Indonesia Marks Independence Day in New Capital Nusantara

Indonesia celebrated its Independence Day in the new capital, Nusantara, for the first time. President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, led the ceremony with President-elect Prabowo Subianto. The event was attended by 1,300 guests, including local community members and workers.

Indonesia celebrates this year’s Independence Day at two locations, the new capital Nusantara and Jakarta. Nusantara is being built in a forested pocket in the eastern side of Borneo island, about 1,200 km from the current capital, Jakarta, on Java island.

Nusantara was proposed in 2019 to alleviate Jakarta’s overcrowding and traffic issues. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and investor skepticism have slowed progress, with only 15% of the city expected to be completed by now. Despite this, Widodo moved into the presidential palace in early August, though most buildings remain under construction.