Bengkulu

Port and capital of Bengkulu province on the southwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia; population (1995 est) 262,100. It lies on the Indian Ocean, 289 km/180 mi southwest of Palembang. The settlement was established in 1685 by the British East India Company, and Fort Marlborough, built by the British in 1715, is still in use. Bengkulu continued as the only British colony in southeast Asia for 150 years. Under a treaty of 1824 the town was transferred to the Dutch in exchange for Maluku. The port is now an important trade centre for mining and agricultural produce, and exports gold, silver, coffee, pepper, maize, and cinchona bark. Local industries include the crafts of wood carving, basketry, and batik printing, as well as metalworking, textiles, and pottery. The city is served by an airport.

In 1938 the Indonesian nationalist leader Sukarno, who later became the first president of the Republic of Indonesia, was exiled to Bengkulu during the struggles against Dutch colonial rule. The Jamik Mosque is a noted landmark in the city, because it was built by Sukarno during his architectural career.