Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the third largest city in Indonesia and Greater Bandung is the country's second-largest and second most populous metropolitan area, with over 11 million inhabitants. Situated 708 meters above sea level, approximately 135 kilometres southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler year-round temperatures than most other Indonesian cities. The city lies in a river basin surrounded by volcanic mountains that provide a natural defense system, which was the primary reason for the Dutch East Indies government's plan to move the capital from Batavia to Bandung.