AUG 31 INDONESIA IS BUILDING A NEW CAPITAL CITY

AUG 31  INDONESIA IS BUILDING A NEW CAPITAL CITY

Attention Geography buffs worldwide! You're going to need to memorize a new capital city soon. And it's not some tiny principality in Europe...Nope, it's the world's fourth most populated country: Indonesia. On Monday, President Joko Widodo announced that in 2024, Jakarta will cease to be the nation's capital city. A new city is to be built on the island of Borneo. He didn't say what the NAME of the city will be.

What's wrong with Jakarta? The world's second largest metropolitan area (30 million people) will remain Indonesia's "centre of business, finance, trade and services," Widodo reassured residents. Yet the move sends a clear message: Jakarta needs to change. It's over-populated, horribly polluted and throttled by traffic. Although a 14-station subway system opened in May, building underground in Jakarta is difficult. Many sections of the city are sinking. It has the worst air in the world, with AQI readings around 270. Add the problem of frequent flooding, and you have a big city nightmare.

Widodo feels that Java...not just Jakarta...needs to stop being the center of development. Indonesia has more islands (17,000 total) than any other nation on earth. Yet 60% of the people live on the island of Java. (That's a whopping 145,00,000 people!) On the other hand, Borneo is an enormous, sparsely populated paradise covered in rainforests and lush jungles. Widodo notes it has "fewer earthquakes, floods and forest fires" than Java.

While the move caught Geography buffs by surprise, the idea has been discussed often. Sukarno, the George Washington of Indonesia, lobbied unsuccessfully for the move in the 1950's. He cited the need to decentralize the enormous nation, and noted the success a new capital city in similar nations: Brasilia and Canberra in Australia. The idea is to physically separate government from big business and the private sector. Sounds like a good plan!

Speaking of money, building a new international capital isn't cheap. To fund the massive project, Widodo will use 'asset management.' This involves selling the real estate the government already hold in Jakarta. Buildings in sought-after neighborhoods will net billions. Mostly, the timing of the announcement is Widodo's attempt at a lasting legacy as president. He's at the end of his term, and wants to be remembered as a pioneer...the 'People's President' who was not heavily influenced by the military, agribusiness or Islam.