Bengkulu

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Province of Bengkulu

Motto: Ikan sejerek, bere secupak, madarrr!
Capital	Bengkulu (city)
Governor	Agusrin Maryono Najamuddin
Area	19,788.70 km²
Population	1,564,000 (2000)
Ethnic groups	Javanese (22%), Rejang (21%), Serawai (18%)
Religion	Islam
Languages	Bengkulu, Indonesian
Time zone	WIB (UTC+7)
Web site	[1]

Bengkulu is a province of Indonesia. It is on the southwest coast of the island of Sumatra, and borders the provinces of West Sumatra, Jambi, South Sumatra and Lampung. The capital and largest city of the province is also called Bengkulu, located at 3°48′S 102°15′E. It was formerly the site of a British garrison, which they called Bencoolen.

The province has a population of 1,405,060 (2000 census). The province also includes Enggano Island.

Contents 1 History 2 Economy 3 Regencies 4 References

[edit] History

The British East India Company established a long-running pepper-trading center and garrison at Bengkulu (Bencoolen) in 1685. In 1714 the British built Fort Marlborough in the city; the fort still stands. The trading post was never financially profitable for the British, hampered by a location Europeans found unpleasant, and, more importantly, an inability to find sufficient pepper to buy.

Despite these difficulties, the British persisted, maintaining the presence there for 150 years before ceding it to the Dutch as part of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 to focus attention on Malacca. Like the rest of present-day Indonesia, Bengkulu remained a Dutch colony until after World War II.

During Sukarno's imprisonment by the Dutch in the early 1930s, the future first president of Indonesia lived briefly in Bengkulu. Here he met his wife, Fatmawati, who gave him several children. The most famous being the first female President of Indonesia, Megawati Sukarnoputri.

[edit] Economy

Coal mining is a major economic activity in Bengkulu. Three active coal mining companies produce between 200,000 and 400,000 tons of coal per year, which is exported to Malaysia, Singapore, South Asia, and Northeast Asia.

Fishing, especially of tuna and mackerel, is an important activity. Agricultural products exported by the province include ginger, bamboo shoots, and rubber.

Bengkulu's people are depending in working at government. That's why, civil servant recruitment become hottest issue in this one of the poorest province in Indonesia, even Southeast Asia.

[edit] Regencies

Bengkulu is divided into following regencies:

• South Bengkulu
• North Bengkulu
• Kaur
• Kepahiang
• Lebong
• Muko-Muko
• Rejang Lebong
• Seluma

[edit] References

• Reid, Anthony (ed.). 1995. Witnesses to Sumatra: A traveller's anthology. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press. pp. 125-133.
  • Reprints of British-era primary source material
• Wilkinson, R.J. 1938. Bencoolen. Journal of the Malayan Branch Royal Asiatic Society. 16(1): 127-133.
  • Overview of the British experience in Bencoolen

Provinces of Indonesia

Sumatra: Aceh | North Sumatra | West Sumatra | Bengkulu | Riau | Riau Islands | Jambi | South Sumatra | Lampung | Bangka-Belitung Java: Jakarta | West Java | Banten | Central Java | Yogyakarta | East Java Kalimantan: West Kalimantan | Central Kalimantan | South Kalimantan | East Kalimantan Lesser Sunda Islands: Bali | West Nusa Tenggara | East Nusa Tenggara Sulawesi: West Sulawesi | North Sulawesi | Central Sulawesi | South Sulawesi | South East Sulawesi | Gorontalo Maluku Islands and New Guinea: Maluku | North Maluku | West Irian Jaya | Papua