Indonesia to move its capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan island

10 Aug 2019

image depicting New study shows how fast coastal cities are sinking as sea levels rise

Indonesia to move its capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan island

Indonesia to move its capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan islandIndonesian President Joko Widodo tweeted on 8th August that he will move the country’s capital away from Jakarta city to Kalimantan island. The specific area is not given yet.

Moving the capital could take up to 10 years but President Joko Widodo believes it may be possible even by 2024. The move could cost about US$20 billion to US$30 billion.
Why are they moving the capital?

Currently, the capital, Jakarta, has more than 10 million people. Also, the surrounding towns are densely populated, making the entire area very congested.
 	Jakarta has bad air pollution. Moreover, it is also prone to flooding and is sinking into the sea.

Indonesia is not the first country to change its capital. Even Egypt is currently in the process of changing its capital, to be operational by 2020.

Here are some capitals of other countries, that were changed for various reasons -

Astana – The capital of Kazakhstan, Astana is known for its many futuristic buildings. It became the capital in 1997, replacing Almaty.
 	Islamabad – It is the capital of our neighbour, Pakistan. Islamabad replaced Karachi as the capital in 1967.
 	Naypyidaw - It is the capital of Myanmar, another of India's neighbours. The capital was changed from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo tweeted on 8th August that he will move the country’s capital away from Jakarta city to Kalimantan island. The specific area […]

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