Batavia, Dutch East Indies

Batavia, Dutch East Indies

Batavia, circa 1780

Batavia was the name of the capital city of the Dutch East Indies and corresponds to the present-day city of Jakarta. Just as modern Jakarta may refer to either the city itself or to the larger area of the city, with its geographic surroundings, which taken together is one of the provinces of Indonesia, Batavia can refer to the city proper as it existed then, with its various increases over time in urbanized acreage, or can refer to the surrounding hinterland.