Palembang

Palembang, officially City of Palembang (Samuderan: ꧋ꦥꦭꦺꦩ꧀ꦧꦁ; Samuderan: Bandaraya Palembang) is the capital of Samudera Darussalam, with Bandar Raja being the seat of the federal government. It is also the capital of the state of Samudranagara and the center of the Palembang metropolitan area, the second largest metropolitan area in the country. As Samudera's second largest city, Palembang has a population of around 2.822 million within the city proper and 3.7 million in its metropolitan area. Located within the Central Plain region, Palembang is situated at the head of the Palembang Bay and along the Tebo river that divides the city, with the northern edges of the capital form a part of the mountainous Tembering Plateau. Due to its large number of canals in the Palembang Old Town area and the central role that they had for trade and transportation in the past, the city is also colloquially referred to as the "Venice of the South".

The city was the capital of Meilawati, an ancient Vinayan empire that ruled much of Mainland Mandalanusa from the 3rd to 11 th century and controlled many maritime trade routes, including the Panjang Strait, a body of water that separates Peninsular Samudera with Labuan and Cempaka. As such, Palembang is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Mandalanusa, being settled since at least the 4th century according to available historical record. Due to its strategic location in the central part of the peninsula, the city has been the seat of various historical Samuderan states, including the Duchy of Palembang from the 11th century following the fall of Meilawati, and as part of the Eternal League since the 13th century. After the demise of the League, it once again became the capital of the Second Duchy of Palembang in the next century and then as the seat of power for the Kingdom of Samudranagara. After the unification of the peninsula, Palembang becomes the seat of the unified Samuderan nation, a position it has been holding on to continuously until modern day. As a political centre of the country, it saw Samudera's political struggles throughout the 20th century, as the country went through the Revolution of 1928 and the nationalist movements that led to the country's eventual full independence from Terranea in 1960. Due to political compromise leading up to the federal government's move to Bandar Raja, Palembang retains its status as the Samudera's official capital and the federal government maintains a substantial presence in the city, with the city remains as both the seat of the Supreme Court and Samudera's monarch.

Palembang significantly develops to its modern form throughout the post-World Wars era known as the "Years of Concrete" to the 1990s, with major investments in public infrastructure and housing that led to economic boom. The city is now a hub for transport and acts as the economic centre for the state of Samudranagara, while it continues to exert significant influence in entertainment, arts, media, and fashion on a national level. In terms of GDP, it is the second wealthiest city in Samudera, with the city's business district hosts several headquarters of national and international companies, including Vision and Khabar Group.

Palembang and its metropolitan area, including the neighbouring city of Pekan, is viewed as the eastern and northernmost part of the "Blue Crescent" megalopolis, an urban corridor that stretched along the western coasts of the Palembang Bay from Ujong in the southwest. The Samuderan capital is home to several reputable institutes of education and research, including the oldest institute of higher education in the country, the Royal University of Palembang, and Palembang's Academy of Arts. The city is deemed as a cultural capital of Samudera due to the abundance of cultural treasures in the city, ranging from historical monuments to museums and living cultural traditions that also makes Palembang becomes a major tourist destination. The city's festivities, such as the annually-held Mulod festival is a major draw for visitors with hundreds of thousands are usually in attendance, with the exception of during the COVID-19 pandemic. Palembang's notable landmarks include the Royal Palace of Darul Iman, Muzaffar Shah Mosque, and the Royal Museum of Samudera.

Etymology
The name Palembang was first recorded in Pasir Tua inscription, the oldest inscription to be found in the area which is dated 390 AD. It tells of the clearing of a forest and opening of a new settlement by Meilawati's ruler Sri Wijayatunggawarman ".....in pe-limvan". There are two main theories regarding the origin of the name Palembang. Some believe that the name comes from the old Meilawati-era word lembang (which is misspelled as limbang), and when combined with the prefix pe or pa, it means "a place that is constantly inundated", referring to the geographical features of the old town area which used to be an old flood plain. Another theory suggests that the city's name really derived from the word limbang, and by adding the same prefix, it would mean "a place to pan gold and diamond ores" in this context.

The name Palembang in its modern spelling was first recorded in the document Tales of Palembang, which is first written in 1679 during the "Three Brothers' Era".

International relations
Palembang maintains a sister city relationship with the following cities:
 * Daulapura, Eraman
 * Pemecutan Puri, Pemecutan
 * Satria, Pemecutan
 * Sripala City, Southern Palm Islands
 * Arrachai, Acastanha