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Cilegon

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Cilegon is a major coastal industrial city in Indonesia. It is located within the Banten province on the island of Java. The city is situated at the mouth of the Cilegon River. This river flows into Ciwandan Bay, which is an inlet of the Sunda Strait. Geographically, Cilegon acts as a semi-enclave. It is surrounded by the Serang Regency to the east and the south. To the north and west, the city meets the Sunda Strait.

Many people call Cilegon the "Steel City." This nickname describes its role as the largest steel producer in Southeast Asia. The Krakatau Steel Industrial Area produces about 6 million tons of steel every year. This massive output supports both domestic and foreign industrial needs. The Krakatau Steel Company is a vital part of this production. Other major companies like Asahimas Chemical also operate within the city. The city serves as a massive hub for heavy manufacturing and metalwork.

Cilegon contains many assets that are vital to the state. The Merak Harbour is one of the most important pieces of infrastructure. The city also hosts the PLTU Suralaya power plant. Other key sites include the Krakatau Power plant and the Krakatau Tirta Industrial Water Treatment Plant. There are also plans for the Sunda Strait Bridge Construction. Large industrial zones like the Krakatau Steel Industrial Zone are central to the economy. These zones include companies such as Siemens and the KS-POSCO joint venture. Chandra Asri and Pertamina are also located here.

The city is organized into eight administrative districts, known as kecamatan. These districts include Ciwandan, Citangkil, Pulomerak, Purwakarta, Grogol, Cilegon, Jombang, and Cibeber. Each district has its own administrative centre and urban villages, called kelurahan. The Pulomerak district is unique because it includes five small offshore islands. The total area of the city covers 162.51 square kilometers. These districts manage the various populations living across the urban landscape.

The climate in Cilegon is hot and humid. It sits near the boundary of two tropical climate types. These are the tropical rainforest climate and the tropical monsoon climate. According to the Köppen climate classification system, the city has distinct seasons. The wet season covers most of the year from October through May. January is the peak of the wet season with high average rainfall. The dry season lasts for the remaining four months. August is the driest month of the year.

Cilegon has experienced significant population growth over recent decades. From 1991 to 2005, the population grew by 47.18 percent. This represents an average annual growth rate of 2.66 percent. This growth is primarily caused by migrants moving into the city. In the 2010 Census, the population was 374,464 people. By the 2020 Census, the population rose to 434,896. By mid-2023, official estimates placed the population at 470,378. This growth makes Cilegon the fourth largest city in Banten.

Social and religious life in the city is also notable. Cilegon contains 382 mosques and 287 musallas. However, the city does not have any churches, Hindu temples, or Buddhist viharas. This is despite the presence of various religious groups. There are 6,740 Protestants and 1,743 Catholics living in the city. There are also 215 Hindus, 215 Buddhists, and 7 Confucians. In 2019, a proposal to build a Batak Protestant Christian Church was rejected by local residents. This resulted in religious services being conducted in Serang instead.

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File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Groepsportret van leerlingen van de H.I.S. in Tjilegon West-Java TMnr 60029392.jpg
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