesia said the government really wanted to move the capital out of Java island. This idea had been discussed many times since the time of President Sukarno, who thought about Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan. After the plan was announced, President Jokowi visited two possible places in Kalimantan: Bukit Soeharto in East Kalimantan and an area near Palangka Raya. In April 2019, a 10-year plan was announced to move all government offices to a new capital city.

The Ministry of National Development Planning suggested three provinces: South, Central, and East Kalimantan. These places met the requirements for a new capital. They were relatively safe from earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes. They also had access to a seaport.

Planning and How it's Paid For

President Joko Widodo and the Governor of East Kalimantan Isran Noor visiting the site of Nusantara.

On 23 August 2019, President Jokowi officially approved the plan. This was part of a strategy to make development more equal across Indonesia's islands, not just in Java. It also aimed to reduce the pressure on Jakarta, which is Indonesia's main city.

The National Development Planning Ministry estimated the move would cost about 466 trillion Indonesian Rupiah (US$32.7 billion). The government planned to pay for 19% of this cost. The rest would come from partnerships between public and private companies, and from investments by state-owned companies and private businesses.

At the same time, about US$40 billion will be spent to stop Jakarta from sinking over the next ten years. This sinking problem is a big reason why the capital is being moved.

In September 2021, the law for moving the capital was finished. On 29 September 2021, President Jokowi's government sent a big bill about the capital move to the People's Representative Council (Indonesia's lower house of parliament). This bill included a plan to create a special agency called the Nusantara Capital City Authority. This agency would be in charge of the new capital and report directly to the President. This new agency would have powers similar to a ministry, and its head would be chosen by the President. It would also manage its own money, taxes, and assets.

Because the plan was submitted during President Jokowi's second term, the People's Consultative Assembly suggested changing the constitution. This change would help make sure the project continues even after Jokowi is no longer president. A survey in August 2019 showed that 95.7% of people in Jakarta did not want the capital to move to East Kalimantan. On 17 January 2022, the Minister of National Development Planning, Suharso Monoarfa, announced that the new capital would be named Nusantara.

It was hoped that Nusantara's development could learn from Brazil's experience. Brazil moved its capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília in 1960.

On 3 June 2024, it was announced that Bambang Susantono, the head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority, and his deputy, Dhony Rahajoe, had resigned. People thought this might be because the new president, Prabowo, seemed less excited about the project than Jokowi. However, on 12 August 2024, Prabowo changed his mind and said the project would be a priority.

City Design

Trees being planted as the city is designed to be sustainable.

In late 2019, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing held a contest to design the capital city. The winning design, called Nagara Rimba Nusa ('Forest Archipelagic Country') by Urban+, was announced on 23 December 2019. The government decided to combine ideas from the winning design with those from the second and third-placed teams, as well as international designers. Designers from China, Japan, and the United States offered to help with the design. The name Nusantara fits well with the main idea of the winning design.

The city is designed to be very sustainable and protect the surrounding Kalimantan forests. The goal is for 80% of travel to be by public transport, cycling, or walking. All of its energy will come from renewable sources. Also, 10% of the city's area will be used for growing food.

In March 2022, the Ministry held another design contest for four important buildings: the vice-presidential palace, the parliament's office complex, the court's office complex, and a public worship area near Lake Pancasila.

Building the City

Construction progress of Garuda Palace in June 2024.

After Bambang Susantono became the Head of the Authority, provinces across Indonesia sent symbolic amounts of soil and water. These came from important historical or cultural sites in their provinces. This was to make them part of the new capital. For example, Central Kalimantan sent soil from a hill where a national hero named Tjilik Riwut used to meditate. East Kalimantan sent water and soil from Kutai Lama, where the old Kutai Kartanegara kingdom was located.

At first, in July 2022, 100,000 workers from all over Indonesia were sent to the Nusantara site. However, local groups criticized this because it didn't involve enough local workers. To fix this, President Joko Widodo told the Nusantara Capital City Authority to increase the workforce to between 150,000 and 200,000. This was to make sure local workers could participate in building Nusantara.

Construction was delayed until after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign was finished in March 2022.

Money Challenges

In March 2022, the Japanese company SoftBank Group pulled out of the project. They were unsure if they would make enough money back from their investment. According to an Indonesian minister, this investment would have been between US$30–40 billion. This was a problem because the Indonesian government had planned to pay for only 19.2% of the project. The rest was supposed to come from investors in Indonesia and other countries.

At a meeting in Singapore in June 2023, President Jokowi tried to assure investors that the project would continue no matter who won the 2024 Indonesian presidential election. He said Nusantara was a "golden opportunity" for investment. By August 2023, the government had only found 20% of the money needed. Investors were hesitant to put in more money because of political uncertainty and Indonesia's history of not investing enough in big projects.

In November 2023, President Jokowi admitted that no foreign investors had directly put money into Nusantara yet. However, an official from the IKN Authority, Agung Wicaksono, said that some foreign investors were working with Indonesian investors. For example, Swissôtel (owned by Accor Group) is working with Hotel Nusantara. Also, Sembcorp is partnering with the state-owned electricity company PLN. He also claimed there were 300 letters of interest from potential investors.

Where Nusantara is Located

NASA's February 2024 Landsat image of Nusantara.

Nusantara is located on the east coast of Borneo, which is the world's third largest island. The city shares a land border with the province of East Kalimantan. Its coastline stretches east to the Makassar Strait and south to Balikpapan Bay. Nusantara also has four islands (Benawa Besar, Batupayau, Jawang, and Sabut) located north of Balikpapan Bay. The city has many hills and used to be an industrial forest.

City Zones

Map of Nusantara over the contemporary border of East Kalimantan. The pink area denotes the Main Governmental Area; the green area denotes the Capital City Area (encompassing both Sepaku [id] and Loa Kulu [id] districts); the orange area denotes the Capital City Development Zone.

Nusantara covers an area of 2,560 square kilometers (988 sq mi). This is called the National Strategic Area (Kawasan Strategis Nasional, KSN). Within this, 68.56 square kilometers (26.47 sq mi) is the Main Governmental Zone (Kawasan Inti Pusat Pemerintahan, KIPP). Another 561.80 square kilometers (216.91 sq mi) is the Capital City Area (Kawasan Ibu Kota Negara). The rest is the Capital City Development Zone (Kawasan Pengembangan Ibu Kota Negara). The larger Nusantara metropolitan area will also include nearby regions and cities in East Kalimantan, like Balikpapan and Samarinda.

How Nusantara is Governed

Inauguration of the head and deputy head of Nusantara Capital City Authority on 10 March 2022.

Nusantara is managed by an agency called the Nusantara Capital City Authority (Indonesian: Otorita Ibu Kota Nusantara). Its structure is different from other cities in Indonesia. Most cities manage themselves. But the Capital City Authority reports directly to the central government. It works like a ministry, and its Head is a high-ranking official chosen by the President. Unlike governors or mayors, who are elected by people, the Head and Deputy Head of the Authority are appointed.

Nusantara Command Center, which helps coordinate the city's development.

From March 2022 to June 2024, Bambang Susantono was the Head of the Authority, and Dhony Rahajoe was the Deputy Head. In June 2024, they both resigned for personal reasons before the city's official opening. Currently, the head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority is Basuki Hadimuljono. He is also the head of the Ministry of Public Works and Housing of Indonesia.

The Capital City Authority announced that Nusantara would have a special type of local government. Its administrative divisions would be different from other regions in Indonesia.

Getting Around in Nusantara

Nusantara aims for 80% of its transport to be non-private. This means a big focus on public transportation. The city is designed to have dense areas where people can easily walk. It will also have a city-wide network of cycling paths. There will be two metro lines for a subway system, a bus rapid transit system, and small self-driving buses to connect different areas.

An automated guideway transit system will link the new capital to the Balikpapan highway. Also, a new train system will be built to connect Nusantara with nearby cities like Samarinda and Balikpapan. This will be part of a larger Trans Kalimantan Railway network that will connect the entire Indonesian side of Borneo Island by train.

A new toll road about 47 kilometers (29 mi) long will connect the main government area with the Naratetama Airport and Balikpapan. Nusantara will also be served by the nearby Aji Pangeran Tumenggung Pranoto Airport in Samarinda and Balikpapan's Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan Airport. To support these two airports, a new Naratetama Airport will also be built in Penajam.

Nusantara's International Connections

Sister Cities

Nusantara has a "sister city" relationship with:

• Astana, Kazakhstan (since 2023)

See also

In Spanish: Nusantara (ciudad) para niños

• Capital of Indonesia – Past capital cities of Indonesia
• Nusantara (archipelago) – The Indonesian name for Maritime Southeast Asia
• Wawasan Nusantara – Indonesia's national vision
• List of purpose-built national capitals