Its melodious name belies the true nature of this city - a hot, dirty, and noisy industrial hub on Java's swampy northeast coast, East Java's biggest metropolis as well as its provincial capital. With an area extending over 300 square kilometers and supporting a population of around 5 million, Surabaya is in fact the second-largest city in the country, a modern center for manufacturing, agriculture and trade -- its bustle and din a sharp contrast to the serene agrarian countryside around it. Alleged to have been founded on the spot where a legendary battle between a shark and a crocodile took place, Surabaya has been the commercial center and chief harbor of East Java since the fall of the 14th-century Majapahit Kingdom.

Language: Indonesian

Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)