Ambon, Maluku
Ambon | |
|---|---|
| City of Ambon Kota Ambon | |
governor office of Maluku | |
| Motto: Bersatu Manggurebe Maju | |
Location within Maluku | |
OpenStreetMap | |
Location in Maluku and Indonesia | |
| Coordinates: 3°41′48″S 128°10′42″E / 3.69667°S 128.17833°E | |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Region | Maluku |
| Province | Maluku |
| Incorporated | 7 September 1575 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bodewin Wattimena (indp.) |
| • Vice Mayor | Elly Toisutta |
| • Legislature | Ambon City Regional House of Representatives |
| Area | |
• Total | 359.45 km2 (138.78 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3 m (10 ft) |
| Population (mid 2023 estimate) | |
• Total | 354,052 |
| • Density | 980/km2 (2,600/sq mi) |
| Area code | (+62) 911 |
| Website | ambon.go.id |
Ambon (formerly Dutch: Amboina) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Maluku. This city is also known as Ambon Manise, which means "beautiful" or "pretty" Ambon in the Ambonese language. It covers a land area of 359.45 square kilometres (138.78 sq mi), and had a population of 331,254 at the 2010 Census and 347,288 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 354,052. The city is divided into five administrative districts (kecamatan) – namely Nusaniwe, Sirimau, Teluk Ambon (Ambon Bay), Baguala (officially Teluk Ambon Baguala) and Leitimur Selatan (South Leitimur). Known as Indonesia's music city, Ambon became the first city in Southeast Asia to be recognised as the UNESCO City of Music in 2019.
The city is populated by a mix of ethnic Alifuru (original Moluccans), Javanese, Balinese, Butonese, Bugis, Makassar, Papuan, Minahasa, Minang, Flobamora (Flores, Sumba, Alor and Timor ethnics) and those of foreign descent (Chinese, Arabian-Ambonese, Spanish-Ambonese, German-Ambonese, Portuguese-Ambonese and Dutch-Ambonese). Between 1999 and 2002, there was social unrest motivated by racial intolerance.