Backgrounder: Bandung, host city of Asia-African Conference in 1955

Bandung is the capital of Indonesia's West Java province.

Located 180 km southeast of the national capital of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler temperatures than most of other Indonesian cities due to its altitude of 768 meters.

It has a tropical highland rainforest monsoon climate, classified as humid and the average temperature is 23.6 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

The average annual rainfall ranges from 1,000 mm in the central and southeast regions to 3,500 mm in the north of the city.

It has wet and dry seasons and the wet season lasts from November to April. Despite its high elevation, no snow has been recorded.

The official name of the city, which lies on a river basin surrounded by volcanic mountains, was Bandoeng during the Dutch- controlled era.

The Dutch colonialists first established tea plantations around the mountains in the 18th century, and a road was built to connect the plantation area to Jakarta.

Bandung has gradually developed itself into a resort city for plantation owners. Luxurious hotels, restaurants, cafes and European boutiques were opened in the city nicknamed The Paris of Java.

During the 1945-1949 independence struggle against the Dutch rule, Bandung was one of the heaviest battle places.

Since Indonesia gained independence in 1945, the city has seen rapid development and urbanization, with a growing number of travelers.

The first Asian-African Conference, or the Bandung Conference, was held here on April 18-24, 1955, with the attendance of leaders from 29 countries. Endi