Mataram (city)
Geographical unit
Mataram is the capital of West Nusa Tenggara ( Nusa Tenggara Barat ) province on the Indonesian island of Lombok. The city has about 340,000 inhabitants and, together with Ampenan and Cakranegara the largest population center on the island.
Facilities
Mataram is the seat of the provincial government. There is also the Universitas Mataram ( UNRAM ) is located. About 20 kilometers south-east is the international airport of Lombok.
In Ampenan is the Pusat Bahasa University, founded in 1962, and the port. Cakranegara is the commercial center of the island and has a Chinese community.
History
At the beginning of the 18th century Mataram was the residence of the crown prince of Karang Asem, a kingdom in southern Bali.