kotamadya (municipality) and capital, Yogyakarta daerah istimewa (special district), Java, Indonesia. It lies 18 miles (29 km) inland from the southern Java coast and near Mount Merapi (Merapi, Mount) (9,551 feet 【2,911 m】).

In the 7th century the locality formed part of the Buddhist kingdom of Śailendras, which was contemporaneous with the Śrivijaya empire of Palembang (Sumatra). It was probably included in the later Kaḍiri and Singhasāri kingdoms that ruled the region successively. At the end of the 13th century the Hindu Majapahit empire rose in eastern Java, and what is now Yogyakarta passed under its rule. In the early 16th century, central Java had two Muslim kingdoms, Demak and Pajang, which were incorporated into the powerful Muslim kingdom of Mataram by Senapati Ingalaga (reigned 1584–1601). The Dutch became established in the region in 1602. After numerous conflicts, Mataram subdued the state of Surabaya in eastern Java in 1625 and gained general supremacy in the territory.

In rebellion against Dutch intervention in Javanese politics, Sultan Hamengkubuwana I moved his court from Kuta Gede to Yogya in Mataram in 1755 and renamed the town Yogyakarta. The British captured Yogyakarta in 1811, and Sultan Hamengkubuwana II was deposed and exiled. In 1816 the Dutch repossessed the island of Java, and by 1830 Dutch colonial rule was firmly established in the sultanate. After the period of Japanese occupation during World War II, the Republic of Indonesia was formed. The national capital was removed to Yogyakarta when the Dutch occupied Jakarta in 1946; it was moved back to Jakarta in 1950 upon independence, and Yogyakarta was given the status of a special district in the Republic of Indonesia. A severe earthquake in 2006, centred to the south near Bantul, killed scores of people in the city of Yogyakarta and caused widespread damage.

The city is famous as a cultural centre and for its handtooled silver products, batik, and leather goods. It also has railway workshops, textile mills, tanneries, and pharmaceutical factories. In Yogyakarta are the 18th-century palace (kraton) of the sultan (the only traditional ruler in Indonesia retaining any temporal power), a state university (Gadjah Mada University, founded 1949), the Hatta Foundation Library, the Sono Budoyo museum, an art academy, and a private university. The city also houses the kraton of the Paku Alam, another traditional ruler. Other tourist attractions are the nearby ancient temples of Borobuḍur and of Prambanan, the country around Kaliurang, a hill resort high on Mount Merapi, and the village of Kotagede, centre of the silver industry. The city has an airport and extensive rail and road connections. Pop. (1990) 412,392; (2000) 397,431.

daerah istimewa (special district), south-central Java, Indonesia. It is bounded on the west, north, and east by Jawa Tengah provinsi (“province”) and fronts the Indian Ocean on the south. The district includes the city of Yogyakarta.

Most of the western half of the special district comprises coastal plains, as much as 15 miles (24 km) wide, consisting of lava and ash soils that are frequently replenished by the volcanic discharges of the Merapi Mountains to the north. The eastern part of Yogyakarta is an extension of the Kendang Plateau, which runs east-west near the coast. The major rivers in the district are the Oyo and the Progo; they flow southward into the Indian Ocean. Agriculture and fishing are the principal means of livelihood of the people of the coastal lowlands. Their products include rice, rubber, copra, and sugar.

Yogyakarta is one of the more industrially developed areas in Indonesia, and its industries include railroad workshops, printing, textile making, tanning, food processing, and the production of transport equipment, paper, chemicals, and electrical machinery. A network of roads and railways links Yogyakarta city, the capital of the special district, with nearby Bantul, Magelang, and Surakarta. The population consists mainly of Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese Muslims. There are also numerous Chinese, Indians, and Europeans. A severe earthquak (earthquake)e in 2006 centred near Bantul killed several thousand people and caused widespread damage. Area 1,230 square miles (3,186 square km). Pop. (2000) 3,122,268.