Читать книгу Geography For Dummies - Jerry T. Mitchell - Страница 21

Now consider this question: Why is Jakarta the capital city of Indonesia? That’s right, “Why?” This question involves analysis and explanation. The capital of Indonesia could be any number of cities. Indeed, several cities have been over its history with Jakarta finally assuming the role in 1949. But there’s a catch to this question now. Indonesia has a plan in place to create a new capital city farther east in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. This is serious business as a country doesn’t just decide to move its capital every day. But this has been done before (just ask Brazil or Nigeria). So why are Indonesians considering moving theirs? Here are a couple of reasons:

 An unpleasant setting: Jakarta is densely populated, has overburdened infrastructure, is sinking due to over withdrawal of groundwater, and floods frequently. A new location would allow growth and it would be generally free from environmental hazards such as volcanoes and earthquakes.

 In the middle of it all: Jakarta is on the western edge of the country. East Kalimantan is in the middle. Having the capital in the center of the country is important because Indonesia is flung across thousands of miles. A central location does more to integrate the citizenry and a central location also maximizes access to the seat of power.

To sum up, I asked two questions: “What is the capital of Indonesia?” and “Why is Jakarta the capital of Indonesia?” Nothing is wrong with either question. But I trust you agree that the second is the more profound of the two. It calls for a deeper, more analytical brand of thinking and it leaves you with a more penetrating perspective on the geography of Indonesia and the significance of a number of factors. It can also lead us to other questions such as “What would it take for Indonesia to consider moving its capital? And if it did, what geographic conditions would be necessary in deciding on a new location?” Chapter 2 expands on how to “think” geographically.