Merak, Banten

This article is about a port city on the western coast of Java island. For other meanings, see Merak (disambiguation).

Merak is a city and seaport in Cilegon, Banten, on the northwestern tip of Java, Indonesia. The port and town are named after the Green Peafowl, which once lived in the region, but is now very rare. The port is connected to Jakarta via Jakarta-Merak Toll Road.

History

In 1883, the original settlement was completely destroyed by a series of tsunamis generated by the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in the Sunda Strait. The largest wave at Merak was estimated to be at least 41m (135 ft) high, and approximately 2,700 people lost their lives, including virtually all of the town's inhabitants at that time. ^[1]

Port operations

The port is a service provider for Indonesia's largest concentration of petrochemical facilities along the Merak peninsula. More than 40 petrochemical plants operate near the seaport, an increase from two in 1990.^[2] in 2007 Shell Oil announced plans to expand its Merak port operations with the construction of a $US52 million oil storage tank.^[3]

Domestic exports are handled by a busy ferry route from Merak to Bakauheni, across the Sunda Strait on the southern tip of Sumatra. The ageing ferry fleet and poor supporting infrastructure have been identified as restrictions on the port's domestic efficiency.^[4]

References

1. ^ Winchester, 2003, p.250
2. ^ "Chemical Boom in Indonesia". Chemical and Engineering News (American Chemical Society). 1997-08-11. http://pubs.acs.org/hotartcl/cenear/970811/boom.html. Retrieved 2008-02-04. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Rotary Engineering Limited". WallStraits.com. 2008-02-01. http://www.wallstraits.com/IntelliSort/stockreport.php?code=R07. Retrieved 2008-02-04. 
4. ^ "Indonesia's rusting infrastructure stymies growth". Reuters Canada. 2008-01-13. http://ca.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idCASP32505020080114?sp=true. Retrieved 2008-02-04. 

Bibliography

• Winchester, Simon. Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883. New York: HarperCollins, 2003. ISBN 0-06-621285-5

Coordinates: 5°56′S 106°0′E / 5.933°S 106°E / -5.933; 106