Jambi is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Jambi. Located on the island of Sumatra, the city is a busy port on the Batang Hari River and an oil- and rubber-producing centre. The city is located from the ruins of Muaro Jambi Temple Compounds, an important city in the ancient Srivijaya kingdom.

Nearby towns and villages include Mendalo (), Kinati (), Padang (), Tanjung Johor (), Paal Merah (), and Muara Kumpe (). Jambi City itself is an enclave within Muaro Jambi Regency.

Jambi is served by the Sultan Thaha Airport.

History The history of the city of Jambi is inextricably linked with ancient Malay kingdoms and the maritime trade that flourished in this region for centuries. The city emerged as one of the key centres on the island of Sumatra, playing a vital role in the economic and cultural life of Southeast Asia.

The first settlements in the territory of modern Jambi appeared due to the existence of the ancient Melayu Kingdom, which is mentioned in Chinese chronicles as early as the 7th century. The Chinese Buddhist monk and traveller Yijing visited the state of Melayu during his journey to India in 671, which historians believe was located in this very region. Later, this territory became a crucial part of the powerful maritime empire of Srivijaya, which dominated the region from the 7th to the 13th centuries. Jambi, alongside Palembang, was one of the key hubs of this empire.

In the Srivijaya era, Jambi became a significant centre of Buddhism. Evidence of this is the Muaro Jambi temple complex, one of the largest in Southeast Asia, built between the 11th and 13th centuries. This complex served not only as a religious site but also as an educational centre. The city's economy depended entirely on river and maritime trade, making it a prosperous and cosmopolitan hub where different cultures and peoples met. The state of Tanah Pilih, the predecessor of modern Jambi, was founded on 28 May 1401, and became the Sultanate of Jambi in 1615, a wealthy centre for the trade of pepper and gold.

The Sultanate of Jambi entered into trade relations with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the mid 17th century, marking the beginning of European influence in the region. The Dutch intervened in 1858 in the internal affairs of the Sultanate, installing their own appointee and gaining control over the region's economy. After prolonged resistance, Dutch colonial troops finally conquer the Sultanate in 1904, killing the last Sultan, Thaha Syaifuddin, in battle.

Following the Japanese occupation of 1942 to 1945 during World War II, Jambi became part of the proclaimed independent Republic of Indonesia on 17 August 1945. Jambi City was denoted as the administrative capital of the Jambi Autonomic Area by the Governor of Sumatra on 17 May 1946. In 1956, Jambi city was given its city status, and eventually became the capital of Jambi Province on 6 January 1957.

Geography The total land area of Jambi city is . Jambi city is located in the southwestern portion of the Sumatran Basin, a low-lying area in Eastern Sumatra with an altitude of 0 to 60m above sea level. A segment of the Batang Hari River, the longest river in Sumatra at , flows through Jambi City.

Demographics

Jambi city is the most populated city in Jambi Province, with 606,200 inhabitants (17% of the province's population) living in this city in 2020;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as of mid 2025 was 642,264 (comprising 322,847 males and 319,417 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kota Jambi Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1571) The city is a very diverse and multi-ethnic, consisting of Jambi Malays (27.84%), Javanese (22.05%), Minangkabau (12.64%), Malays (11.47%), Chinese (6.82%), Batak (6.62%), Sundanese (4.47%), and Bugis (2.03%).

Administrative districts At the time of the 2010 Census, the city of Jambi was subdivided into eight administrative districts (kecamatan), but during the following decade, three additional districts were added by the splitting of existing districts - Alam Barajo, Danau Sipin and Paal Merah. The districts are listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as of mid 2025.<Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kota Jambi Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1571) The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (all classed as urban kelurahan), and their postcodes.

Kode Wilayah Name of District(kecamatan) Areain km2 Pop'n 2010Census Pop'n 2020Census Pop'n mid 2025Estimate Admin centre No. of subdistrictsPostcodes 15.71.07 Kota Baru 27.26 139,359 80,062 87,153 Paal Lima5 36126 - 36128 15.71.09 Alam Baraja 36.06 (a)108,196 118,297 Bagan Pete5 36125 - 36129 15.71.02 Jambi Selatan (South Jambi) 7.60 124,280 56,929 60,148 Pakuan Baru5 36131 - 36139 15.71.11 Paal Merah 24.26 (a) 105,906 115,062 Talang Bakung5 36139 - 36148 15.71.08 Jelutung 7.62 60,544 59,442 60,944 Jelutung7 36133 - 36137 15.71.04 Pasar Jambi 1.67 12,800 11,193 11,470 Pasar4 36111 - 36134 15.71.01 Telanaipura 20.33 92,366 49,212 50,530 Telanai Pura6 36122 - 36129 15.71.10 Danau Sipin 7.28 (a) 43,375 44,515 Murni5 36121 - 36129 15.71.06 Danau Teluk 13.44 11,824 12,822 13,152 Olak Kemang5 36261 - 36265 15.71.05 Pelayangan 10.69 12,861 12,93913,266 Ulu Gedong6 36251 - 36256 15.71.03 Jambi Timur (East Jambi) 13.68 77,823 66,124 67,727 Tanjung Pinang9 36141 - 36149 Totals 169.89 531,857 606,200 642,264 Kota Baru62 Note: (a) the 2010 populations of these new districts are included with the figure for the district from which they were cut.

Climate Jambi has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) according to the Köppen climate classification, with a minimum temperature of and a maximum temperature of . The level of humidity ranges from 82 to 28%. The annual rainfall of Jambi City is , with the rainy season lasting from October to March with 20 rainy days a month. The dry season lasts from April to September with an average of 16 rainy days a month.

Transportation

The city is served by Sultan Thaha Airport, which has connections to Jakarta, Batam, Palembang, Medan, Bengkulu, Bandar Lampung, and Pekanbaru. Trans-Sumatran Highway crosses the city. Jambi Port is located over the Batang Hari River. Public transportation includes angkot and ojek. Ride-sharing services Grab and Gojek are also available.

Education Ma'had Ubay bin Kaab is a Sunni Islamic boarding school located in Jambi.

Media The oldest newspaper in the Jambi region is Jambi Independent, part of Jawa Pos Group. Several other newspapers such as Tribun Jambi, Jambi Ekspres and Metro Jambi are also available.

The privately owned Jek TV and Jambi TV are the local TV stations based in Jambi. The public TVRI Jambi also covers the city.

Twin towns – sister cities

Jambi City is twinned with:

Kupang, Indonesia Ermera, East Timor Ainaro, East Timor Kulim, Malaysia

Notable people The city was the birthplace of sex offender Reynhard Sinaga (born 19 February 1983), described by the UK Crown Prosecution Service as "the most prolific rapist in British legal history".

References

External links

Official site