Nusantara

Why in news?

• Indonesia passed a bill replacing its capital Jakarta with East Kalimantan, situated to the east of Borneo Island. The new capital city of the country will be called Nusantara.

Why is Indonesia moving the capital from Jakarta?

• The plan was formulated as Jakarta is prone to flooding amid climate change. The sinking megacity also suffers from chronic congestion and air pollution.
• The relocation of the capital city to Nusantara is based on several considerations like; regional advantages, welfare and with a vision of the birth of a new economic centre of gravity in the middle of the archipelago.

How fast is Jakarta sinking?

• Jakarta sits on the swampy ground near the sea - making it especially prone to flooding - and is one of the fastest-sinking cities on Earth, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• It has been dropping into the Java Sea at an alarming rate due to the over-extraction of groundwater.

About Nusantara:

• Nusantara is the proposed capital of Indonesia, set to be inaugurated in 2024.
• It is located within the jungle of Kalimantan on Borneo Island.
• Indonesia owns the majority of Borneo, the world's third-largest island, with Malaysia and Brunei each holding parts of its northern region.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Nusantara, recently seen in news, is the new capital of which of the following country?

(a) Myanmar

(b) Seychelles

(c) Indonesia

(d) Sudan

Answer