- published: 22 Jun 2015
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The Bogor Botanical Gardens (Indonesian: Kebun Raya) are located 60 km south of the capital of Jakarta in Bogor, Indonesia. The botanical gardens are situated in the city center of Bogor and adjoin the Istana Bogor (Presidential Palace). The gardens cover more than 80 hectares and were built by Java's Dutch Governor-General Gustaaf Willem, Baron van Imhoff who was governor of Java at the time.
The extensive grounds of the presidential palace were converted into the gardens by the German-born Dutch botanist, Professor Casper George Carl Reinwardt. The gardens officially opened in 1817 as 's Lands Plantentuin ('National Botanical Garden'). They were used to research and develop plants and seeds from other parts of the Indonesian archipelago for cultivation during the 19th century. This is a tradition that continues today and contributes to the garden's reputation as a major center for botanical research.
Today the garden contains more than 15,000 species of trees and plants located among streams and lotus ponds. There are 400 types of exceptional palms to be found along the extensive lawns and avenues, helping the gardens create a refuge for more than 50 different varieties of birds and for groups of bats roosting high in the trees. The bats can be easily detected by the noise they make while competing for space under the canopies. The orchid houses contain some 3000 varieties. In 1862, the Cibodas Botanical Gardens were founded as an extension of the Bogor garden at Cibodas, approximately 45 kilometers to the southeast of Bogor.
Istana Bogor is one of 6 Presidential Palaces in Indonesia. The palace is noted for its distinctive architectural, historical, features, as well as the adjoining botanical gardens. Istana Bogor was opened to the public in 1968 to public tour groups (not individuals), with the permission of the then President of Indonesia, Suharto. The number of visitors annually is approximately 10,000 people.
The gardens of the palace have an area of 284,000 square metres (28.4 hectares).
The original colonial building on the site of Istana Bogor was a mansion named Buitenzorg (also Sans Souci), which was built from August 1744 as a country retreat for the Dutch Governors, including also during the period of British administration. Notable occupants of the mansion include Herman Willem Daendels and Sir Stamford Raffles.
This building was substantially damaged by an earthquake in 1834, triggered by the volcanic eruption of Mount Salak. The palace was rebuilt into its present form in 1856— this time with only one storey instead of the original three, as a precaution against further earthquakes.
Bogor Regency Indonesian: Kabupaten Bogor is a regency (kabupaten) of West Java, Indonesia, south of DKI Jakarta, and bordered by Tangerang Regency, the cities of South Tangerang, Depok and Bekasi, and finally Bekasi Regency all to the north, and fully encircling Bogor City. It is considered a bedroom community for Jakarta.
The area has witnessed significant population growth. The 2010 census counted 4,770,744 people, of which 2,450,426 are male. Given that the regency covers 2,663.83 km2 after spinoffs of cities, the density stands at 1,791 people per km2.
Cibinong is its capital.
The regency is divided into 40 subdistricts (kecamatan).
In the regency of Bogor following nature reserves exist: