Monday, August 27, 2007
PLACE IF INTEREST: PALEMBANGPalembang is a city in the southeast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra and is the capital of the province of South Sumatra. Center of a powerful Hindu kingdom in the seventh and eighth centuries. Became a Dutch trading post in 1617 and was later occupied intermittently by the British.
HISTORY OF PALEMBANGThe city was once the capital of the ancient, partly Hindu partly Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya that controlled a large part of what is now Malaysia and Indonesia. Following a 1025 raid by the Chola Empire of southern India it began to gradually decline in importance. Srivijaya's capital eventually moved northward to Jambi. Palembang is also the origin of Parameswara, the ruler of Malacca (a state in Malaysia) which established the most important empire in Malaysian history.
The architectural legacy of Dutch colonization is still visible in the city. Deep-water port facilities are built along the Musi River, which flows through the city. The naval Battle of Palembang was fought near the city during the Second World War between February 13-February 15, 1942.
Palembang a capital of South Sumatra province, on SE Sumatra, Indonesia. The island's largest city, it is a deepwater port on both banks of the Musi River and the trade and shipping center for the Sumatra oil fields. Rubber, coffee, and coal are also exported. There are large oil refineries, rubber plants, textile mills, fertilizer factories, and food-processing plants. Palembang in the 8th century, was the capital of the powerful Hindu-Sumatran kingdom of Sri Vijaya. The Dutch began trading there in 1617, and later it was intermittently under British rule. The sultanate of Palembang was abolished by the Dutch in 1825. Palembang is the seat of Sriwidjaja State Univ.
ECONOMY OF PALEMBANGPalembang's economy has been developed significantly since it became a host for National Sporting Event in 2004. The city government has set a revenue target of IDR 3.5 billion from advertising alone. Palembang is also one of hosts of the 2007 AFC Cup.
This city is famous in Indonesia for its "Pempek" fish cakes.
FACTS ABOUT PALEMBANGArea - City 400.5 km [square] (154.6 sq mi)
Population (1,290,000)- City 1,441,500
- Density 3,599/km [square] (9,321.4/sq mi)
-Time zone WIB (UTC+7)
as told by us;
12:29 AM
