Metro, Indonesia
Encyclopedia
Metro (ˈmetro; historically known as Trimurjo) is an Indonesia
n city (kota
) located in Lampung
. Founded in 1936, it covers an area of 68.74 square kilometre and has a population of 145,471.
word mitro, meaning friend. The name was chosen to remind the migrants to work together.
sent Javanese migrants to colonise the area, which served to relieve overpopulation
on Java
, and mitigate the influence of Indonesian independence activists. The first group arrived on 4 April 1936.
On 9 June 1937, the name of the area was changed from Trimurjo to Metro and that same year it was established as an onder distric, with Raden Mas Sudarto as the first assistant district chief. During this same period the Dutch colonial government built more roads, as well as a clinic, police office, and administrative offices. By 1941 a mosque, post office, large market, and inn had been built, and electricity and telephone lines had been installed.
Development soon outpaced the natural irrigation
capabilities of the area. To ensure proper healthy crops, the Dutch hired Ir. Swam to design an irrigation system. His design called for a levee
as well as a 30 metres (98.4 ft) wide and 10 metres (32.8 ft) deep irrigation canal from Way Sekampung River to Metro. Labour was provided by the migrants, who were conscripted and worked in shifts. Construction began in 1937 and was finished in 1941.
After the Japanese invasion of Indonesia in 1942, all Dutch personnel were evacuated or captured. The migration program was continued under the name imin kakari, and seventy Javanese migrants were used as forced labour in the construction of the nearby Natar and Astra Ksetra airstrips as well as numerous bunkers and other strategic assets; those who resisted were shot.
The remaining citizens were malnourished, with their harvests being taken by the Japanese occupying forces. Diseases spread rampantly throughout the populace, carried by ticks. Deaths were common, as were women, including wives of the forced labourers, being taken as comfort women
.
During the Indonesian war of independence, the Dutch attempted to retake Metro. When they first arrived, they were unable to enter as the bridge to the city in Tempuran had been destroyed by a 26-man troop of the Indonesian army, under the command of Second Lieutenant
Bursyah; the Dutch convoy was forced to retreat. However, the following day the Dutch returned in greater numbers and attacked from Tegineneng, eventually entering the city and killing three Indonesian soldiers.
Upon entering the city, the Dutch forces were besieged by sabotage by 41 soldiers under the command of Second Lieutenant Raden Sudarto. After chasing Sudarto’s forces throughout the area, the Dutch continued to Palembang
. Despite an extended guerrilla campaign by the Indonesian military, the Dutch eventually retook Metro in 1949, surrendering it that same year.
After the war, Metro continued to develop. In 1956, its government was stylized as a negeri based on Governor’s Decree Number 153/D/1956. This lead to adat
lands being owned by the local government.
In 1976 Metro became the capital of the newly formed Central Lampung Regency
, which at the time included parts of present-day East Lampung Regency
.
Beginning in 1985, the local government began working to stimulate the economy. Retail chains began entering the city, a movie theatre and stadium was built, the town square was redesigned as a park, and Cendrawaish market was renovated.
On 14 August 1986, Metro was designated an administrative city, in accordance with Government Decree Number 34 of 1986, with the formal ceremony taking place on 6 September 1987.
Metro was established as an autonomous city (kota) with the passing of Law Number 12 of 1999 on 27 April 1999, with Gunungsugih becoming the capital of Central Lampung. The first mayor after Metro’s establishment as an autonomous city was Mozes Herman, with Lukman Hakim as vice-mayor. Lukman Hakim is currently the mayor of Metro.
The land in Metro is relatively flat, with an elevation between 30 to 60 m (98.4 to 196.9 ft). When it was first settled, the area was heavily forested; there are still pockets of forest within the city limits.
When Metro was originally made an autonomous city, it had two kecamatan, or subdistricts, Metro Raya and Metro Bantul. However, it now has five.
The climate in Metro is humid and tropical
. The average air temperature is between 26 and 28 °C (78.8 and 82.4 F), with an average humidity
of 80 to 88% and an average yearly precipitation
of 2264 to 2868 mm (89.1 to 112.9 in). The dry season
usually lasts from September until May.
The second largest contributor to Metro’s economy is retail, contributing 19.77% of the city’s 2002 income. In 2004, there were 13 markets, 1,881 stores, and 682 food kiosks, as well as numerous street vendors.
The third largest economic sector is agriculture, contributing 17.31% of the 2002 income. Within the city boundaries there are 3,342 hectares of rice fields, capable of producing up to 16,598 tons of rice per growing season.
Numerous banks have branches in Metro, including Bank Central Asia
, Bank Rakyat Indonesia
, Bank Internasional Indonesia, and as well as Bank Negara Indonesia
.
s, 25 junior high schools (eight public and seventeen private
), two junior high schools for special-needs children, 16 senior high schools, and 15 vocational school
s.
There are ten tertiary education
facilities located in Metro, namely:
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n city (kota
Administrative divisions of Indonesia
Republic of Indonesia is divided into provinces . Provinces are made up of regencies and cities . Province, regencies, and cities, have their own local governments and parliamentary bodies....
) located in Lampung
Lampung
Lampung is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra and borders the provinces of Bengkulu and South Sumatra. Lampung is the original home of the Lampung people, who speak a distinct language from other people in Sumatra and have their own alphabet. Its...
. Founded in 1936, it covers an area of 68.74 square kilometre and has a population of 145,471.
Etymology
Metro comes from the JavaneseJavanese language
Javanese language is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. In addition, there are also some pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java...
word mitro, meaning friend. The name was chosen to remind the migrants to work together.
History
Prior to 1936, Trimurjo was part of Gunungsugih onder distric; it was isolated, without much influence from the indigenous Lampungese people. However, beginning in 1936 the Dutch colonial governmentDutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
sent Javanese migrants to colonise the area, which served to relieve overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
on Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, and mitigate the influence of Indonesian independence activists. The first group arrived on 4 April 1936.
On 9 June 1937, the name of the area was changed from Trimurjo to Metro and that same year it was established as an onder distric, with Raden Mas Sudarto as the first assistant district chief. During this same period the Dutch colonial government built more roads, as well as a clinic, police office, and administrative offices. By 1941 a mosque, post office, large market, and inn had been built, and electricity and telephone lines had been installed.
Development soon outpaced the natural irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
capabilities of the area. To ensure proper healthy crops, the Dutch hired Ir. Swam to design an irrigation system. His design called for a levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
as well as a 30 metres (98.4 ft) wide and 10 metres (32.8 ft) deep irrigation canal from Way Sekampung River to Metro. Labour was provided by the migrants, who were conscripted and worked in shifts. Construction began in 1937 and was finished in 1941.
After the Japanese invasion of Indonesia in 1942, all Dutch personnel were evacuated or captured. The migration program was continued under the name imin kakari, and seventy Javanese migrants were used as forced labour in the construction of the nearby Natar and Astra Ksetra airstrips as well as numerous bunkers and other strategic assets; those who resisted were shot.
The remaining citizens were malnourished, with their harvests being taken by the Japanese occupying forces. Diseases spread rampantly throughout the populace, carried by ticks. Deaths were common, as were women, including wives of the forced labourers, being taken as comfort women
Comfort women
The term "comfort women" was a euphemism used to describe women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.Estimates vary as to how many women were involved, with numbers ranging from as low as 20,000 from some Japanese scholars to as high as 410,000 from some Chinese...
.
During the Indonesian war of independence, the Dutch attempted to retake Metro. When they first arrived, they were unable to enter as the bridge to the city in Tempuran had been destroyed by a 26-man troop of the Indonesian army, under the command of Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
Bursyah; the Dutch convoy was forced to retreat. However, the following day the Dutch returned in greater numbers and attacked from Tegineneng, eventually entering the city and killing three Indonesian soldiers.
Upon entering the city, the Dutch forces were besieged by sabotage by 41 soldiers under the command of Second Lieutenant Raden Sudarto. After chasing Sudarto’s forces throughout the area, the Dutch continued to Palembang
Palembang
Palembang is the capital city of the South Sumatra province in Indonesia. Palembang is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia, and has a history of being a capital of a maritime empire. Located on the Musi River banks on the east coast of southern Sumatra island, it has an area of 400.61 square...
. Despite an extended guerrilla campaign by the Indonesian military, the Dutch eventually retook Metro in 1949, surrendering it that same year.
After the war, Metro continued to develop. In 1956, its government was stylized as a negeri based on Governor’s Decree Number 153/D/1956. This lead to adat
Adat
Adat in Indonesian-Malay culture is the set of cultural norms, values, customs and practices found among specific ethnic groups in Indonesia, the southern Philippines and Malaysia...
lands being owned by the local government.
In 1976 Metro became the capital of the newly formed Central Lampung Regency
Central Lampung Regency
Central Lampung Regency is a regency of Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia. It has an area of 4,789.8 km² and a population of 1,177,967 people as of 2008. The capital lies at Gunung Sugih....
, which at the time included parts of present-day East Lampung Regency
East Lampung Regency
East Lampung Regency is a regency of Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia. It has an area of 5325.03 km² and a population of 909,389 people as of 2004. The capital lies at Sukadana....
.
Beginning in 1985, the local government began working to stimulate the economy. Retail chains began entering the city, a movie theatre and stadium was built, the town square was redesigned as a park, and Cendrawaish market was renovated.
On 14 August 1986, Metro was designated an administrative city, in accordance with Government Decree Number 34 of 1986, with the formal ceremony taking place on 6 September 1987.
Metro was established as an autonomous city (kota) with the passing of Law Number 12 of 1999 on 27 April 1999, with Gunungsugih becoming the capital of Central Lampung. The first mayor after Metro’s establishment as an autonomous city was Mozes Herman, with Lukman Hakim as vice-mayor. Lukman Hakim is currently the mayor of Metro.
Geography and climate
Metro is spread over an area of 68.74 square kilometre, with the built up area consisting of 24.57% of the city, or 16.88 square kilometre. As of 2010, it has a population of 145,471, with a density of 2,116.2 people per km2 (5,480.9/sq mi). It is built around the Dutch land use planning system. Its economic and political hub is in the center, in the area around the city park. All five provincial and national roads that transect Metro meet in this area. Northern Metro is a residential area, while western Metro is used for commercial space, southern Metro for agriculture, and parts of southern and eastern Metro for educational and other public facilities.The land in Metro is relatively flat, with an elevation between 30 to 60 m (98.4 to 196.9 ft). When it was first settled, the area was heavily forested; there are still pockets of forest within the city limits.
When Metro was originally made an autonomous city, it had two kecamatan, or subdistricts, Metro Raya and Metro Bantul. However, it now has five.
The climate in Metro is humid and tropical
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
. The average air temperature is between 26 and 28 °C (78.8 and 82.4 F), with an average humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
of 80 to 88% and an average yearly precipitation
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
of 2264 to 2868 mm (89.1 to 112.9 in). The dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
usually lasts from September until May.
Economy
In 2002, Metro had a budget of Rp 336 billion (USD 37.3 million). The largest contributor to Metro’s economy is the service sector, contributing 22.94% of the city’s income in 2002.The second largest contributor to Metro’s economy is retail, contributing 19.77% of the city’s 2002 income. In 2004, there were 13 markets, 1,881 stores, and 682 food kiosks, as well as numerous street vendors.
The third largest economic sector is agriculture, contributing 17.31% of the 2002 income. Within the city boundaries there are 3,342 hectares of rice fields, capable of producing up to 16,598 tons of rice per growing season.
Numerous banks have branches in Metro, including Bank Central Asia
Bank Central Asia
Bank Central Asia is an Indonesian bank founded on August 10, 1955.The Asian monetary crisis in 1997 had a tremendous impact on Indonesia’s entire banking system. In particular, it affected BCA’s cash flow and even threatened its survival. Panic rush forced the bank to seek assistance from the...
, Bank Rakyat Indonesia
Bank Rakyat Indonesia
Bank Rakyat Indonesia or PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia , , is one of the larger banks in Indonesia. It specialises in small scale and microfinance style borrowing from and lending to its approximately 30 million retail clients through its over 4,000 branches, units and rural service posts...
, Bank Internasional Indonesia, and as well as Bank Negara Indonesia
Bank Negara Indonesia
Bank Negara Indonesia , commonly known as BNI, is an Indonesian bank. It branches primarily in Indonesia, but it can also found in Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London and New York. It had 1,000 branches and 9 million customers in 2006. It is quoted on the Indonesia Stock Exchange as...
.
Healthcare
Metro is served by three hospitals: Ahmad Yani General Hospital, Mardi Waluyo Hospital, and Metro Islamic Hospital. As of 2003, the total number of health care practitioners in Metro is 382, including 13 specialists, 30 general practitioners, 36 midwives, 121 nurses, and 8 dentists. There are also 19 pharmacies and 8 drug stores.Education
Metro is served by numerous public and private schools. There are 63 elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, 25 junior high schools (eight public and seventeen private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
), two junior high schools for special-needs children, 16 senior high schools, and 15 vocational school
Vocational school
A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...
s.
There are ten tertiary education
Tertiary education
Tertiary education, also referred to as third stage, third level, and post-secondary education, is the educational level following the completion of a school providing a secondary education, such as a high school, secondary school, university-preparatory school...
facilities located in Metro, namely:
- Muhammadiyah University of Metro
- Agus Salim Tarbiyah School of Higher Learning
- Ma’arif Islamic School of Higher Learning
- Metro State Islamic School of Higher Learning
- Dharma Wacana School of Athletic Education
- Dharma Wacana School of Management, IT and Computers
- Dharma Wacana School of Agriculture
- Dharma Wacana Nursing Academy
- Dharma Wacana School of Politics
- Metro Academy of Midwifery.