As the most populated city in Southeast Asia, Jakarta is Indonesia’s economic, political & cultural centre. It is a city that never sleeps, with constant commotion of a metropolitan city. As a commercial centre, Jakarta boasts some of the best shopping malls in Asia: Pacific Place, Grand Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia, Senayan City, etc.

Throughout its history, Jakarta has several former names, including Sunda Kelapa, Jayakarta, Batavia & Djakarta. The city was originally founded in the 4th century as a port town but expanded rapidly as the capital of the Dutch East Indies. The city is now the 12th largest city in the world (6th largest if we include the metropolitan area of Jabodetabek)

Major tourist attractions in Jakarta:

• National Monument (Monas), a memorial to commemorate Indonesia’s struggle for independence
• National Museum, also called the Elephant Museum, because of the statue in the museum courtyard (gift from the King of Thailand in 1871)
• Museum Fatahillah, the former Dutch city hall (rumored to be haunted)
• Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, a cultural complex with many museums
• Ragunan Zoo, the largest zoo in Indonesia which was founded in 1864
• Taman Impian Jaya Ancol, an entertainment compound with several amusement parks & recreational areas
• Thousand Islands (Pulau Seribu), an archipelago of secluded islands

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