Madiun, East Java, Indonesia

🇮🇩 Madiun (ꦑꦸꦛꦩꦝꦶꦪꦸꦤ꧀,  Kutha Madhiun) is a landlocked city in the western part of East Java, Indonesia, known for its agricultural center. The city has been administratively separate from the surrounding Madiun Regency since the formation of the two bodies in 1950, but the city remained the seat of the regency administration until 2010. Madiun is commonly known as "Kota Gadis", which is an acronym for "Trading, Education and Industrial City" in Indonesian and sometimes known as Milaan van Java in Dutch language.

Madiun, located 169 km (105 mi) south-west of Surabaya and 38 km (24 mi) south-east of Ngawi, covers an area of 33.23 square km (12.83 sq mi), and had a population of 170,964 at the 2010 Census and 195,175 at the 2020 Census; the latest official estimate (as of mid 2023) is 202,544 (comprising 99,319 males and 103,225 females). This city is an average of 63 metres (207 ft) above sea level and lies on the Madiun River, a tributary of the Bengawan Solo River. It is surrounded by a number of mountains, including Mount Wilis (2,169 m (7,116 ft)) to the east, to the south the Kapur Selatan range (500–1,000 m (1,600–3,300 ft)) and to the west Mount Lawu (3,285 m (10,778 ft)).

Administrative districts The city is divided into three districts (kecamatan).

Madiun Affair Madiun was the site of a noted uprising in 1948 by elements of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), the "Madiun Affair". After the signing of the Renville Agreement that year, guerrilla units and militias under the influence of PKI were ordered to disband. In Madiun a group of PKI militia refused to disarm and were killed in September. The killings sparked a violent uprising. Army sources claimed that the PKI had announced the proclamation of the "Soviet Republic of Indonesia" on 18 September with Musso as its president and Amir Sjarifuddin as its prime minister.

The uprising was suppressed by republican troops. On 30 September, Madiun was taken over by republican troops of the Silwangi Division. Thousands of party cadres were killed and 36,000 were imprisoned. Amongst the executed PKi members were several leaders including Muso killed on 31 October, allegedly while trying to escape from prison. Other PKI leaders such as D.N. Aidit went into exile in China.

Transport: Road Madiun is on the main road to Yogyakarta and Jakarta.

Transport: Rail The county is also crossed by railway lines across southern Java. Significant cities and districts are: • Caruban • Saradan • Dolopo • Dagangan • Balerejo

Geography: Topography The northern part of Madiun is a hilly region, which is part of the Kendeng Mountains. The middle part is a plateau and undulating, being the south-east part of the Mount Wilis - Mount Liman mountain range.

Agriculture and crafts Prominent activities are: • farming of rice, soybeans, and pulses • plantations of cocoa, coffee, mango, durian, rambutan, and forest products • processed products, such as teak wood crafts

Durian and cocoa are cultivated in Dagangan District and Kare District. There is a Coffee garden with large-scale cultivation in Kandangan, Kare District, which is of Dutch heritage.

Visitor attractions Liman is the highest mountain peak in the Mountains Wilis range, promising an extraordinary sensation of climbing. Much fauna and flora are found along the route as are statues of Pulosari, Kare District. Unfortunately, these pathways are rarely traveled by the climber, because the access is difficult. If the path Kare-Lake Ngebel District already had asphalting, it would rival the charm of other mountains in Java. The slopes have tremendous tourism potential. Attractions include: • Slampir Waterfall • Grantham Monument • General Sudirman Monument • Selorejo Waterfall • Kandangan Coffee Plantation • Grape Tour Wana.