Java
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Java
| Native name: Jawa |
Topography of Java |
 |
| Geography |
| Location | Southeast Asia |
| Coordinates |  7°30′10″S 111°15′47″E / 7.50278°S 111.26306°E / -7.50278; 111.26306 |
| Archipelago | Greater Sunda Islands |
| Area | 132,187 km2 (51,037.7 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 13th |
| Highest elevation | 3,676 m (12,060 ft) |
| Highest point | Semeru |
| Country |
| |
| Provinces | Banten,
Jakarta Special Capital City District,
West Java,
Central Java,
East Java,
Yogyakarta Special Region |
| Largest city | Jakarta |
| Demographics |
| Population | 136 million (as of 2010) |
| Density | 1,029 /km2 (2,665 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Javanese (inc. Bantenese, Cirebonese, Tenggerese, Osing) , Sundanese (inc. Baduy), Betawi, Madurese |
Java (
Indonesian:
Jawa) is an
island of
Indonesia. With a population of 136 million, it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian
capital city,
Jakarta, is in west Java. Much of Indonesian history took place on Java; it was the centre of powerful
Hindu-
Buddhist empires,
Islamic sultanates, the core of the colonial
Dutch East Indies, and was at the centre of
Indonesia's campaign for independence. The island dominates Indonesian social, political and economic life.
Formed mostly as the result of volcanic events, Java is the
13th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in Indonesia. A chain of volcanic mountains forms an east-west spine along the island. It has three main languages, though
Javanese is dominant and is the native language of 60 million people in Indonesia, most of whom live on Java. Most residents are
bilingual, with
Indonesian as their first or second language. While the majority of the people of Java are
Muslim, Java has a diverse mixture of religious beliefs, ethnicities and cultures.
The island is divided into four provinces,
West Java,
Central Java,
East Java, and
Banten, and two special districts,
Jakarta and
Yogyakarta.
[edit] Etymology
The origins of the name 'Java' are not clear. One possibility is that the island was named after the
jáwa-wut plant, which was said to be common in the island during the time, and that prior to Indianization the island had different names.
[1] There are other possible sources: the word
jaú and its variations mean "beyond" or "distant".
[2] And, in
Sanskrit yava means barley, a plant for which the island was famous.
[2] "Yawadvipa" is mentioned in
India's earliest epic, the
Ramayana. Sugriva, the chief of
Rama's army dispatched his men to Yawadvipa, the island of Java, in search of
Sita.
[3] It was hence referred to in Indian, specifically Tamil literature by the Sanskrit name "yāvaka dvīpa" (dvīpa = island). Another source states that the "Java" word is derived from a
Proto-Austronesian root word, meaning 'home'.
[4]
[edit] Geography
Java lies between
Sumatra to the west and
Bali to the east.
Borneo lies to the north and
Christmas Island to the south. It is the
world's 13th largest island. Java is surrounded by
Java Sea in the north,
Sunda Strait in the west,
Indian Ocean in the south and
Bali Strait and
Madura Strait in the east.
Java is almost entirely of
volcanic origin; it contains thirty-eight mountains forming an east-west spine which have at one time or another been active
volcanoes. The highest volcano in Java is Mount
Semeru (3,676 m). The most active volcano in Java and also in Indonesia is
Mount Merapi (2,968 m).
See Volcanoes of Java.
Further mountains and highlands help to split the interior into a series of relatively isolated regions suitable for
wet-rice cultivation; the rice lands of Java are among the richest in the world.
[5] Java was the first place where
Indonesian coffee was grown, starting in 1699. Today,
Coffea arabica is grown on the Ijen Plateau by small-holders and larger plantations.
The area of Java is approximately 139,000 km
2.
[6] The island's longest
river is the 600 km long
Solo River.
[7] The river rises from its source in central Java at the
Lawu volcano, then flows north and eastward to its mouth in the
Java Sea near the city of
Surabaya.
Temperatures throughout the year average 22°C to 29°C and humidity average 75%. The northern coastal plains are normally hotter averaging 34°C during the day in the
dry season. The south coast is generally cooler than the north, and highland areas inland are cooler again. The
wet season begins in October ending in April during which rain falls most afternoons and intermittently during other parts of the year. The wettest months are January and February.
West Java is wetter than East Java and mountainous regions receive much higher rainfall. The Parahyangan highlands of West Java receive over 4,000 mm annually, while the north coast of East Java receives 900 mm annually.
The island is administratively divided into four
provinces:
and one special region:
and one special capital district:
[edit] History
Mount Merbabu surrounded by rice fields. Java's volcanic topography and rich agricultural lands are the fundamental factor in its history
Fossilised remains of
Homo erectus, popularly known as the "
Java Man", dating back 1.7 million years were found along the banks of the
Bengawan Solo River.
[8]
The island's exceptional fertility and rainfall allowed the development of wet-field rice cultivation, which required sophisticated levels of cooperation between villages. Out of these village alliances, small kingdoms developed. The chain of volcanic mountains and associated highlands running the length of Java kept its interior regions and peoples separate and relatively isolated.
[9] Before the advent of Islamic states and European colonialism, the rivers provided the main means of communication, although Java's many rivers are mostly short. Only the
Brantas and Sala rivers could provide long-distance communication, and thus their valleys supported the centres of major kingdoms. A system of roads, permanent bridges and toll gates is thought to have been established in Java by at least the mid-seventeenth century. Local powers could disrupt the routes as could the wet season and road use was highly dependent on constant maintenance. Subsequently, communication between Java's population was difficult.
[10]
[edit] Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms era
The
Taruma and
Sunda kingdoms of western Java appeared in the fourth and seventh centuries respectively. However, the first major principality was the
Medang Kingdom which was founded in central Java at the beginning of the eight century. Medang's religion centred on the Hindu god
Shiva, and the kingdom produced some of Java's earliest Hindu temples on the
Dieng Plateau. Around 8th century the
Sailendra dynasty rose in
Kedu Plain and become the patron of
Mahayana Buddhism. This ancient kingdom built monuments such as 9th century
Borobudur and
Prambanan in central Java.
Around 10th century the centre of power shifted from central to eastern Java. The eastern Javanese kingdoms of
Kediri,
Singhasari and
Majapahit were mainly dependent on rice agriculture, yet also pursued trade within the Indonesian archipelago with China and India.
Majapahit was established by
Wijaya and by the end of the reign of
Hayam Wuruk (r. 1350-89) it claimed sovereignty over the entire Indonesian archipelago, although control was likely limited to Java, Bali and Madura. Hayam Wuruk's prime minster,
Gajah Mada, led many of the kingdom's territorial conquests. Previous Javanese kingdoms had their power based in agriculture, however, Majapahit took control of ports and shipping lanes and became Java's first commercial empire. With the death of Hayam Wuruk and the
coming of Islam to Indonesia, Majapahit went into decline.
[edit] Spread of Islam and rise of Islamic sultanates
By the end of the 16th century, Islam, through conversion firstly amongst the island's elite, had surpassed Hinduism and Buddhism as the dominant religion in Java. During this era, the Islamic kingdoms of
Demak,
Cirebon, and
Banten were ascendant. The
Mataram Sultanate became the dominant power of central and eastern Java at the end of the 16th century. The principalities of Surabaya and Cirebon were eventually subjugated such that only Mataram and Banten were left to face the Dutch in the 17th century.
[edit] Colonial periods
Java's contact with the European colonial powers began in 1522 with
a treaty between the
Sunda kingdom and the Portugese in
Malacca. After its failure the
Portugese presence was confined to Malacca, and to the eastern islands. In 1596, a four-ship expedition led by
Cornelis de Houtman was the first Dutch contact with Indonesia.
[11] By the end of the 18th century the Dutch had extended their influence over the sultanates of the interior (see
Dutch East India Company in Indonesia). While the Javanese were great warriors, internal conflict prevented them forming effective alliances against the Dutch. Remnants of the Mataram survived as the Surakarta (Solo) and Yogyakarta principalities. Javanese kings claimed to rule with divine authority and the Dutch helped them to preserve remnants of a Javanese aristocracy by confirming them as regents or district officials within the colonial administration.
Java major role during early part of colonial period is as producer of
rice. In spice producing islands like
Banda, rice was regularly imported from Java, to supply the deficiency in means of subsistence.
[12]
In 1815, there may have been 5 million people in Java.
[13] In the second half of the eighteenth century, population spurts began in districts along the north-central coast of Java, and in the nineteenth century population grew rapidly across the island. Factors for the great population growth include the impact of Dutch colonial rule including the imposed end to civil war in Java, the increase in the area under rice cultivation, and the introduction of food plants such as
casava and
maize which could sustain populations that could not afford rice.
[14] Others attribute the growth to the taxation burdens and increased expansion of employment under the
Cultivation System to which couples responded by having more children in the hope of increasing their families' ability to pay tax and buy goods.
[15] Cholera claimed 100,000 lives in Java in 1820.
[16]
The advent of trucks and railways where there had previously only been buffalo and carts, telegraph systems, and more coordinated distribution systems under the colonial government all contributed to famine elimination in Java, and in turn, population growth. There were no significant famines in Java from the 1840s through to the
Japanese occupation in the 1940s.
[17] Ethnological factors are also thought to have contributed to the increase in population. In Java, there was no absolute preference for boy babies which was significant in Java where agriculture depends on the labour of both men and women. Furthermore, the age of first marriage dropped during the nineteenth century thus increasing a women's child bearing years.
[17]
[edit] Independence era
Indonesian nationalism first took hold in Java in the early twentieth century (see
Indonesian National Awakening), and
the struggle to secure the country's independence following World War II was centred in Java.
The abortive coup and
the subsequent violent anti-communist purge in 1965/66 largely took place in Java. The island has dominated Indonesian social, political and economic life, which has been the source of resentment. In 1998, preceding the fall of Suharto's 32-year presidency,
large riots targeted the
Chinese Indonesians in another series of pogroms.
[18]
[edit] Demography
With a population of 136 million,
[19] Java it is the most populous island in the world and is home to 57% of Indonesia's population.
[19] At 1,029 people per km²,
[19] it is also one of the most densely-populated parts of the world. Approximately 45% of the population of Indonesia is ethnically Javanese.
[20] Despite this, the dense Western third of the island (West Java, Banten, and DKI Jakarta) has a population density exceeding 1,400 per km
2 and is taking up the lion's share of population growth of Java.
[19]
From the 1970s to the fall of the
Suharto regime in 1998, the Indonesian government ran
transmigration programs aimed at resettling the population of Java on other less-populated islands of Indonesia. This program has met with mixed results; sometimes causing conflicts between the locals and the recently arrived
settlers. However, Java's share of the nation's population has fallen steadily.
Jakarta and its outskirts being the dominant metropolis is also home to people from all over the nation. East Java is also home to ethnic Balinese, as well as large numbers of Madurans due to their historic poverty.
[edit] Ethnicity and culture
The Javanese
kakawin Tantu Pagelaran explained the mythical origin of the island and its volcanic nature. Despite its large population and in contrast to the other larger islands of Indonesia, Java is comparatively homogeneous in ethnic composition. Only two ethnic groups are native to the island—the
Javanese and
Sundanese. A third group is the
Madurese, who inhabit the island of
Madura off the north east coast of Java, and have immigrated to
East Java in large numbers since the 18th century.
[21] The Javanese comprise about two-thirds of the island's population, while the Sundanese and Madurese account for 20% and 10% respectively.
[21]
Four major cultural areas exist on the island: the
kejawen or Javanese heartland, the north coast of the
pasisir region, the
Sunda lands of West Java, and the eastern salient, also known as
Blambangan. Madura makes up a fifth area having close cultural ties with coastal Java.
[21] The
kejawen Javanese culture is the island's most dominant. Java's remaining aristocracy are based here, and it is the region from where the majority of Indonesia's army, business, and political elite originate. Its language, arts, and etiquette are regarded as the island's most refined and exemplary.
[21] The territory from
Banyumas in the west through to
Blitar in the east and encompasses Indonesia's most fertile and densely populated agricultural land.
[21]
In the southwestern part of Central Java, which is usually named the
Banyumasan region, a cultural mingling occurred; bringing together Javanese culture and Sundanese culture to create the
Banyumasan culture.
[citation needed] In the central Javanese court cities of
Yogyakarta and
Surakarta, contemporary kings trace their lineages back to the pre-colonial Islamic kingdoms that ruled the region, making those places especially strong repositories of classical Javanese culture. Classic arts of Java include
gamelan music and
wayang puppet shows.
Java was the site of many influential kingdoms in the Southeast Asian region,
[22] and as a result, many literary works have been written by Javanese authors. These include
Ken Arok and Ken Dedes, the story of the orphan who usurped his king, and married the queen of the ancient Javanese kingdom; and translations of
Ramayana and
Mahabharata.
Pramoedya Ananta Toer is a famous contemporary Indonesian author, who has written many stories based on his own experiences of having grown up in Java, and takes many elements from Javanese folklore and historical legends.
[edit] Languages
Languages spoken in Java (Javanese is shown in white)
The three major languages spoken on Java are
Javanese,
Sundanese and
Madurese. Other languages spoken include
Betawi (a
Malay dialect local to the Jakarta region),
Osing and
Tenggerese (closely related to Javanese),
Baduy (closely related to Sundanese),
Kangeanese (closely related to Madurese),
Balinese, and
Banyumasan[23] The vast majority of the population also speaks
Indonesian, often as a second language.
[edit] Religion
Mosque in Pati, Central Java during
colonial period. The mosque combined traditional Javanese style (multi-tiered roof) with European architecture.
More than 90 percent of the people of Java are Muslims, on a broad continuum between
abangan (more traditional) and
santri (more modernist). Small
Hindu enclaves are scattered throughout Java, but there is a large
Hindu population along the eastern coast nearest
Bali, especially around the town of
Banyuwangi. There are also
Christian communities, mostly in the larger cities, though some rural areas of south-central Java are strongly
Roman Catholic. Roman Catholics and other Christian groups have been persecuted for their beliefs such as a ban on Christmas services.
[24] Buddhist communities also exist in the major cities, primarily among the
Chinese Indonesian. The Indonesian constitution recognises six official religions. (See
Religion in Indonesia.)
Java has been a melting pot of religions and cultures, which has created a broad range of religious belief.
Indian influences came first with
Shaivism and
Buddhism penetrating deeply into society, blending with indigenous tradition and culture.
[25] One
conduit for this were the
ascetics, called
resi, who taught mystical practices. A
resi lived surrounded by students, who took care of their master's daily needs. Resi's authorities were merely ceremonial. At the courts,
Brahmin clerics and
pudjangga (sacred literati) legitimised rulers and linked
Hindu cosmology to their political needs.
[25]
Islam, which came after Hinduism, strengthened the status structure of this traditional religious pattern. The Muslim scholar of the writ (
Kyai) became the new religious elite as Hindu influences receded. Islam recognises no hierarchy of religious leaders nor a formal
priesthood, but the
Dutch colonial government established an elaborate rank order for mosque and other Islamic preaching schools. In Javanese
pesantren (Islamic schools), The
Kyai perpetuated the tradition of the
resi. Students around him provided his needs, even
peasants around the school.
[25]
Pre-Islamic Javan traditions have encouraged Islam in a mystical direction. There emerged in Java a loosely structured society of religious leadership, revolving around
kyais, possessing various degrees of proficiency in pre-Islamic and Islamic
lore,
belief and practice.
[25] The kyais are the principal intermediaries between the villages masses and the realm of the
supernatural. However, this very looseneess of kyai leadership structure has promoted
schism. There were often sharp divisions between orthodox kyais, who merely instructed in Islamic law, with those who taught
mysticism and those who sought reformed Islam with modern scientific concepts. As a result, there is a division between
santri, who believe that they are more orthodox in their Islamic belief and practice, with
abangan, who have mixed pre-Islamic
animistic and Hindu-Indian concepts with a superficial acceptance of Islamic belief.
[25]
A wider effect of this division is the number of sects. In the middle of 1956, the Department of Religious Affairs in
Yogyakarta reported 63 religious sects in Java other than the official Indonesian religions. Of these, 35 were in
Central Java, 22 in
West Java and 6 in
East Java.
[25] These include
Kejawen,
Sumarah,
Subud, etc. Their total membership is difficult to estimate as many of their adherents identify themselves with one of the official religions.
[26]
[edit] Economy
Initially the economy of Java relied heavily on
rice agriculture. Ancient kingdoms such as the
Tarumanagara,
Mataram, and
Majapahit were dependent on rice yields and tax. Java was famous for rice surpluses and rice export since ancient times, and rice agriculture contributed to the population growth of the island. Trade with other parts of Asia such as India and China flourished as early as the 4th century, as evidenced by Chinese ceramics found on the island dated to that period. Java also took part in the global trade of
Maluku spice from ancient times in the Majapahit era, until well into the
VOC era.
Dutch East India Company set their foothold on
Batavia in 17th century and successed by
Netherlands East Indies in 18th century. During this colonial times the Dutch introduced commercial plants cultivation in Java, such as
sugarcane,
rubber,
coffee,
tea, and
quinine. In 19th to early 20th century Javanese coffee gain global popularity, thus the name "Java" today has become the synonym of coffee.
Java transportation network
Java is the most developed island in Indonesia since the era of Netherland East Indies to modern Republic of Indonesia. The road transportation networks that have existed since ancient times were connected and perfected with the construction of
Java Great Post Road by
Daendels in early 19th century. The need to transport commercial produces such as coffee from plantations in the interior of the island to the harbour on the coast spurred the construction of railway networks in Java. Today the
industry, business and trade, also services flourished in major cities of Java, such as
Jakarta,
Surabaya,
Semarang, and
Bandung; while some traditional Sultanate cities such as
Yogyakarta,
Surakarta, and
Cirebon preserved its royal legacy and become the centre of art, culture and tourism in Java. Industrial estates also growing in towns on northern coast of Java, especially around
Cilegon,
Tangerang,
Bekasi,
Karawang,
Gresik and
Sidoarjo. The
toll road highway networks was built and expanded since
Suharto era until now, connecting major urban centres and surrounding areas, such as in and around
Jakarta and
Bandung; also the ones in
Cirebon,
Semarang and
Surabaya. In addition to these motor ways, Java has 16 national highways.
