Blitar (Indonesia)

Blitar is a city in East Java, Indonesia, about 73 km from Malang and 167 km from Surabaya. The area lies within longitude 111° 40' – 112° 09' East and its latitude is 8° 06' South. The city of Blitar lies at an altitude on average 167 metres above sea level, and is an enclave within Blitar Regency which surrounds the city on all sides. It covers an area of 32.57 km2, and had a population of 131,968 at the 2010 Census and 149,149 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid-2024 was 161,204 (comprising 80,376 males and 80,828 females). The city is notable as the location of the Grave of Sukarno the first president of Indonesia and one of the nation's founding fathers, five kilometers from the city plaza. The Istana Gebang (Gebang Palace), where Sukarno lived as a child, is nearby and has been converted into a museum containing numerous items commemorating Sukarno's place in Indonesian history. Blitar city is surrounded by four of the districts (kecamatan) of Blitar Regency - Kademangan, Garum, Nglegok and Sanankulon; added to the population of the city, this combined area of seven kecamatan had a total population in mid 2023 of 436,740 within 318.3 km2. The very active Kelud volcano is located just over 20 kilometers north of Blitar.