Yogyakarta, daerah istimewa (special district), south-central Java, Indonesia. It is bounded to the west, north, and east by Central Java (Jawa Tengah) propinsi (or provinsi; province) and fronts the Indian Ocean to the south. The district includes the city of Yogyakarta.
Most of the western half of the special district consists of coastal plains, as much as 15 miles (24 km) wide, made up of lava and ash soils that are frequently replenished by the volcanic discharges of the Mount Merapi massif to the north. The eastern part of Yogyakarta is an extension of the Kendang Plateau, which runs east-west near the coast. The major rivers in the district are the Oyo and the Progo; they flow southward into the Indian Ocean. Agriculture and fishing are the principal means of livelihood of the people of the coastal lowlands. Their products include rice, rubber, copra, and sugar.
Yogyakarta is one of the more industrially developed areas in Indonesia, and its industries include railroad workshops, printing, textile making, tanning, food processing, and the production of transport equipment, paper, chemicals, and electrical machinery. A network of roads and railways links Yogyakarta city, the capital of the special district, with nearby Bantul, Magelang, and Surakarta. The population consists mainly of Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese Muslims. There are also numerous Chinese, Indians, and Europeans. A severe earthquake in 2006 centered near Bantul killed several thousand people and caused widespread damage. Area 1,210 square miles (3,133 square km). Pop. (2000) 3,121,045; (2010) 3,457,491.