While Indonesia comprises thirty-three different provinces, and its official capital is Jakarta, the country’s spiritual capital is Yogyakarta – a beautiful city located southeast of Jakarta. Yogykarta is politically sovereign and still has a Javanese sultan who rules the city. Banda Aceh, in northern Sumatra, also has its own sultan who rules the city. Although these sultans are largely political figureheads who have been carried over from historical eras, they still have significant autonomy and political influence.

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