## Jakarta: The National Monument

The National Monument or Monas, the symbolic centre of Indonesian independence, shows up clearly as the very bright spot in the middle of a red and green rectangle in the northcentral part of this image. The rectangle is Medan Merdeka or Freedom Square. The bright spot to its northeast is the Istiqlal Mosque. The Presidential Palace is the red patch with bright spots to the northwest of the square. Medan Merdeka is surrounded by boulevards, important government buildings, and the National Museum. To the north and the east lies the densely built-up area of Central Jakarta. South of the Medan Merdeka, a pattern of streets which resembles the outline of a kite marks the prestigious residential and diplomatic district of Menteng.

Several important thoroughfares of Jakarta pass through this important area. To the northwestern corner, the Olympic Stadium is the red centre in a green patch. It is surrounded by large open grounds. Beyond it, towards south, is the beginning of the district of Kebayoran Baru.