BataviaJakarta

BataviaJakarta is a term sometimes used to reference the historical transformation of the Indonesian capital from its colonial-era designation as Batavia to its modern name, Jakarta. In scholarly and popular discussions, the phrase emphasizes the continuity of a single urban center through markedly different political and cultural eras. It is not an official city name, but a way to discuss the city’s evolution from Dutch colonial administration to an independent Indonesian metropolis.

Historically, Batavia was established in the early 17th century by the Dutch East India Company on the Sunda Kelapa port, near present-day Jakarta. The settlement was renamed Batavia and served as the administrative and commercial core of the Dutch East Indies for centuries. The urban fabric developed around a fortified precinct and a grid of streets, with distinctive colonial architecture that survives in the Kota Tua area today. The name Batavia remained in use through the colonial period and into the early 20th century, before Indonesia’s independence led to the adoption of Jakarta as the predominant designation for the city.

Geographically, BataviaJakarta refers to the same urban area on the northwest coast of Java, facing the Java Sea and the Sunda Strait. The modern city of Jakarta has grown far beyond the colonial core, becoming Indonesia’s political, economic, and cultural center. The legacy of Batavia remains visible in historic sites, museums, and urban planning left from the colonial era.