Bogor

Bogor – A Rainy city of many different names

What we now know as the city of Bogor in West Java was called Pakuan Padjajaran in the Middle Ages. It was then that the city served as the capital of Sunda Kingdom. Much later during Dutch colonialism, the city's name was changed to Buitenzorg and served as a summer residence for the of the Governor-General. It wasn't until Japanese occupation that the city finally settled with its modern name of "Bogor". The city may have undergone numerous changes in names and primary occupants over the centuries. One thing has remained constant though--aside from its year-long rainfall--is that it always has, continues to be, and will always be one of the country's most important cities.

Bogor is dense with well over a million people living within its 20 square kilometer territory. And for good reason too. The city's location some 60 kilometers to the south of the nation's capital, Jakarta, makes it very much a residential satellite city of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area, with all the benefits that come with such accessibility. Students and scholars have historically been attracted to the city for its research, science and education facilities, such as its prestigious Bogor Agricultural University. Bogor is home to a presidential palace (that is open for public tours), as well as one of the oldest and largest botanical gardens in the world that dates back to 1817. The city is notably where the world-famous Sentul International Circuit for motorsports racing can be found. Families looking for a weekend escape have tons to do here with Taman Safari Indonesia park, the Museum of Zoology, and various amusement parks littered throughout the city.

The city's local economy consists of automotives, chemical and food industries, with the surrounding region being used for agriculture. Its primary gross regional domestic product in 2023, which was recorded at Rp 57.01 trillion, dominated by the Wholesale and Retail Trade, Car and Motorcycle Repair; Processing; and Transportation and Warehousing industries. These gross regional domestic products have seen steady growth in recent years, going from -0.41 percent in 2020 as a result of the pandemic to 3.76 percent in 2021, 5.65 percent in 2022 and 7.17 in 2023, higher than that year's national overall growth of 5.31 percent.