Critics say the new name 'Nusantara' could be confusing and that the move itself fails to take environmental factors into consideration.
Indonesia is relocating its capital from Jakarta, on the island of Java to Nusantara, meaning 'archipelago' in Javanese, located in the province of East Kalimantan by 2024. The Parliament has already approved a bill to relocate the capital from Jakarta to a site on the island of Borneo that will be named 'Nusantara'.
The idea of building a new capital 1,300km (800 miles) away on the island of Borneo was first proposed in 2019 by President Joko Widodo but got delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This change of capital is in an effort to relieve the huge environmental challenges facing Jakarta, and to redistribute wealth.
But critics say the new name could be confusing and that the move itself fails to take environmental factors into consideration.
Why the decision has been taken
The environmental issues in Jakarta, the world's most populous island, have been increasing.
It has become crowded, polluted and is sinking at an alarming rate due to the over-extraction of groundwater.
Home to more than 10 million people, present capital Jakarta sits on swampy land on the large island of Java.
Capital city of Jakarta city has been reportedly experiencing financial inequality.
Air pollution is a serious issue in the city, which has a population of almost 11 million people.
Due to traffic jams in Jakarta, police convoys are required to escort government ministers.
Jakarta has been sinking and experts have said that many parts of the city would submerge by 2050.
Government hopes it can relieve Jakarta of its problems, including chronic congestion, floods and air pollution.
New capital and its challenges
Home to only 3.7 million people, mineral-rich East Kalimantan is known for its jungles and orangutan population.
The new capital is a symbol of the identity of the nation, as well as a new centre of economic gravity.
Critics argue the construction of the new city in East Kalimantan will lead to the expansion of palm-oil plantations.
They also argue that the construction will lead to logging in an area rich in diverse wildlife and lush rainforests.
The indigenous people of Borneo say that their environment and culture could be endangered by the move.
The announcement of the new capital city's name 'Nusantara' has also sparked some debate on social media.
Some say new name could be confusing as Nusantara is an old Javanese term used to refer to the archipelago nation.
The move will cost an estimated 466 trillion rupiah or USD 32.4bn and will be one of the biggest infrastructure projects.
Which other countries changed their capitals
Brazil changed its capital city from Rio De Janeiro to Brasilia in 1960.
Nigeria replaced Lagos with Abuja as the country's capital in 1991.
Kazakhstan relocated its capital from Almaty to Nur Sultan in 1997.
Indonesia will be the third country in Southeast Asia to relocate its capital city.
Malaysia moved its administrative capital from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya in 2003.
In 2006, Myanmar changed its capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw.
Islamabad officially became the capital of Pakistan on August 14, 1967 from Karachi.
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