Jakarta is Indonesia’s capital and also the largest city. The largest city in Southeast Asia, Jakarta, is on Java’s northeast coast. It is also the capital and most extensive of ASEAN. This city is the heart of Indonesia’s economy and culture.

The city is a province with a population totaling 10,562,088 in 2020. While Jakarta covers only 664.01 km (256.38 sq miles), it has the smallest area in Indonesia. However, the metropolitan area spans 9,957.08 kilometers (3,844.45 square mi). This includes satellite cities Bogor and Depok and Tangerang and South Tangerang. As of 2021, it is home to an estimated 35 million people. It is the second largest urban area in Indonesia (after Tokyo).

Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia and the third-largest city in Indonesia. Greater Bandung is the country’s third-largest metropolitan area, with over 11 million inhabitants. Located 768 meters (2,520 feet) above sea level, the highest point in the North area with an altitude of 1,050 meters, and the lowest in the South is 675 meters above sea level, approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler year-round temperatures than most other Indonesian cities.

The city lies on a river basin surrounded by volcanic mountains that provides a natural defense system, which was the primary reason for the Dutch East Indies government’s plan to move the capital from Batavia (modern-day Jakarta) to Bandung.

Surabaya, the capital of East Java province in Indonesia is also the second-largest Indonesian city after Jakarta. It is located on the Madura Strait at the northeastern edge of Java island. It is also one of the oldest port cities in Southeast Asia. Surabaya, along with Medan and Makassar, is one of four major central cities in Indonesia, according to the National Development Planning Agency.

The city’s population is 2.87 million within the city limits as of the 2020 Census, and 9.5 million in Surabaya Metropolitan Area. This makes it the third-largest metropolis in Indonesia.

Makassar is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country’s fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, and Medan.

The city is located on the southwest coast of the island of Sulawesi, facing the Makassar Strait. Makassar is not only the gateway of Eastern Indonesia but also the epicenter of West and East Indonesia, as well as between Australia and Asia. Most of its inhabitants are Buginese people or “Bugis,” followed by native Makassar people or ‘Makassarese’.

Medan, the capital and the largest city in the Indonesian province of North Sumatra, is home to the president and the governor. It is a significant hub in Sumatra and a financial center. Medan is the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 2,435,252 living within its city limits and 3.4 million in its urban built-up area.

With 4,744,323 people in the 2020 Census, the Medan metropolitan area includes Binjai, Deli Serdang Regency, and a portion of Karo Regency. Medan is a multi-cultural metropolis and a bustling trading city that borders the Strait of Malacca.