Java Island About, History, Tribes and Cultures

What's on Java Island?

Bawean Island

Java Island is a large island and is famous for having a large population. The territory of Java island stretches from the western end in Banten province to the eastern end in East Java province. Java Island is located in the Greater Sunda islands and is the 13th largest island in the world.

Java is a miraculous island. It was formed mostly from volcanic activity. Rows of volcanoes form a range that stretches from east to west of the island, with river alluvial plains in the north. Java Island is separated by straits with several main islands: Sumatra Island in the northwest, Kalimantan Island in the north, Madura Island in the northeast, and Bali Island in the east. Meanwhile, to the south of Java island, stretches the Indian Ocean.

Many stories of Indonesian history took place on this island. In the past, Java was the center of several Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms, Islamic sultanates, the Dutch East Indies colonial government, and the center of Indonesia independence movement. This island has had a major impact on Indonesia's social, political and economic life.

Most of the population speaks three main languages. Javanese is the mother tongue of 100 million Indonesians, and most of its speakers live on the Java island. Most of the population are bilingual, speaking Bahasa Indonesia as either their first or second language. Two other important languages are Sundanese and Betawi. Most of the population of Java Island are Muslim. However, there are still various beliefs, religions, ethnic groups, and cultures on this island.

The island is administratively divided into six provinces, including West Java, Central Java, East Java and Banten, as well as two special regions, DKI Jakarta and DI Yogyakarta.

West Java

West Java Province is located in western Java Island. The enchanting of Sunda land stretches from Sunda Strait in the west to the borders of Central Java in the east. The locals' people know West Java Province as the Land of Sunda. The region is primarily mountainous, with rich green valleys hugging lofty volcanic peaks, many of which surround the capital of West Java province.

Central Java

Central Java Province, as one of the Indonesia tourist destination areas, offers various kinds of tourist attractions whether natural, cultural, or man made features. Central Java is located exactly in the middle of Java Island. It borders West Java Province in the western part, while in the eastern part borders East Java Province. On the southern side lies also the province of Yogyakarta Special Region. Central Java is the island's cultural, geographic, and historic heartland

East Java

East Java province occupies part of the main and several smaller islands of Indonesia. Most of the region is covered with mountains, on the slopes of which rice, sugar cane, and tea are grown. There are two popular nature reserves in the far east of Java. The first of them is Baluran, which includes a zone of tropical forests, volcanoes, swamps, and the sea coast, and the second is the Meru Betiri National Park, a breeding ground for giant sea turtles. The best beach for surfing is Plengkung, which stretches along the coast of the Alas Purwo National Park.

Banten

Banten is one of the young provinces in the Republic of Indonesia. This region is situated in west Java. It can be reached about an hour from Jakarta. It feels unbelievable, after the busy toll-way and hectic Jakarta as a metropolitan city; we enter small and charming Banten. This city has a lot of treasure to those who like history. Such as the ruins of Surosowan Palace, Kaibon Palace, 'Masjid Agung Banten' [Banten Great Mosque, enlisted in Moslem's pilgrimage in Indonesia], Speelwijk fortress and Chinese temple Avalokiteshvara, and the harbor of Banten, Karanghantu [devil rock's harbor] that still used nowadays already existed since centuries ago.

Jakarta

Jakarta is one of Indonesia's designated tourist areas. It is a gateway to other tourist destinations in Indonesia and is equipped with all the means of modern transportation by air, sea, rail, or by land. It has the largest and most modern airport in the country, the most important harbor in Indonesia and is well connected by rail of good roads to other destinations in Java, Sumatra, and Bali. As Indonesia's main gateway, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport serves a growing number of international airlines and domestic flights. Jakarta is a city of contrasts; the traditional and the modern, the rich and the poor, the sacral and the worldly, often stand side by side in this bustling metropolis.

Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta City is located in the south part of Java Island and it is neighboring to Center Java Province. It is also bordering the Indian Ocean! The region is also known for its karst mountains, located in the south part of it (Gunungkidul Regency). When it comes to nuance, the region feels soothing and welcoming. Thanks to the nice local people and their friendliness. As for nature, the region has various types of landscapes. That means visitors can explore both natural attractions and downtown freely during the visit. The accommodation is reliable, as well.

Interesting Link

Java island has various tribes spread from the west end to the east end. The tribes are:

Javanese Ethnic

The Javanese are the largest ethnic group in Indonesia. According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) as much as 40.05 percent of Indonesia's population. The Javanese people on Java island are spread across East Java, Central Java and Jogjakarta. The Javanese are also found in South America, precisely in Suriname. They are known as Suriname Javanese, meaning the Javanese who were exiled during the Dutch colonial period.
Sundanese

Sundanese are the second largest ethnic group on Java. The Sundanese come from western part of Java Island, known as Tatar Pasundan. This region consists of West Java and Banten province. In daily communication, the Sundanese who are called Urang Sunda use Sundanese.
Betawi Culture

Generally, Betawi people live in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi (Jabodetabek) area. Previously, they were residents of Batavia during the Dutch colonial period.
Osing Tribe

The Osing tribe is a Javanese sub-tribe who are residents of Banyuwangi region, East Java. The Osing tribe is also known as Laros (Lare Osing) or Wong Blambangan. In daily communication, the Osing tribe uses a mixed language of Balinese and Old Javanese.
Tengger Tribe

The Tenggerese are a Javanese sub-tribe who inhabit the Tengger Mountains area, Bromo and Semeru areas, East Java.
Baduy Tribe

The Baduy tribe is a sub-tribe of Sundanese. This tribe is widely found in the hinterland of Lebak Regency, Banten Province. The word Baduy is the outsider's mention of this group. Meanwhile, the Baduy people prefer to call themselves Urang Kanekes, according to the name of the region.