cirebon

Cirebon (formerly referred to as Cheribon in English) is a port city on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the province of West Java near the provincial border with Central Java, approximately 297 km east of Jakarta, at 6°43?S 108°34?E.

The seat of a former Sultanate, the city’s West and Central Java border location have seen its history influenced by both Sundanese andJavanese culture and also Chinese.^[1]

Etymology

Being on the border of “Sunda” (ie, West Java) and “Jawa” (ie, Central Java), many of Cirebon’s residents speak a dialect that is a mix ofSundanese and Javanese, and it is thought that the word “cirebon” derives from the Javanese word, caruban, meaning “mixed”, a reference to the city’s mix of Sundanese, Javanese, Chinese, and Arabic cultural elements. Alternatively, it could be derived from the Sundanese words of “Cai” (water or river) and “Rebon” (“shrimp”).^[1] (Indeed the main production of the city is fishery including shrimps.

Aside from fishery, its harbour, Tanjung Emas, on the Java Sea has been a major hub for timber from Borneo. A small landing site “Penggung” also serves the TNI-AU. The city lies on Jalur Pantura (Pantai Utara Jawa), a major road on the northern coast of Java that stretches from Anyer, passes through Jakarta, and ends at Surabaya.

History

Cirebon was one of the independent sultanates founded by Sunan Gunungjati of Demak in the early 16th century. Later the kingdoms ofBanten and Mataram fought over Cirebon, which declared its allegiance to Sultan Agung of Mataram but the city was ceded to the Dutch in the 1677.^[1] A treaty in 1705 saw Cirebon become a Dutch protectorate jointly administered by three sultans whose courts rivalled those of Central Java.^[1]

During the time of the Dutch “Culture System” a flourishing trade in colonial cash crops attracted many Chinese entrepreneurs and the Chinese influence is still evident in the batik for which Cirebon is famous^{[citation needed]}.^[1] Cirebon suffered a famine in 1844, apparently triggered by a combination of drought and the shift from subsistence agriculture to cash crops, particularly indigo and sugarcane.

Demographics and culture

The city’s population is 295,764 as of the Indonesia Census 2010 count.^[2] As with other coastal cities in Indonesia, a large population of ethnic Chinese has flocked into the city as a result of long-term Chinese immigration since the seventeenth century.

Cirebon itself is known as Grage in the Cirebon dialect of Javanese language, which came from the words “Negara Gede”, meaning “Great Kingdom.”

Although surrounded by Sundanese-speaking areas in West Java, linguists have stated clearly that Cirebon (and the historically related region of Serang city in Banten Province) are Javanese language areas. In addition, this is supported by the Cirebon people referring to themselves as “wong Jawa” (“Javanese people”), and to their language as “basa Jawa” (“Javanese”). However, the Cirebon dialect is sufficiently different from the dominant south central Javanese dialect that it is sometimes assumed to be non-Javanese by outsiders. See also: Java, languages map.

Batik textiles from Cirebon are particularly renowned. The Tari Topeng Cirebon, or Cirebon mask dance, is a dance style peculiar to the city.Tarling is a musical tradition reminiscent of Bandung’s kecapi suling music with except that it features guitar, suling (bamboo flute) and voice.^[1]

As a coastal city, Cirebon’s main industry is fishery. Its products include terasi (shrimp paste), shrimp crackers and salted fish. Cirebon is known for local foods, such as nasi lengko(rice mixed with bean sprouts, fried tofu, fried tempeh, topped with peanut sauce and soy sauce), nasi jamblang (rice of various side dishes), empal gentong ( a kind of curry ), tahu gejrot(fried tofu topped with thin and sweet soy sauce), tahu tek-tek (fried tofu topped with peanut sauce and mixed with vegetables) and ayam panggang (barbecue chicken). Another native food is “Docang” (lontong with sour vegetable soup).

Administration

Cirebon is divided into five subdistricts: Harjamukti, Kejaksan, Kesambi, Lemahwungkuk, and Pekalipan.

Palaces

Cirebon has four palaces – known as Kratons -

• Kraton Kasepuhan
• Kraton Kanoman
• Kraton Kacirebonan
• Kraton Keprabonan

Port of Cirebon

The Port of Cirebon was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1865, principally as an export point for spices, sugar cane and raw materials from West Java. Warehouses and open storage areas were developed by 1890, and a British American Tobacco cigarette factory was built in the early twentieth century.^{[citation needed]}

Port activity is dominated by bulk imports of coal, liquid asphalt and vegetable oils for the West Java hinterland. Until 2002, the port also catered for minor container trade and cruise shipping. In 2006 the port handled 3.27 million metric tons (MT) of trade, more than 90 percent as imports from other Indonesian ports

References

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