Provinces of Indonesia

Background

1. Development planning and control;
2. Planning, utilization, and community peace;
3. Implementation of public order and public peace;
4. Provision of public facilities and infrastructure;
5. Handling the health sector;
6. Education and allocation of potential human resources;
7. Handling social problems across regencies/cities;
8. Services in the field of manpower across regencies/cities;
9. Facilitating the development of cooperatives, small and medium enterprises, including across districts/cities;
10. Environmental control;
11. Defense services, including across regencies/cities;
12. Population and civil registration services;
13. Government general administration services;
14. Investment administration services, including across regencies/cities;
15. The implementation of other basic services that cannot be carried out by regencies/cities; and
16. Other mandatory affairs mandated by laws and regulations.

Special autonomy

• The Special Region of Yogyakarta, which was autonomous under Dutch rule, was given consideration for autonomy as part of Law no. 1 of 1945. Autonomy for Yogyakarta was confirmed directly through Law no. 3 of 1950, the first granting of special autonomy to a province. This status has been maintained until the present, with some tweaks from additional laws. Sultan Hamengkubuwono serves as a hereditary governor and Adipati Paku Alam as a hereditary vice-governor.
• Free [Aceh Movement|Rebellion] in Aceh due to demands for a stricter implementation of Islamic law has led to several shifts in political status. Specific autonomy was initially granted to the province through Law no. 24 of 1956. Further autonomy was given through the declaration that Aceh was a "special region" on 23 May 1959, later formalized through Law no. 18 of 1965. Following the fall of Suharto, Law no. 44 of 1999 and Law no. 18 of 2001 created a new framework that was adopted by both parties through Law no. 11 of 2006. This law provides privileged status regarding implementation of Islamic law in religious life, customary life and education for Muslim citizens. Aceh also received its own development fund for a period of 20 years.
• The province of Papua was granted special autonomy through Law no. 21 of 2001. This was a response to Papua Movement|independence movements] that had been present in the province since it became part of Indonesia, and occurred alongside the renaming of the province from Irian Jaya to Papua. This gave Papua a greater portion of revenue, autonomy outside reserved areas maintained by the central government, and 20 years of a special development fund. Before special autonomy was implemented, West Papua was split from Papua in 2003, although both kept special autonomy. The special autonomy for both provinces was renewed in 2021, including a renewal and increase of the special autonomy fund. Included in this new legislation was the provision to create new provinces, and in July 2022 new national legislation split South Papua, Central Papua, Highland Papua from Papua through Law Number 14 of 2022, Law Number 15 of 2022, and Law Number 16 of 2022 respectively. Law No. 29 of 2022 was enacted in December 2022 splitting Southwest Papua from West Papua. All the split provinces retained their autonomous status.
• The Special Capital Region of Jakarta has its own status, due to it being the country's capital and largest city.

Geographical units

Former provinces

New provinces made from currently-existing provinces

Renamed provinces

Former provincial capitals

• Tanjungpinang to Pekanbaru, Riau
• Jakarta to Bandung, West Java
• Singaraja to Denpasar, Bali
• Soasio to Sukarnopura, West Irian
• Dili, East Timor, later became the capital of Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
• Ternate to Sofifi, North Maluku
• Banjarmasin to Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan