Java (island)
Java is one of Indonesia's largest islands, situated southeast of Malaysia between the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean. It spans approximately 661 miles (1,064 km) in length and has a total area of about 49,976 square miles (129,438 sq km). Java is divided into three provinces: West Java, Central Java, and East Java, along with two special districts, Jakarta Raya (the capital city) and Yogyakarta. The island is home to over 151.6 million residents as of 2020, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with the Javanese people comprising more than 40% of Indonesia's population.
Java's landscape is characterized by volcanic mountains, with 35 of its 112 volcanoes listed as active; notable eruptions have led to significant evacuations and fatalities. The island's cultural history stretches back over a million years, evolving through the influences of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, culminating in Dutch colonial rule and later independence in 1950. Java's economy is bolstered by agriculture, marine fishing, and significant industrial activity concentrated around Jakarta. It also boasts numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the ancient Borobudur Temple and Ujung Kulon National Park, which is home to endangered species. Despite its rich cultural heritage and economic importance, Java faces challenges from natural disasters, including earthquakes and tsunamis, that have had devastating impacts on its communities.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Java (island)
Java is one of the largest islands of Indonesia, which is an archipelago of 13,466 islands (of these, 922 are permanently inhabited). It has an east-west orientation and is southeast of Malaysia between the Java Sea and Indian Ocean. Java has three provinces, or propensi: West Java, Central Java, and East Java. It also includes two administratively considered provinces: the special capital district of Jakarta Raya and the special district of Yogyakarta. The population of Java, including nearby small islands, was more than 151.6 million in 2020. The tropical climate is hot and humid year-round, with abundant precipitation during the rainy season from October to April.
Java, a mountain range surrounded by lowlands, is 661 miles (1,064 km) long. The island's width ranges from 60 miles (100 km) to more than 100 miles (160 km). The total area, including several small islands close by, is 49,976 square miles (129,438 sq km). Just 35 of the 112 volcanoes are active, although eruptions can require mass evacuation, as happened in 2014 when Mount Kelud ejected ash and debris that caused buildings to collapse, killing several people. A similar event happened in 2024 with Mount Ruang. Mount Semeru, the tallest volcano, stands at 12,060 feet (3,676 m).
Background
Volcanic activity is the primary factor in the creation and growth of the volcanic island arc, and the subduction of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate played a central role. A subduction zone is a point at which two tectonic plates collide. The Indo-Australian plate is being overridden by the Eurasian plate. At a depth below 62 miles (100 km), the water causes magma to form. This magma, which is hotter and less dense than the rock, makes its way upward in the form of volcanic activity. Researchers have dated the rocks of Java to the Mesozoic and Late Cretaceous periods, making them at least 65 million years old.
Fossil evidence of human habitation of Java indicates people probably arrived from the mainland of Southeast Asia about 1.5 million years ago. Domestic agriculture may have begun about 2500 BCE. Trade with India about 1 CE introduced the Hindu Indian tradition, which dominated the central region of the island by the eighth century. Buddhism took root by the late ninth century, and many monuments attest to its popularity. A number of rulers and kingdoms gained and lost power over the centuries. During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, followers of Islam established Muslim kingdoms in central and western Java.
The Dutch East India Company established coastal trading posts near the start of the seventeenth century, and within decades became the primary administrator of Java. After the company dissolved in 1799, the island was administered by the Dutch. The native peoples revolted between 1825 and 1830, but the uprising was quashed. From 1903 onward, the Javanese held greater power in local government. The Japanese occupied the island from 1942 to 1945 during World War II, but in 1950 Java became part of the independent Republic of Indonesia. Through the remainder of the twentieth century, the country was rocked by separatist movement uprisings and coup attempts. Violence, in particular terrorism and attacks against Christian houses of worship, remained a significant concern into the twenty-first century.
Overview
The Javanese people make up the majority of the population of Indonesia, accounting for more than 40 percent as of 2010. Java has the highest population density. Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, is located in the northwest of Java on the coast and is home to more than 10.56 million people, according to 2020 estimates. Indonesian citizenship at birth is granted only to children of at least one citizen.
Indonesia is home to the world's largest population of Muslims, estimated in 2024 at 87 percent of the citizenry. A number of extremist groups have staged attacks across the country, killing hundreds of people. Some groups that emerged during the late 1990s were trained by al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and often targeted Christian places of worship and other locations regarded as un-Islamic, such as nightclubs. The nation established a counterterrorism unit, Detachment 88, that successfully dismantled the existing extremist groups, until another threat—the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)—emerged to fill the void. Although Indonesia banned the terrorist organization in 2014, a number of Indonesian extremist groups pledged loyalty to the leader of ISIS in 2016.
The government form of the Republic of Indonesia is a presidential republic. The elected president is both chief of state and head of government; the president and vice president are directly elected to five-year terms by absolute majority popular vote. The People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat) comprises two houses: the 132-seat Regional Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah) and the 560-seat House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat). The country includes large industries, which are primarily located on Java and clustered around Jakarta. Marine fishing and aquaculture are important to the economy and the population, and Java has several large fishing ports. Fish and seafood account for about 54 percent of the country's supply of animal protein.
Java is subject to earthquakes and tsunamis; in 2006, both struck the island with deadly results. The May earthquake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale and was centered about 15 miles (24 km) from Yogyakarta city. Many buildings collapsed, killing at least 3,500 people. Less than two months later, a tsunami struck. The death toll of the July 2006 event was estimated at 600 people. The wave measured 65 feet (20 m) and was triggered by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast.
Some popular destinations include Borobudur Temple, a 1,200-year-old Buddhist temple; the volcanoes of Gunung Bromo and Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park; the Ijen Plateau, an extinct volcanic crater; and Yogyakarta, a modern urban center. Half of Indonesia's United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage sites are located on Java. These culturally significant sites are the Borobudur Temple Compounds, the Ujung Kulon National Park at the southwestern tip of Java, Prambanan Temple Compounds, and the Sangiran Early Man Site, the location in central Java where the first hominid fossil was found. Borobudur Temple, which was constructed during the eighth and ninth centuries, is regarded as one of the world's greatest Buddhist monuments. The compound also includes two smaller temples, Mendut and Pawon. Ujung Kulon National Park is home to several endangered species of plants and animals, including the single-horned Javan rhinoceros. Other mammals include three endemic primate species, leopards, and fishing cats. Crocodiles, pythons, amphibians, and more than 270 species of birds are also found in the park.
Bibliography
"Borobudur Temple Compounds." United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, whc.unesco.org/en/list/592. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
Bowring, Gavin. "East Java's Rise Offsets Indonesia's Slowdown." Financial Times, 26 May 2015, www.ft.com/content/8bc860aa-009b-11e5-a908-00144feabdc0. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
Descatoire, Yves. "Subduction Zone beneath Java, Bali and Lombok Islands, Indonesia." Earth Observatory of Singapore, www.earthobservatory.sg/resources/illustrations/subduction-zone-beneath-java-bali-and-lombok-islands-indonesia. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
"Indonesia." CIA World Factbook, 25 Nov. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/indonesia/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
"Indonesia Profile—Timeline." BBC, 7 Dec. 2016, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15114517. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
"Java." Lonely Planet, www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/java. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
John, Tara. "Indonesia's Long Battle with Islamic Extremism Could Be About to Get Tougher." Time, 14 Jan. 2016, time.com/4181557/jakarta-terrorist-attacks-indonesia-isis/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
"Mass Evacuation in Indonesia as Java Volcano Erupts." BBC, 14 Feb. 2014, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26183880. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
“More Than 11,000 Evacuated in Northern Indonesia as Volcano Erupts.” Al Jazeera, 18 Apr. 2024, www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/18/11000-evacuated-in-northern-indonesia-as-ruang-volcano-erupts. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
"'Stealth' Tsunami That Killed 600 in Java Last Summer Had 65 Foot High Wave." Science Daily, 19 June 2007, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070618133738.htm. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
Suhartono, Muktita, and Richard C. Paddock. “Tsunami in Indonesia Kills Over 280, With No Warning or Quake.” The New York Times, 23 Dec. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/12/23/world/asia/tsunami-indonesia-sunda-strait.html. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
"Ujung Kulon National Park." United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, whc.unesco.org/en/list/608. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.