Depok


Depok is a landlocked city in West Java province. It is located directly south of Jakarta, and it is the third largest urban center in the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area after Jakarta and Bekasi, covering an area of about 199.91 km2. Known as a center of education and commerce, the city had a population of 1,738,600 at the 2010 census and 2,056,400 at the 2020 census; the official estimate for mid 2024 was 2,163,635, resulting in a density of about 10,823 people per km2. Depok became an independent city on 20 April 1999, having previously been part of Bogor Regency. It is the second most populous suburban city in Indonesia after Bekasi, and among the ten most populous suburban cities in the world.

History

There are two possible origins of the name 'Depok'. The first suggests that the region was already known as Depok when the land was purchased by Cornelis Chastelein, a senior official in the Dutch East India Company, on 18 May 1696. The purchased land measured about 12.44 km2, approximately 6.2% of the current area of Depok. Aside from establishing plantations with the help of the local inhabitants, Chastelein was also engaged in missionary work, introducing Christianity to the local population. He founded a local congregation named De Eerste Protestante Organisatie van Christenen , and in the 1950s, some members of the Depok community in the Netherlands claimed that this acronym influenced the modern name of the city. An alternative explanation is that the name derives from the Indonesian word padepokan, as the site had previously been used as a religious retreat.
Before his death on 28 June 1714, Chastelein wrote a will that freed the enslaved families of Depok and granted them pieces of his land, transforming them into landowners.
Therefore, the 12 slave families became landowners and freed men, women, and their children.
The freed slaves are also referred to as the Mardijker's – and it originated from the word *Merdeka* or freedom in Bahasa Indonesia. Therefore, June 28 has been designated as Depokse Dag by the descendants of the original Depok family, and on 28 June 2014, to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Chastelein's will, they erected a 3-meter-high monument on their land, but the city government at the time prohibited it, citing its association with Dutch colonial history.
The 12 original Depok family names are:
  • Bacas
  • Isakh
  • Jacob
  • Jonathans
  • Joseph
  • Laurens
  • Leander
  • Loen
  • Sadokh
  • Samuel
  • Soedira
  • Tholense
The original slave families of Depok are of Balinese, Ambonese, Buginese, Sundanese and Portuguese Indo, i.e., Mestizo and Mardijker descent. Isakh, Jacob, Jonathans, Joseph, and Samuel were family names baptized by Chastelein after the slave families converted to Protestant Christianity. The other families retained their original names and might have been Christian already before joining Chastelein's Protestant church. Descendants of the original Depok families with the exception of the Sadokh family, still live in Indonesia, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada and the United States.
In 1871, the colonial government granted Depok a special status, allowing the area to establish its own local government headed by a council leader. This local governance ended in 1952, when the Depok administration transferred its authority to the Indonesian government, except for certain territories.
During the Bersiap period of 1945, Depok experienced violence, and some of its inhabitants were killed by the local youth groups. The instability caused by the Indonesian War of Independence led to several of the original Depok families to flee the town. Many of the surviving families later settled in the Netherlands and various other countries as part of the broader Indo community.
In March 1982, Depok was reclassified as an administrative city within Bogor Regency. On 20 April 1999, the city of Depok merged with some neighbouring districts of Bogor Regency to form an autonomous city, independent of the Regency, with an area of 199.91 km2. This date is commemorated as Depok's official establishment date.

Geology and climate

Located in a tropical country, Depok experiences two seasons, namely wet and dry seasons. The former usually happens between June and September, while the latter on October until May.
Depok is situated on a geological basement dominated by alluvial deposits. Gravitational data from ESA-MWT studies indicate variations in subsurface rock density beneath the area, supporting the presence of these deposits. The finding has been corroborated by other geological surveys. The alluvial layers are located approximately 0–68 meters above a bedrock formation dating from the Pleistocene epoch.
Two major rivers flow through Depok: the Ciliwung River and the Pesanggrahan River. Depok also has 13 tributaries and 22 lakes spread across districts around the city.

Administration

Depok is headed by a mayor, with a legislative assembly. Both the mayor and the members of the legislative assembly are elected by direct vote.

Mayors

The city of Depok is divided into eleven districts, tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2024. The table also includes the number of administrative villages in each district and its postal codes.
Kode
Wilayah		Name of
District
Area
in
km2		Pop'n
census
2010		Pop'n
census
2020		Pop'n
estimate
mid 2024		No.
of
kelurahan		Post
codes
32.76.01Pancoran Mas18.05210,514245,000254,701616431 - 16436
32.76.02Cimanggis21.78241,979252,000251,002616451 - 16454
32.76.03Sawangan26.07123,571178,900202,456716511 - 16519
32.76.04Limo11.8987,953115,700126,167416512 - 16515
32.76.05Sukmajaya17.37232,308252,500255,723616411 - 16418
32.76.06Beji14.63165,903171,700170,627616421 - 16426
32.76.07Cipayung11.375127,917171,600188,488516436 - 16439
32.76.08Cilodong15.38125,014168,200184,950516413 - 16415
32.76.09Cinere10.53107,461101,700100,988416512 - 16514
32.76.10Tapos33.43216,215263,400278,704716451 - 16459
32.76.11Bojongsari19.4199,735135,700149,829716516 - 16518
Total city199.911,738,5702,056,4002,163,63563

Demographics

Ethnic groups

The ethnic groups characteristics in the population of Depok are diverse. Based on data from the 2000 Indonesian census, the majority of the Depok population's are Betawi, Javanese, and Sundanese. Significant numbers also come from the Sumatran ethnic groups, namely Batak and Minangkabau. The Betawi people and a small number of Sundanese people in the eastern part of the city are recognized as the indigenous people of Depok. The following is the population of Depok City based on ethnicity according to data from the 2000 Indonesian census;

Languages

In Depok there are areas where the majority of the people speak Sundanese language, namely Leuwinanggung, Cimpaeun, and Cilangkap urban villages in Tapos district. There are also several other districts whose people speak Sundanese language, as in Cimanggis and Cilodong. However, overall, Betawi language is the regional language most widely used in Depok, namely the Betawi Ora dialect or locally known as bahasa Depok. Then, because of the large number of immigrants from all over Indonesia, the lingua franca used is Indonesian language.

Facilities

Commerce

Depok has a growing eclectic collection of malls and traditional markets. Older malls or other notable shopping centers include D'mall Depok, Ciplaz Depok, and SixtyOne Building, and ITC Depok. Depok has many local restaurants and has wide presence of international chains.
There are many shopping centers in Depok, such as:
  • Depok Town Square — commonly referred to as DeTos
  • Margo City
  • Pesona Square
  • Depok Town Center
  • City Plaza Depok
  • Cinere Mall
  • Cinere Bellevue Mall
  • Cimanggis Square
  • Trans Studio Mall Cibubur
  • The Park Sawangan shopping mall
Traditional markets include Pasar Depok Baru, Pasar Depok Lama, Pasar Kemiri, Pasar PAL, Pasar Agung, Pasar Musi, Pasar Cisalak, and Pasar Majapahit.

Parks

Alun Alun Depok or Depok Square is equipped with various sports facilities such as a basketball court, futsal, skateboard, wall climbing, BMX arena, children's playground, fish pond, fountain, and others. Godongijo Conservation and Education Park is located in Depok. The park provides children and teachers alike the ability to get up close and personal with nature. There are also other children's amusement parks in the city such as Depok Fantasi Waterpark, Taman Pemuda Pratama, and Pondok Zidane.