Who are the Betawi?
Most of Indonesia’s 5 million Betawi people
live on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia’s
sprawling capital city on the island of Java.
The Betawi are considered the original
inhabitants of Jakarta, and are called after
“Batavia,” the colonial name for the city.
Betawi ancestry is a mixture of Portuguese,
Indian, Arab, Javanese, Sunda and Balinese,
among others. Since the 16th century, these
groups have intermingled in the Jakarta area.
In addition to intermarrying, they also developed
a unique form of the Malay language in
order to communicate. Today, the Betawi are
scattered throughout Jakarta, with the highest
concentrations living at the outer margins
of the city.