Malang is the second largest city in East Java province, Indonesia. It has an ancient history dating back to the Mataram Kingdom. The city population at the present time is around 780,000. During the period of Dutch colonization, it was a popular destination for European residents. The city is famous for its cool air and the surrounding country regions of Tumpang, Batu, Singosari, and Turen. People in East Java sometimes call it "Paris van East Java". Malang was spared many of the effects of the Asian financial crisis, and since that time it has been marked by steady economic and population growth.
Etymology
The name of Malang is taken from a temple namely Malang Kucecwara. The name of the temple is now applied to the motto of Malang. Malang Kucecwara literally means God has destroyed the false and enforced the right. Location of the temple is supposesedly located near modern Malang. But in modern Indonesian, Malang means "unfortunate", it's not related to Malang's etymology.
History
Hundreds, even thousands of years ago before Malang became the second biggest city in East Java, Malang used to be the centre of government of the Kanjuruhan and Singhasari Kingdom. In the following era, Malang regency became an important place when the government of Mataram Kingdom took hold of the area, making it the largest regency in East Java and since then the development of Malang regency has increased well.
The history of Malang Regency could be revealed through the Dinoyo inscription 760 AD as the primary official document to support the birth of Malang before a new inscription was discovered in 1986, which is so far not yet revealed. According to the inscription, it was concluded that the 8th century was the beginning of the existence of Malang Regency's government due to the birth of King Gajayana's ruling of his kingdom in Malang. From the Dinoyo inscriptions, it is noted that the inscription used the "Candra Sengkala" or "Cronogram" Calendar, and stated that the birth date of Malang Regency was on Jum'at Legi (sweet Friday) 28 November 760 AD. (L. Damaes: "Studed' Epigraphy d'Indonesia IV. 1952").
The city was incorporated into Mataram in 1614, then transferred to Dutch colonial rule. Malang was transformed under the Dutch; its cool climate which results from its elevation, along with its proximity to the major port of Surabaya, made it a popular destination for Dutch and other Europeans. In 1879, Malang was connected to Java's railroad network, further increasing development and leading to increased industrialization. Along with growth came urbanization. The government could not satisfy the population’s needs for affordable housing, which lead to the building of shanty towns along the rivers and rail tracks. Up until today, the shanty towns still exist; although some have been transformed into “better” housing.
Geography
Malang has a total area of 252,136 km2. It shares its borders with Pasuruan (North), Lumajang (East), and Batu (West).Mount Bromo, one of Java's largest volcanoes and a major tourist attraction, is located just to the east of the city. Malang is served by the Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport, a domestic airport with flights to Jakarta.
Demographics
There are roughly 1,175,282 people living in Malang. The population density is 10,000 – 17,000/km2, with population growth of 9.3% per year.
Language
Javanese and Madura language is the day-to-day language used by Malang people. Many of the native Malang youths adopt a dialect that is called 'boso walikan', it is simply done by reversing the pronunciation of the words, an example of this is by pronouncing “Malang” as “Ngalam” instead.
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Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
