Surakarta

Surakarta is a major city in Central Java, Indonesia.

It serves as a dense urban core within a much larger metropolitan region. This region is known as the Greater Solo Area. It is also called Subosukawonosraten. This name combines parts of the city and its six surrounding regencies. These include Boyolali, Sukoharjo, Karanganyar, Wonogiri, Sragen, and Klaten. The entire metropolitan area was home to 6,837,753 people in mid-2023. The city proper contains 526,870 of those residents.

The city's climate is classified as a tropical monsoon climate. This means the weather remains relatively consistent throughout the year. The average temperature stays around 30 °C every month. Surakarta experiences a long wet season from October through May. The heaviest rainfall typically occurs during December, January, and February. A shorter dry season lasts from June through September. To provide water, the city uses many different sources. Nineteen locations in the Merapi valley supply water. These sources have a total capacity of 3,404 liters per second.

Surakarta has a deep history involving early humans and ancient kingdoms. Evidence shows hominids lived in this region one million years ago. A famous skeleton known as "Solo Man" was found 80 kilometers upstream. Later, the area became part of the Mataram kingdom. A village called Wulayu existed in this area by A.D. 904. By the 18th century, the village was called Sala. This name came from the sala tree. The Dutch found the Javanese pronunciation difficult. Consequently, the name changed to Solo.

In 1745, Surakarta became the capital of the Mataram Sultanate. This happened due to astrological calculations and Dutch commercial interests. The city was ruled by hereditary monarchs called Susuhunan. During the colonial era, the Mataram kingdom was divided. One part became the Surakarta Sunanate. The other became the Yogyakarta Sultanate. Because the Dutch controlled these states, the courts focused on culture. They developed traditional arts like gamelan to show cultural power. Pakubuwono X was a very significant 20th-century ruler.

The period around Indonesian independence brought intense political change. In 1945, Pakubuwono XII declared Surakarta part of the Republic of Indonesia. President Sukarno initially named it a Special Region. However, there was organized resistance to the monarchy. A republican movement led by Tan Malaka formed in October 1945. This led to the kidnapping of several court officials. In June 1946, the special region status was abolished. Surakarta became a regency administered by a republican government.

Conflict continued during the struggle for independence from the Dutch. In 1948, the Dutch launched Operation Kraai to occupy the city. The Indonesian Army fought back with guerrilla warfare. On August 7, 1949, troops led by Slamet Riyadi defeated the Dutch. They occupied the city for several hours. Today, the city's main street is named Brigadier General Slamet Riyadi Street. Later, the city saw significant political shifts involving the Communist Party. In 1965, Suharto's forces entered the city following the 30 September Movement.

Today, Surakarta is organized into five administrative districts. These are Laweyan, Serengan, Pasar Kliwon, Jebres, and Banjarsari. Each district is divided into smaller areas called kelurahan. The city is also famous for producing notable political leaders. Former President Joko Widodo was born here. He served as the Mayor of Surakarta from 2005 to 2012. His son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also served as Mayor from 2021 to 2024. He is now the Vice President of Indonesia.