Pekanbaru

Pekanbaru
City
City of Pekanbaru Kota Pekanbaru
Other transcription(s)
• Jawi	ڤكنبارو‎
From top left to right: Pekanbaru Skyline, Anjung Seni Idrus Tintin, Riau Main Stadium, Soeman HS Library, University of Riau
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s):  "PKU", "Pekan", "Pokan", "Pekanbaru", “Pekanbaghu”, "Kota Pekanbaru", "Kota Bertuah",
Location of Pekanbaru in Indonesia
Coordinates: 0°30′33″N 101°26′43″E / 0.50917°N 101.44528°E / 0.50917; 101.44528
Country	Indonesia
Region	Sumatra
Province	Riau
Founded	22 June 1784
Government
• Mayor	Muflihun
Area
• Total	632.26 km2 (244.12 sq mi)
Elevation	12 m (39 ft)
Population  (mid 2022 estimate)
• Total	1,007,540
• Density	1,600/km2 (4,100/sq mi)
	[1]
Demographics
• Ethnic groups[2]	Minang 37.96% Malay 26.10% Javanese 15.70% Batak 11.04% Chinese 2.50%
• Religion[3]	Islam 84.88% Protestant Christianity 9.60% Buddhism 3.47% Catholic Christianity 1.26% Hinduism 0.03% Confucianism 0.03% Others 0.01%
• HDI (2022)[4]	0.821 (Very High)
Time zone	UTC+7 (WIB)
Postal code	28131
Area code	+62 761
Vehicle registration	BM
Website	www.pekanbaru.go.id

Pekanbaru is the capital city of the Indonesian province of Riau, and a major economic centre on the eastern side of Sumatra Island with its name derived from the Malay words for 'new market' ('pekan' is market and 'baru' is new). It has an area of 632.26 km² (244.12 sq mi), with a population of 897,767 at the 2010 Census, and 983,356 at the 2020 Census;^[5][6] the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 1,007,540 (comprising 506,231 males and 501,309 females).^[1] It is located on the banks of the Siak River, which flows into the Strait of Malacca, Pekanbaru has direct access to the busy strait and has long been known as a trading port.

A settlement has existed on the site since the 17th century. In the late 19th century, the city was developed to serve the coffee and coal industries, and the Dutch built roads to help ship goods to Singapore and Malacca. This city has an airport called Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport, and a port called Sungai Duku that is located by the Siak River.