Immigration AND Urbanization

TEKS EXPLANATION

Immigration

Why do people leave their homes for an unknown future in a new land? In modern times the main reasons have been economic. Often people fled because of poverty, even terrible famines such as those that afflicted Ireland in the 1800's. These people saw little future in their own lands. They often heard stories of a better life from people who had emigrated earlier.

Some people have left their native lands because their political beliefs were unpopular. In the 1900's many people have been forced to emigrate because of war. After World War II, many Europeans had no home to return to. In the 1970's, the wars in Indo China created hundreds of thousand of refugees.

Improvement in transportation have made immigration easier in modern times. The building of railroads in the 1800's made travel overland easier. After 1850, the steamship made crossing oceans faster and easier. Later the Airplane made it possible for people to travel from one continent to another in a matter of hours. Changes in communications have also encouraged immigation. Today television, radio and internet bring news of far-off countries into homes everywhere.

Urbanization

Urbanization is a usual trend in Indonesia, especially in big cities. It increases the population in urban areas. In 1930, there were only 7 towns with the population of over 100.000, and only nine percent of the population lived in urban areas. In the census 1990, this number had grown to 30 percent which represented 55 millions people. The rapidity of urban growth, especially since the independence, has burdened the urban infrastructures and planning efforts of urban authorities and central government. In 1970, Jakarta government announced that the city was 'closed' to all new migrants. The Jakarta government would only give the identification card to the people if they could prove that they had a job and a house to live. In fact this effort to block Jakarta's population was failed. Despite the failure of this policy, one of the key objectives of rural development programs is to keep people 'on the farm". The failure to stop the tide of movement to urban areas shows the goverment inability to control urbanization.

Four metropolitan cities or 'mega-cities' dominate Indonesia's urban hierarchy: Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Medan. Especially Jakarta, with its population has been the eight largest urban in the world. As a result, the planning documents now are discusing about Jabodetabek - an area which includes the neighbouring kabupaten of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, as well as Jakarta. Those areas are named 'Extended Metropolitan regions.'

Consequences of rapid and uncontrolled urban growth are the development of unlawful resident and dirty over crowded house, over-stretched transportation system, inadequate waste disposal infrastructure, pollution, low level of clean water supply, increased number of poor people, and ineffective plan. All migrants are aware of the challenges that await them in urban areas than in the countryside. 

Urbanization

Urbanization is a usual trend in Indonesia, especially in big cities. It increases the population in urban areas. In 1930, there were only 7 towns with the population of over 100.000, and only nine percent of the population lived in urban areas. In the census 1990, this number had grown to 30 percent which represented 55 millions people. The rapidity of urban growth, especially since the independence, has burdened the urban infrastructures and planning efforts of urban authorities and central government. In 1970, Jakarta government announced that the city was 'closed' to all new migrants. The Jakarta government would only give the identification card to the people if they could prove that they had a job and a house to live. In fact this effort to block Jakarta's population was failed. Despite the failure of this policy, one of the key objectives of rural development programs is to keep people 'on the farm". The failure to stop the tide of movement to urban areas shows the goverment inability to control urbanization.

Four metropolitan cities or 'mega-cities' dominate Indonesia's urban hierarchy: Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Medan. Especially Jakarta, with its population has been the eight largest urban in the world. As a result, the planning documents now are discusing about Jabodetabek - an area which includes the neighbouring kabupaten of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, as well as Jakarta. Those areas are named 'Extended Metropolitan regions.'

Consequences of rapid and uncontrolled urban growth are the development of unlawful resident and dirty over crowded house, over-stretched transportation system, inadequate waste disposal infrastructure, pollution, low level of clean water supply, increased number of poor people, and ineffective plan. All migrants are aware of the challenges that await them in urban areas than in the countryside.