East Java

As the capital of East Java, Surabaya is also the second most populated city in Indonesia. The extended metropolitan area of this city is named Gerbangkertosusila, which stands for Gresik-Bangkalan-Mojokerto-Surabaya-Sidoarjo-Lamongan.
There are many version regarding the history of the name Surabaya, but the local government and historian agreed to conclude that it comes from the phrase “sura ing bhaya”, meaning “the courage to face dangers”.
When strolling around the city, you can also find the Sura and Baya monument, depicted from a folklore version about the fight between a shark and a crocodile. The story is immortalized as an iconic monument of Surabaya.