Jayapura (formerly Dutch: Hollandia) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Papua. It is situated on the northern coast of New Guinea island and covers an area of 940.0 km2 (362.9 sq mi). The city borders the Pacific Ocean and Yos Sudarso Bay to the north, the country of Papua New Guinea to the east, Keerom Regency to the south, and Jayapura Regency to the west.
With a population of 398,478 according to the 2020 census, Jayapura is the most populous city in the entire island of New Guinea, surpassing Port Moresby, the national capital of Papua New Guinea. It is also the fastest-growing city in Indonesia, with the population increasing by 55.23% since the previous census in 2010. The official estimate as at mid 2022 was 410,852 (comprising 218,356 males and 192,496 females).Jayapura is the fourth largest city by economy in Eastern Indonesia—after Makassar, Denpasar, and Manado—with an estimated 2016 GDP at Rp19.48 trillion. Jayapura has a very high Human Development Index (HDI) at 0.801.
Drinking in Jayapura is limited. Most restaurants will serve Bintang beer if you ask; however, it may not necessarily be cold. There are some bars and nightclubs in Entrop (5-min drive from the city), but they are not heavily frequented. The Swiss Belhotel bar is nice, but quiet.
Abepura markets are a large local market in Abepura (20-min drive from Jayapura). This market caters to locals and as such does not stock tourist items.
Jayapura city markets seem to be open every night and sell a broad range of items. Although most are for local consumption, cheap clothes, accessories, DVDs, etc., can be found here. Local produce is also sold at these markets and makes for an interesting walk.
A number of hotels can be found in the city.
| address= | lat=-2.576944 | l140.516111 | directiabout 30 km west of the city centre | ph | tollfree= | hours= | price= | wikipedia=Sentani International Airport | image=Bandara-Sentani online.jpg | wikidata=Q963169 | cVirtually every national carrier in Indonesia flies from either Jakarta, Denpasar, or Makassar. It also acts as a transit point for flying deeper into the smaller cities and various settlements in Papua. Flights from Jakarta take nearly 6 hours and many include a stopover in Makassar. }} Do not miss the view when you are landing, as the curvy green hills bumps above the blue lake, a good first impression of Papua's unspoiled nature.
The public transport system consists of numerous minivans which have their destination route printed on the side. Each trip usually costs Rp6,000 per person.
Dedicated drivers can be arranged through the Swiss-Bel hotel for around Rp800,000 per day.
Papua has always been considered the most ignored part of Indonesia, in terms of development and tourism; a reputation that stems from the very far distance from other big cities in the nation. Jayapura began as a trading post nestled on a bay right at the centre of New Guinea, further developed by the Dutch in the 1900s as a port of entry to explore Eastern New Guinea, and gave the name Hollandia which means "the village of the Dutch".
The area houses the frontline of the United States Air Force in World War II by General Douglas MacArthur for the 1945 Philippine Conquest and to prevent Japan from taking over New Guinea and Australia to its south. After the war though, after Indonesia gained its independence, the Dutch refused to relinquish the territory until a 1962 referendum supervised by the UN gave the territory to Indonesia. The city was renamed "Sukarnopura" for the Indonesian leader's contribution to freeing the land from the Dutch.
The city name reverted to Jayapura before the colonisation in 1968. The Indonesian government's transmigration policy has further populated the area with residents, especially from Java. Jayapura is perhaps the most diverse city you can find in Papua. The traditional Papuan races have blended in well with migrants from other parts of Indonesia.
