Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is a city, province, and sultanate in Indonesia, Southeast Asia. Yogyakarta is located in the south-central part of the island of Java, and is surrounded by the province of Central Java (Jawa Tengah).
History
The sultanate of Yogyakarta was formed in 1755 when the existing Sultanate of Mataram was divided in two under the Treaty of Giyanti between the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the rebellious Prince Mangkubumi. At the time, Mataram, and its ruler Pakubuwana III, was a client of the colonial VOC, responsible for ruling the interior of Java. Mangkubumi, offended by the great influence the Dutch held over the Javanese kingdom, fought an extended war against the VOC and Mataram for control. His army won, and he was awarded part of the kingdom in exchange. The other half of the kingdom continued to be ruled from Surakarta, about 60 km to the east. Upon his victory, Mangkubumi became Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, the first sultan of Yogyakarta.
During the Indonesian war of independence against the Dutch after World War II (1945-1950), the capital of the newly-declared Indonesian republic was temporarily moved to Yogyakarta when the Dutch reoccupied Jakarta. When Indonesia won its independence, the Sultanate of Yogyakarta, then under the ruler Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX, declared itself to be part of Indonesia. Due to this declaration, Yogyakarta is granted the status of Daerah Istimewa (Special Region), equal to a province. Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX became the governor for life. The current ruler of Yogyakarta is Sultan Hamengkubuwono X. Sultan Hamengkubuwono X was elected governor by the people of Yogyakarta directly, defying the will of the central government to install somebody else as governor.
Administration
Yogyakarta is subdivided into five districts (kabupaten). The districts are (with the capital city in brackets):
- Sleman (Sleman)
- Yogyakarta City (Yogyakarta)
- Bantul (Bantul)
- Gunung Kidul (Wonosari)
- Kulon Progo (Wates)
Arts
Yogyakarta is known for its silver work, leather puppets used for shadow plays (wayang kulit), and a unique style of of making batik dyed fabric. It is also known for its vivid contemporary art scene.
Tourism
- Borobudur, a large Buddhist temple, is located 40 km north-west of Yogyakarta.
- Prambanan, a large Hindu temple, is located 18 km east of Yogyakarta.
- Keraton Yogyakarta, the palace of Yogyakarta's Sultan.
- Parangtritis, the most famous beach in Yogyakarta.
References
- Ricklefs, M.C. (2001) A history of modern Indonesia since c.1200 (3rd ed.). Stanford: Stanford University Press. pp. 126-139, 269-271. ISBN 0-8047-4480-7
| Provinces of Indonesia | 
|
|---|---|
| Sumatra (Sumatera):
DI Aceh | North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) | West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat) | Bengkulu | Riau | Riau Islands (Kepulauan Riau) | Jambi | South Sumatra (Sumatera Selatan) | Lampung | Bangka-Belitung | |
| Java (Jawa):
DKI Jaya | West Java (Jawa Barat) | Banten | Central Java (Jawa Tengah) | DI Yogyakarta | East Java (Jawa Timur) | |
| Kalimantan:
West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat) | Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah) | South Kalimantan (Kalimantan Selatan) | East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur) | |
| The Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara):
Bali | West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat) | East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur) | |
| Sulawesi:
West Sulawesi (Sulawesi Barat) | North Sulawesi (Sulawesi Utara) | Central Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tengah) | South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan) | South East Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tenggara) | Gorontalo | |
| The Maluku Islands and New Guinea (Irian):
Maluku | North Maluku (Maluku Utara) | West Irian Jaya (Irian Jaya Barat) | Papua | |
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