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Ambon (formerly ) is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Maluku. This city is also known as, which means "beautiful" or "pretty" Ambon in the Ambonese language. It covers a land area of, and had a population of 331,254 at the 2010 Census and 347,288 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid 2024 was 357,289. The city is divided into five administrative districts – namely Nusaniwe, Sirimau, Teluk Ambon (Ambon Bay), Baguala (officially Teluk Ambon Baguala) and Leitimur Selatan (South Leitimur). Known as Indonesia's music city, Ambon became the first city in Southeast Asia to be recognised as the UNESCO City of Music in 2019.

Masyarakat Ambon dalam tarian lokal, tahun 2009

Kota Ambon merupakan kota yang majemuk karena memiliki penduduk yang berasal dari berbagai suku bangsa, agama, dan ras. Sebagian besar masyarakat Ambon berasal dari suku Ambon dan suku asal Maluku lainnya. Meskipun demikian, persatuan keberagaman ini pernah diguncang oleh beberapa pertikaian politik yang menimbulkan kerusuhan besar dengan mengikusertakan agama seperti pada 1999. Pada tahun 2016, jumlah penduduk Kota Ambon diperkirakan mencapai 427.934 jiwa yang menjadikan Kota Ambon sebagai kota terbesar di provinsi dengan sumbangan penduduk sebesar 24,9%. Menurut Sensus Penduduk tahun 2010, sebesar 92,4% masyarakat bertempat tinggal di kawasan perkotaan, sedangkan sisanya di kawasan perdesaan.

Kelompok etnis mayoritas di kota ini adalah suku Ambon, suku yang mendiami Pulau Ambon dan pulau sekitarnya yang merupakan keturunan orang Alifuru dari pedalaman Pulau Seram (Nusa Ina). Kota ini pun memiliki penduduk dari berbagai macam suku bangsa karena kota ini telah dinominasikan menjadi kota terbuka bersama dengan 29 kota lainnya di Indonesia. Selain itu, keberagaman suku bangsa kota disebabkan oleh Maluku yang menjadi daerah tujuan transmigrasi. Untuk menjaga kebhinekaan suku bangsa yang mendiami kota agar tetap harmonis dan menegaskan bahwa Kota Ambon ini kota paling toleran serta terbuka, pemerintah kota membangun perkampungan multietnis. Selain suku Ambon, kota ini juga dihuni oleh etnis lainnya, seperti Arab, Buton, dan Tionghoa yang pada mulanya datang untuk berdagang. Di samping itu, terdapat pula suku Minahasa, Jawa, dan Minang yang telah lama datang ke Ambon.

Kota Ambon menjadi kota multibahasa sejak abad ke-17. Bahasa Portugis, bahasa pendatang asing pertama di Ambon digunakan secara luas, hingga pernah membentuk sebuah ragam bahasa kreol yang disebut sebagai bahasa Ternateño (Ternateño–Ambaõ) yang digunakan oleh umat Kristen keturunan campuran Melayu-Portugis. Peninggalan bahasa Portugis masih bisa dilihat dari kata-kata serapan Portugis dalam bahasa yang dituturkan di Ambon. Pada masa Belanda, meskipun bahasa Belanda menjadi bahasa utama dan bahasa administrasi, bahasa Melayu Ambon atau yang lebih dikenal sebagai bahasa Ambonlah menjadi lingua franca penduduk Pulau Ambon. Seiring perkembangan zaman, bahasa tersebut menjadi bahasa ibu penduduk pulau. Pergeseran bahasa Indonesia dan Ambon menjadi bahasa ibu masyarakat pulau ini mengancam keberadaan puluhan bahasa daerah bukan hanya di kota, melainkan hingga provinsi.

Dalam perihal kebahasaan, pemerintah telah melakukan beberapa upaya. Pada tahun 2015, Pemerintah Provinsi Maluku mencanangkan dua desa di kota, yaitu Amahusu dan Batu Merah menjadi kampung bahasa. Hal ini dilakukan pemerintah dalam rangka pengembangan kemampuan dalam bahasa dan berkomunikasi bagi masyarakat.

The origin of the term "Ambon" is not easily determined. According to local accounts, the term is derived from the word embun (mist/dew). The mountain peaks on Ambon Island are frequently covered by thick mist. The term Laha was also once used to name the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Anunciada, which became the precursor of the settlement. In the local language, laha is translated as "harbor."

Although the term "Ambon" now refers to Ambon City, Ambon Island, or the Ambonese people, throughout history (especially in the 20th century), it referred to the inhabitants of Central Maluku. The phrase "Ambonese people" (Ambonezen) itself referred to the residents of Central Maluku, even though it was originally only used for the inhabitants of Ambon City who possessed a mestizo culture.

Amboina in the 17th century under Portugal. Coat of arms of Ambon during colonial era, granted in 1930. The motto (in Dutch): ("Loyalty through the ages") Lithograph of a street view in Ambon (1880s) Ambon War Cemetery which holds the remains of 1,777 Allied soldiers The 35th World Peace Gong Ambon City began to develop following the arrival of the Portuguese in 1513. Later, around 1575, Portuguese authorities mobilized the local population to build the Kota Laha Fort (also known as the Ferangi Fort), which was originally named Nossa Senhora da Anunciada, located on the Honipopu Plain. During its construction, the workers established village-like organizations such as Soya, which became the foundation of Ambon City. This was because, in its subsequent development, these groups evolved into an organized territorial genealogical society.

After the Dutch successfully seized the Maluku Islands and specifically Ambon from Portuguese control, the Nossa Senhora de Anunciada fort was captured in 1605 and turned into the center of colonial administration under the name Victoria. Following a severe earthquake that caused heavy damage, the fort was renovated and renamed Nieuw Victoria, though it remained better known among locals as Fort Victoria. This fort is historically significant as the site where the national hero Pattimura was executed by hanging on 16 December 1817.

Ambon Island was conquered by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) on 23 February 1605, with military assistance from Ternate, Luhu, Hitu and Gowa. During the early VOC era, several governors held power, including the authoritarian Adrian Martensz Block, who utilized forced labor to expand Fort Victoria, and Herman van Speult, who oppressed the people through spice trade monopolies.

On 17 February 1796, the VOC surrendered to British Admiral Pieter Ramier, making Ambon part of British territory until 1803. Afterward, control was handed back to the Dutch government (rather than the VOC, which had gone bankrupt in 1799). During the Dutch East Indies era, Ambon underwent modernization. Fort Victoria became the capital of the Government of Amboina, part of the Government der Molukken established in 1817. On 7 September 1921, the people of Ambon were granted equal rights to the colonial government, marking a political victory for the local struggle and allowing them to play a role in governance.

Japanese troops landed in Ambon on 1 February 1942. They defeated the Dutch and their allies in the Battle of Ambon to seize the city, which served as a strategic naval and air base. During this occupation, citizens suffered from poverty and famine due to the war. Remnants of this era can still be found today, such as the Ambon War Cemetery for Allied soldiers and Japanese torpedoes discovered at the bottom of Ambon Bay.

The anniversary of Ambon City was officially set as 7 September 1575. This date was determined during a 1972 seminar involving Pattimura University. The year 1575 commemorates the start of the construction of Fort Kota Laha, while the date 7 September honors the day in 1921 when Ambon citizens achieved equal political rights. The city's anniversary was first celebrated on 7 September 1973.

Most of the land area can be classified as hilly to steeply sloping, while 17% of the land area can be classified as more flat or shallow-sloped.

Ambon experiences a tropical rainforest climate (Af) according to the Köppen climate classification as there is no real dry season. The driest month is November with total precipitation of, while the wettest month is June with total precipitation of. As it is located near the equator, the temperature throughout the year is constant. The hottest month is December, with an average temperature of, while the coolest month is July, with an average temperature.