Bekasi (Indonesian pronunciation:[bəˈkasi]ⓘ,Betawi:Bèkasi; Bekasih,Sundanese:ᮘᮨᮊᮞᮤ) is thecity with the largest population in the province ofWest Java,Indonesia, located on the eastern border ofJakarta. It serves as acommuter city within theGreater Jakarta. According to the 2020 Census byStatistics Indonesia (BPS), Bekasi had 2,543,676 inhabitants.[2] The official estimate for mid 2024 was 2,644,058 (comprising 1,327,954 males and 1,316,104 females).[1] It lies within the largest metropolitan area in Indonesia (Jabodetabek). The city is bordered byBekasi Regency (from which the city was separated administratively on 16 December 1996) to the north and the east,Bogor Regency andDepok City to the south, and the city ofEast Jakarta to the west.
Bekasi is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being the capital city of theKingdom of Tarumanagara. At that time, the name of Bekasi wasDayeuh Sundasembawa orJayagiri. The earliest evidence of its existence dates from the fifth century according to theTugu inscription, which describes the name of two rivers that run through the city, i.e. Candrabhaga and Gomati and one of those rivers, i.e.Candrabhaga is the origin of the name Bekasi where the name Candrabhaga evolved into "Bhagasasi" – due to the Sanskrit word candra (which means moon) evolved intoOld Sundanese word 'sasi' which also means moon – and then the name Bhagasasi was mis-spelt as "Bhagasi", and then the Dutch colonial government also mis-spelt the name Bhagasi as "Bacassie", and finally it became "Bekasi".[3] During theDutch East Indies period, Bekasi was a part ofBatavia residency. As a dormitory city, many middle-upper class satellite areas have been developed in Bekasi,[4] complete with their own shopping malls, schools, hospitals, club houses,water park, and shuttle bus services tocentral Jakarta. The large number ofmultinational companies has apparently attracted many expatriates (mainlyJapanese andKorean) to settle in Bekasi.[5]
Bekasi has already grown to become one of the main centres of growth inJabodetabek. The city accounts for 2.11% of total national GDP.[6] Recently, many foreigners (mostly Korean, Japanese, and Chinese) have set up their business to take advantage of its dynamism and boost its economy. Bekasi's economy was mainly based on service and manufacturing. Some headquarters of big corporations are located here, such as PT Metropolitan Land Tbk and PT Kian Santang Muliatama Tbk.
Bekasi is one of the most promising property markets inJabodetabek, and several high-value developments have transformed its property market. Many of country's big property developers are building apartments, hotels, and shopping malls in the city. In recent years, some residences have developed along the Jatiwarna/Jatibening — East Bekasi toll highway, further to Cibatu in Bekasi Regency. These includeKota Harapan Indah,Summarecon Bekasi, Kemang Pratama and Grand Galaxy City.
Prime business and commercial centres are situated in the western part of city. There are some financial centres, restaurants, and shopping centres along Jalan Ahmad Yani, Bekasi CBD, Jalan Sudirman, Jalan K.H. Noer Alie, and Harapan Indah Boulevard.
The largest shopping centre is Grand Metropolitan with over 125,000 m2 (1,350,000 sq ft) of floor space.[7] Other shopping centres includeMetropolitan Mall, Pakuwon Mall Bekasi, Summarecon Mal Bekasi, Mal Ciputra Cibubur, Mega Bekasi Hypermall, Grand Galaxy Park, Grand Mall, Blu Plaza, BTC Mall, GP Mall, Bekasi Cyber Park, Plaza Pondok Gede, and Lagoon Avenue.
The development of large scale residential areas and industrial parks in Bekasi has been induced by infrastructure development, especially roads, highways and railways.
Bekasi is connected by theTrans-Java Toll Road, the main road across Java. There are three expressways connections from theJabodetabek urban area: theJakarta–Cikampek Toll Road, which has three exits in Bekasi; theJakarta Outer Ring Road, which provides access toTangerang, Jakarta andBogor; and theBekasi-Cawang-Kampung Melayu Toll Road. In 2019, Jakarta-Cikampek elevated toll road will operate to ease traffic on the current toll road between Cikunir and West Karawang with a total length of 36.4 kilometres.[8] Owing to its location as a satellite city ofJakarta, heavyrush hour traffic jams have become common on the roads between East Jakarta and Bekasi.
A double track railway connecting Manggarai to Cikarang serves the city.[9] Beside a double track railway, the government also built a 17.9 kmlight rail transit line connecting East Bekasi-Cawang-Dukuh Atas across Greater Jakarta.[10]
Jabodebek LRT serving onBekasi Line which serves trips from Dukuh Atas station to Jatimulya station. The distance traveled in this fully-elevated line is 29.54 km.
Transjakarta and the Transjabodetabek premium serves commuters from Harapan Indah,Summarecon Bekasi, Bulak Kapal, Vida Bekasi, and Jatiwarna, as well as the feeder buses from Kemang Pratama and Grand Galaxy City to Jakarta city center. TheTransPatriot operates a route within the city.DAMRIshuttle bus service is available from theSoekarno–Hatta International Airport to Kayuringin, Harapan Indah and Summarecon Bekasi. Taxis are widely available. The primary means of public transportation is by minibus, calledangkot. They serve certain routes throughout the city. The main bus terminal is Terminal Bekasi, located in East Bekasi. The other terminals are Pondok Gede, Harapan Indah and Kayuringin.
The City of Bekasi is traversed by the main river, theKali Bekasi (Bekasi River), along with its tributaries. The Bekasi River originates from the confluence of the Cikeas and Cileungsi rivers, which have their sources in the mountains of Bogor Regency. Surface water in the Bekasi area includes the Bekasi River, several smaller rivers, and theTarum Barat irrigation canals used for irrigating fields. This water serves as the raw water source for the drinking water needs of the Bekasi region (both the city and the regency) and the DKI Jakarta area. Currently, the surface water condition of the Bekasi River is polluted by industrial waste originating from the southern part of the City of Bekasi (industries located in Bogor Regency).[11]
The City of Bekasi is a part of theBekasi river basin, located in the downstream area of the basin with slopes ranging from 0 to 2% and elevations between 11 meters to 81 meters above sea level. This topographical condition leads to frequent flooding in many areas of Bekasi, especially during the rainy season, such as in the districts of Jatiasih, East Bekasi, Rawalumbu, South Bekasi, Pondok Gede, and Pondok Melati.[11]
The 2020 Census of Bekasi's population was 2,543,676,[2] but according to the official estimates for mid 2024 the total had become 2,644,058, an increase of over 100,000.[1] Bekasi is inhabited by many different ethnic groups, mostlySundanese,Betawi andJavanese descent.Sundanese are the largest minority as well as other minorities includeMinangkabau,Bataks, andChinese.
The regional language used by the majority of the population is theBetawi Ora dialect. Then at the southern end,Sundanese language (Bekasi dialect) is also spoken, precisely in districts of Jatisampurna and Bantargebang.
Bekasi City is divided into twelvedistricts ('kecamatan'), listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census[14] and the 2020 Census,[2] together with the official estimates for mid 2024.[1] The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of urbanvillages (all classed askelurahan) within each district, and its postal codes.
Bekasi has atropical monsoon climate (Am) according toKöppen climate classification. The wettest month (highest precipitation) is January, with a precipitation total of 374.0 millimetres (14.72 in), while the driest month (lowest precipitation) is August, with a precipitation total of 55.0 millimetres (2.17 in). (as of 2020)
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