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Jakarta Indonesia’s new national capital, to be built on Borneo island, will be named “Nusantara,” a minister said on Monday. The national parliament is expected to pass a bill on the new capital on Tuesday, paving the way for the start of its construction this year. “I have received a confirmation from Mr President that the new capital is named Nusantara,” National Development Minister Suharso Monoarfa told reporters. Nusantara, which means archipelago, is an old name for the Malay archipelago, which includes Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and southern parts of the Philippines. President Joko Widodo announced in 2019 plans to build a whole new capital in the jungles of Borneo, somewhere half-way between the cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda. (agencies)
