Java

Java[a] is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in the South East Asian country of Indonesia. It is bordered by the
Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of
156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, projected to have risen to 158 million by mid-2025,
Java is the world's most populous island, home to approximately 56% of the Indonesian population while
constituting only 7% of its land area.[2] Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, is on Java's northwestern coast.

Many of the best known events in Indonesian history took place on Java. It was the centre of powerful
Hindu-Buddhist empires, the Islamic sultanates, and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies. Java was
also the center of the Indonesian struggle for independence during the 1930s and 1940s. Java dominates
Indonesia politically, economically, and culturally. Four of Indonesia's eight UNESCO world heritage sites are
located in Java: Ujung Kulon National Park, Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, and Sangiran Early Man
Site.

Java was formed by volcanic eruptions due to geologic subduction of the Australian Plate under the Sunda
Plate. It is the 13th largest island in the world and the fifth largest in Indonesia by landmass, at about
132,598.77 square kilometres (51,196.67 mi2) (including Madura's 5,408.45 square kilometres
(2,088.21 mi2)). A chain of volcanic mountains is the east–west spine of the island.

Four main languages are spoken on the island: Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, and Betawi. Javanese and
Sundanese are the most spoken.[3] The ethnic groups native to the island are the Javanese in the central and
eastern parts and Sundanese in the western parts. The Madurese in the Eastern salient of Java are migrants
from Madura Island (which is part of East Java Province in administrative terms), while the Betawi in the
capital city of Jakarta are hybrids from various ethnic groups in Indonesia. Most residents are bilingual,
speaking Indonesian (the official language of Indonesia) as their first or second language. While the majority
of the people of Java are Muslim, Java's population comprises people of diverse religious beliefs, ethnicities,
and cultures.[4]

Java is divided into four administrative provinces: Banten, West Java, Central Java, and East Java, and two
special regions, Jakarta and Yogyakarta.

Etymology

The origins of the name "Java" are not clear. Java could possibly have been named after the jáwawut (foxtail
millet) plant, which was said to be common in Java during the time, and that prior to Indianization of the
island had different names.[5]

The famous Indian epic, the Rāmāyaṇa, mentions an island called "Yavadvipa"—the chief of the eponymous
hero Rama's army, Sugriva, leads his troops of vanara humanoid apemen to Yavadvipa in search of Rama's
kidnapped consort Sita.[6][7] Java was hence referred to in
Java
India by the Sanskrit name yāvadvīpa, with dvīpa meaning
Native name: Jawa (Indonesian)
"island" and yava meaning "barley", a plant for which the
ꦗꦮ (Javanese)
island was famous.[8] ᮏᮝ (Sundanese)
Jawè (Betawi)
Java is mentioned in the ancient Tamil epic Maṇimēkalai
by the poet Satthanar, which states that Java had a
kingdom with a capital called "Nagapuram".[9][10][11] The
toponym "Java" appears in the Pāli scripture
Mahāniddesa as a place to be reached by boats.[12]

An island called Iabadiu, which can be identified with

Java, is mentioned in Ptolemy's 150 AD Geographia,
composed during the height of the Roman Empire. The Topography of Java
Greek term Iabadiu possibly derives from an Middle Indo-
Aryan language and seems to be a synonym of the
Sanskrit yāvadvīpa. In this text, Iabadiu is described as
being rich in gold and having a silver city called "Argyre"
located at its western end.[13][14]

In the early nineteenth century, the British scholar

Stamford Raffles suggested that another possible source
for Java's name is the word jauh (which he spelled jaú), a Geography

Malay word meaning "beyond" or "distant".[8] However,

Location Southeast Asia
this hypothesis has not found support among modern
scholars. Yet another possibility is that the word "Java" Coordinates 7°29′30″S 110°0′16″E

comes from Proto-Austronesian awa or yawa, meaning ([Link]

[Link]/[Link]
"home".[15] This is similar to the words awaʻi (awaiki) or
p?pagename=Java&p
hawaʻi (hawaiki) used in Polynesia, especially in Hawaiʻi.
arams=7_29_30_S_11

The late 5th century Chinese historical text Book of Song 0_0_16_E_type:isle_re

and the 7th century Book of Liang referred to Java as 闍 gion:ID_scale:500000

婆 (Shépó). Chinese texts also reference an Indianized 0)

kingdom on Java's northern cost known as 訶陵 (Hēlíng) Archipelago Indonesian

from 640–818 AD. The island was referred to as 闍婆 Archipelago

(Shépó) until the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), whereupon

it began to be called 爪哇 (Zhǎowā), the present-day Greater Sunda
Islands
name in Mandarin Chinese.[16] In his 1451 book Yingya
Shenglan ("The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores"), Area 132,598.77 km2
(51,196.67 sq mi)
Chinese explorer Ma Huan, who accompanied the
famous Admiral Zheng He on three of his Ming treasure
voyages, noted that the Chinese referred to Java as爪哇 Area rank 13th
(Zhǎowā), and that it had previously been called 闍婆
Highest elevation 3,678 m (12067 ft)
(Shépó).[17]

Highest point Semeru

The 9th century Persian merchant Sulaiman al-Tajir
mentioned two notable islands which separated the Administration

Arabian Peninsula from China: one was the 800-farsakh

Indonesia
long al-Rami (Sumatra), and the other was the 400-
farsakh long az-Zabaj (Arabic: ‫ ;الزابج‬Indonesian: Sabak), Provinces Banten
[18]: 30–31 Jakarta
identified as Java.
West Java
When 14th century Italian traveler Giovanni de' Marignolli Central Java

returned to Europe from Asia, he claimed to have stopped Special Region of

at a land called "Saba" for several months, which he said Yogyakarta

East Java
had many elephants and was led by a queen, possibly
Queen Gitarja (r. 1328–1350).[19]: xii, 192–194 This name Largest settlement Jakarta
"Saba" might have been his interpretation of the Chinese (pop.10,684,948)
term Shépó, or more likely, of the Arabic term Zabaj.
Demographics

15th century Russian merchant Afanasy Nikitin, one of

Population 156,927,804 (mid
the first Europeans to visit India, traveled to India in 1466
2024)
and described the land of Java, which he called шабайте
(šabajte).[20][21] Pop. density 1,183/km2
(3064/sq mi)

Geography Ethnic groups Betawi, Javanese

(inc. Cirebonese,
Tenggerese, Osing,
Banyumasan),
Kangeanese,
Madurese (inc.
Bawean), Sundanese
(inc. Baduy,
Bantenese), etc.
Mount Bromo in Malang, East Java
Additional information
Java lies between Sumatra to the west and Bali to the
Time zone WIB (UTC+7)
east. Borneo lies to the north, and Christmas Island is to
the south. It is the world's 13th largest island. Java is
You may need rendering support to
surrounded by the Java Sea to the north, the Sunda Strait to display the letters from the Javanese
the west, the Indian Ocean to the south and Bali Strait[22] and script in this article correctly.

Madura Strait in the east.[23]

Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin; it contains 38 mountains forming an east–west spine that have at
one time or another been active volcanoes. There are 112 volcanoes in all, 35 of which are active. The
highest volcano in Java is Mount Semeru, 3,676 metres (12,060 ft). The most active volcano in Java and
also in Indonesia is Mount Merapi, 2,930 metres (9,610 ft).[24] In total, Java has more than 150 mountains.[25]

Java's mountains and highlands 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.[26] 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.[27]

Parahyangan highland near Buitenzorg

(now Bogor, West Java), c. 1865–1872

The area of Java is about 132,598.77 square kilometres (51,196.67 mi2) (including Madura's 5,408.45 square
kilometres (2,088.21 mi2) and minor offshore islands).[26] It is about 1,000 km (620 mi) long and up to
210 km (130 mi) wide. The island's longest river is the 600 km long Solo River.[28] 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. Other major rivers are Brantas, Citarum, Cimanuk and Serayu.

The average temperature ranges from 22 °C (72 °F) to 29 °C (84 °F); average humidity is 75%. The northern
coastal plains are normally hotter, averaging 34 °C (93 °F) during the day in the dry season. The south coast
is generally cooler than the north, and highland areas inland are even cooler.[29] The wet season begins in
November and ends in April. During that time, rain falls mostly in the afternoons and intermittently during
other parts of the year. The wettest months are January and February.[30]

West Java is wetter than East Java, and mountainous regions receive much higher rainfall. The Parahyangan
highlands of West Java receive over 4,000 millimetres (160 in) annually, while the north coast of East Java
receives 900 millimetres (35 in) annually.
Natural environment

Cymbidium dayanum - typical

orchid in Java

Java is an island with a large amount of biodiversity. The natural environment of Java is tropical rainforest,
with ecosystems ranging from coastal mangrove forest on the north coast, rocky coastal cliffs on the
southern coast, and low-lying tropical forest to high altitude rainforest on the slopes of mountainous
volcanic regions in the interior. The Javan environment and climate gradually alters from west to east; from
wet and humid dense rainforest in western parts, to a dry savanna environment in the east, corresponding to
the climate and rainfall in these regions.

Male Javan rhino shot in 1934 in West

Java. Today only small numbers of Javan
rhino survive in Ujung Kulon; it is the world's
rarest rhino.

Javan wildlife originally supported a rich biodiversity, where numbers of endemic species of flora and fauna
flourished; such as the Javan rhinoceros,[31] Javan banteng, Javan warty pig, Javan silvery gibbon, Javan
lutung, Java mouse-deer, Javan rusa, and Javan leopard. With over 450 bird species and 37 endemic species
including the Javan green magpie, Java sparrow, Javan hawk-eagle, and Javan peafowl, Java is a
birdwatcher's paradise.[32] There are about 130 freshwater fish species in Java.[33] There are also several
endemic amphibian species in Java, including 5 species of tree frogs.[34]
Since ancient times, people have opened the rainforest, altered the ecosystem, shaped the landscapes and
created rice paddy and terraces to support the growing population. Javan rice terraces have existed for more
than a millennium and had supported ancient agricultural kingdoms. The growing human population has put
severe pressure on Java's wildlife, as rainforests were diminished and confined to highland slopes or
isolated peninsulas. Some of Java's endemic species are now critically endangered, with some already
extinct; Java used to have Javan tigers and Javan elephants, but both have been rendered extinct. Today,
several national parks exist in Java that protect the remnants of its fragile wildlife, such as Ujung Kulon,
Mount Halimun-Salak, Gede Pangrango, Baluran, Meru Betiri, Bromo Tengger Semeru and Alas Purwo.

History

Homo erectus presence

The syntype fossils of Java Man (H. e.

erectus), at Naturalis, Leiden

Cast of Skull XI at the Hall of Human

Origins, Washington, D.C.

Fossilised remains of Homo erectus, popularly known as the "Java Man", dating back 1.3 million[35] years
were found along the banks of the Bengawan Solo River.[36]

H. erectus arrived in Eurasia approximately 1.8 million years ago, in an event considered to be the first
African exodus.[37] There is evidence that the Java population of H. erectus lived in an ever-wet forest
habitat. More specifically the environment resembled a savannah, but was likely regularly inundated
("hydromorphic savanna"). The plants found at the Trinil excavation site included grass (Poaceae), ferns,
Ficus, and Indigofera, which are typical of lowland rainforest.[38]
H. e. soloensis was the last population of a long occupation history of the island of Java by H. erectus,
beginning 1.51 to 0.93 million years ago at the Sangiran site, continuing 540 to 430 thousand years ago at
the Trinil site, and finally 117 to 108 thousand years ago at Ngandong.[39] If the date is correct for Solo Man,
then they would represent a terminal population of H. erectus which sheltered in the last open-habitat
refuges of East Asia before the rainforest takeover. Before the immigration of modern humans, Late
Pleistocene Southeast Asia was also home to H. floresiensis endemic to the island of Flores, Indonesia, and
H. luzonensis endemic to the island of Luzon, the Philippines. Genetic analysis of present-day Southeast
Asian populations indicates the widespread dispersal of the Denisovans (a species currently recognisable
only by their genetic signature) across Southeast Asia, whereupon they interbred with immigrating modern
humans 45.7 and 29.8 thousand years ago. A 2021 genomic study indicates that, aside from the
Denisovans, modern humans never interbred with any of these endemic human species, unless the offspring
were unviable or the hybrid lineages have since died out.

Judging by the sheer number of specimens deposited at Ngandong at the same time, there may have been a
sizeable population of H. e soloensis before the volcanic eruption which resulted in their interment, but
population is difficult to approximate with certainty. This site is quite far from the north coast of Java Island,
and it is not always easy to determine the position of the coastline in prehistoric times because of significant
geographical changes.[40]

The southern coastline and estuary of the Bengawan Solo River at that time may have been different from
what it is today, due to geological factors such as sedimentation, erosion, and changes in sea level over
time. Currently, the estuary of the Bengawan Solo is in the Java Sea, but in prehistoric times, the river flow
and estuary location may have changed. Geological and paleogeographic studies are often used to
understand these changes.

After the arrival of modern humans

Mount Sumbing surrounded by rice fields.

Java's volcanic topography and rich
agricultural lands are the fundamental
factors in its history.

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.[41] 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 river and Solo river could provide long-distance communication and this
way their valleys supported the centers 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-17th century. Local powers could
disrupt the routes as could the wet season and road use was highly dependent on constant maintenance.
Consequently, communication between Java's population was difficult.[26]

Standing warrior bronze figures, Java,

c. 500 BC – 300 AD

The emergence of civilization on the island of Java is often associated with the arrival of Aji Saka in 78 AD.
Although Aji Saka is said to be the bearer of civilization on Java, the story received several objections and
rebuttals from other historical sources. Valmiki's Ramayana, made around 500 BC, records that Java already
had a governmental organization long before the story:

"Yawadwipa is decorated with seven kingdoms, gold and silver islands, rich in
gold mines, and there is Cicira (cold) Mountain that touches the sky with its
peak."[42]: 6

The Greek geographer Ptolemy called the island Iabadius or Sabadius (Ancient Greek: Ιαβαδίου or
Σαβαδίου).[43][44] Ptolemy said that the name meant the "Island of Barley" and produced a lot of grain and
gold, adding that its metropolis was Argyre (Ἀργυρῆ)[45] meaning silver in Greek.[46]

According to Chinese record Míng Shǐ, the Javanese kingdom was founded in 65 BC, or 143 years before the
story of Aji Saka began.[47]: 39

The story of Aji Saka is a Neo Javanese story. This story has not yet been found to be relevant in the Old
Javanese text. This story tells of events in the Medang Kamulan kingdom in Java in the past. At that time,
the king of Medang Kamulan Prabu Dewata Cengkar was replaced by Aji Saka. This story is considered as
an allegory of the entry of Indians into Java. Referring to the Liang dynasty information, the Javanese
kingdom was divided into two: the pre-Hinduism kingdom and the post-Hindu kingdom, which began in 78
AD.[18]: 5 and 7
Hindu–Buddhist kingdoms era

The 9th century Borobudur Buddhist stupa

in Central Java

The Taruma kingdom of western Java existed from the 5th to the 7th centuries,[48]: 83 [49]: 19 while the Heling
kingdom sent embassies to China starting in 640.[48]: 53, 79 However, the first major principality was the
Mataram kingdom that was founded in central Java at the beginning of the 8th century. Mataram's religion
centered on the Hindu god Shiva, and the kingdom produced some of Java's earliest Hindu temples on the
Dieng Plateau. Around the 8th century, the Sailendra dynasty rose in Kedu Plain and become the patron of
Mahayana Buddhism. This ancient kingdom built monuments such as the 9th century Borobudur and
Prambanan in central Java.

Around the 10th century, the center 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, and with China and India. Majapahit was established by
Wijaya,[48]: 201 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
minister, Gajah Mada, led many of the kingdom's territorial conquests.[48]: 234 Previous Javanese kingdoms
had their power based on 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.[48]: 241

Spread of Islam and rise of Islamic sultanates

Islam became the dominant religion in Java at the end of the 16th century. 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.
Colonial periods

Tea plantation in Java during Dutch colonial

period, in or before 1936

Java's contact with the European colonial powers began in 1522 with a treaty between the Sunda kingdom
and the Portuguese in Malacca. After its failure, the Portuguese 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.[50] By the end of the 18th century the Dutch had extended their influence over the sultanates
of the interior through the Dutch East India Company in Indonesia. The Dutch repeatedly intervened in wars
between rival Mataram claimants to the Javanese throne. When the side they supported inevitably won due
to their industrialised weapons, the Dutch forced land concessions from the side they supported. The Dutch
whittled down the Mataram kingdoms until most of the island was conquered. Internal conflict prevented the
Javanese from forming effective alliances against the Dutch. In the 1750s, the Javanese Sultan
Mangkubumi tried to restore Mataram's control, but the Dutch divided the kingdom. 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's major role during the early part of the colonial period was as a producer of rice. In spice-producing
islands like Banda, rice was regularly imported from Java, to supply the deficiency in means of
subsistence.[51]

During the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, the Netherlands fell to France, as did its colony in the East Indies.
During the short-lived Daendels administration, as French proxy rule on Java, the construction of the Great
Post Road was commenced in 1808. The road, spanning from Anyer in Western Java to Panarukan in East
Java, served as a military supply route and was used in defending Java from British invasion.[52] In 1811,
Java was captured by the British, becoming a possession of the British Empire, and Sir Stamford Raffles was
appointed as the island's governor. In 1816, under the governorship of John Fendall, Java was returned to
the Dutch as per the terms of the Treaty of Paris.[53][54]

In 1815, there may have been five million people in Java.[55] In the second half of the 18th century, population
spurts began in districts along the north-central coast of Java, and in the 19th 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 cassava and maize that could sustain populations that could not afford
rice.[56] 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.[57] Cholera claimed 100,000 lives in Java in 1820.[58]

Japanese prepare to discuss surrender

terms with British-allied forces in Java,
1945.

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.[59] However, other sources claimed the Dutch's
Cultivation system is linked to famines and epidemics in the 1840s, firstly in Cirebon and then Central Java,
as cash crops such as indigo and sugar had to be grown instead of rice.

Independence

Indonesian nationalism first took hold in Java in the early 20th century, and the struggle to secure the
country's independence following World War II was centered in Java. In 1949, Indonesian independence was
recognized.

Administration

1
Banten
West Java
Central Java
East Java
2
1 Jakarta
2 Yogyakarta
Java is divided into four provinces and two special regions:[23]

Banten, capital: Serang

Special Capital Region of Jakarta, capital: Central Jakarta (de facto)

West Java, capital: Bandung

Central Java, capital: Semarang

Special Region of Yogyakarta, capital: Yogyakarta

East Java, capital: Surabaya (which province also includes Madura Island)
 Population
Province Population Population Population Population
Area Area estimate
or Special Map Capital 2
census census census density
km % [60] [61] [62]
mid
Region 2000 2010 2020 [63]
mid 2024
2024

Serang 9,352.77 6.88 8,098,277 10,632,166 11,904,562 12,431,390 1,329

Banten

Central
Jakarta 660.98 0.50 8,361,079 9,607,787 10,562,088 10,684,946 16,165
Special (de facto)
Region of
Jakarta

Bandung 37,040.04 27.93 35,724,093 43,053,732 48,274,160 50,345,189 1,359

West Java

Western
Java
47,053.79 35.49 52,183,449 63,293,685 70,740,810 73,461,525 1,561
(3 areas
above)

Semarang 34,337.49 25.90 31,223,258 32,382,657 36,516,035 37,892,280 1,104

Central Java

Yogyakarta 3,170.65 2.39 3,121,045 3,457,491 3,668,719 3,759,500 1,186

Yogyakarta
Special
Region

Central Java
Region
37,508.14 28.29 34,344,303 35,840,148 40,184,754 41,651,780 1,110
(2 areas
above)

Surabaya 48,036.84 36.23 34,765,993 37,476,757 40,665,696 41,814,499 870

 Population
Province Population Population Population Population
Area Area estimate
or Special Map Capital 2
census census census density
km % [60] [61] [62]
mid
Region 2000 2010 2020 [63]
mid 2024
2024

East Java
(Include
Madura
Islands)

Java
– 127,190.32 95.92 118,063,445 132,987,827 147,586,696 152,771,143 1,201
Island (1)

Madura
Island (2)
– 5,408.45 4.08 3,230,300 3,622,763 4,004,564 4,156,661 769
of East
Java

Region
Administered Jakarta 132,598.77 100% 121,293,745 136,610,590 151,591,260 156,927,804 1,183
as Java

(1) including the neighbouring small archipelagos of the Kangean Islands (648.55 km2), the Sapudi Islands (167.41 km2), Talango Island

(50.278 km2), Masalembu (40.85 km2), the Giligenteng Islands (30.32 km2) - all the foregoing within Sumenep Regency.

(2) Other offshore islands are included in this figure, but are comparatively very small in population and area; they include Nusa Barong

(84.73 km2), Bawean (197.42 km2), Karimunjawa (78 km2), Nusa Kambangan (121 km2), Panaitan (170 km2), and the Thousand Islands

(8.7 km2) – with a combined population of roughly 150,000 (of whom 85,320 are on Bawean, 28,809 are on the Thousand Islands, 16,200 on

Nusa Barong and 10,800 on Karimunjawa).

(3) Land area of provinces updated in mid 2024 regency/city annual statistics.

Demographics

Demographic profile

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia

Java has been traditionally dominated by an elite class, while the people
Historical population
in the lower classes were often involved in agriculture and fishing. The
elite class in Java has evolved over the course of history, as cultural Year Pop. ±%

wave after cultural wave immigrated to the island. There is evidence that 1961 63,059,575 —

South Asian emigres were among this elite, as well as Arabian and 1971 76,086,320 +20.7%
Persian immigrants during the Islamic eras. More recently, Chinese 1980 91,269,528 +20.0%
immigrants have also become part of the economic elite of Java. 1990 107,581,306 +17.9%
Although politically the Chinese generally remain sidelined, there are 2000 121,352,608 +12.8%
notable exceptions, such as the former governor of Jakarta, Basuki
2010 136,610,590 +12.6%
Tjahaja Purnama. Java houses the majority of Indonesia's urban
2015 145,013,583 +6.2%
population. Currently, 65% of the island is urbanized. Unlike the rest of
2020 151,591,262 +4.5%
Java, the population growth in Central Java remains low. Central Java
2024 156,927,804 +3.5%
however has a younger population than the national average.[65] The
Refers to the administrative region
slow population growth can in part be attributed to the choice by many
(including Madura).
people to leave the more rural Central Java for better opportunities and
Source: [64]
[66]
higher incomes in the bigger cities. Java's population continues to
rapidly increase despite many Javanese leaving the island. This is
somewhat due to the fact that Java is the business, academic, and cultural hub of Indonesia, which attracts
millions of non-Javanese people to its cities. The population growth is most intense in the regions
surrounding Jakarta and Bandung, which is reflected through the demographic diversity in those areas.

Population growth

Population density of Java and Madura by subdistrict as of 2022, with major urban
areas shown

Java is the most populous major island in the world and is home to 55% of Indonesia's population, with a
combined population of 156.9 million according to the official estimates as at mid 2024 (including Madura's
4.16 million).[67] At nearly 1,183.5 people per km2 in 2024, it is also one of the most densely populated parts
of the world, on a par with Bangladesh. Every region of the island has numerous volcanoes, with the people
left to share the remaining flatter land. Because of this, many coasts are heavily populated and cities ring
around the valleys surrounding volcanic peaks.
The population growth rate more than doubled in economically depressed Central Java in the latest 2010–
2020 period vs 2000–2010, indicative of migration or other issues; there were significant volcanic eruptions
during the earlier period. Approximately 45% of the population of Indonesia is ethnically Javanese,[68] while
Sundanese make a large portion of Java's population as well.

The western third of the island (West Java, Banten, and DKI Jakarta) has an even higher population density,
of roughly 1,563 per square kilometre and accounts for most of the population growth of Java.[67] It is home
to three metropolitan areas, Greater Jakarta (with outlying areas of Greater Serang and Greater Sukabumi),
Greater Bandung, and Greater Cirebon.

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. Nevertheless, it has caused Java's share of the nation's population to progressively decline.

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.

Ethnicity and culture

Lakshmana, Rama and Shinta in Ramayana

ballet at Prambanan, Java
 Sisingaan attractions, featuring traditional
Sundanese lion dance

Karapan sapi is a Madurese traditional bull

racing festival.

Betawi girl dancers

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 northeast coast of Java
and have immigrated to East Java in large numbers since the 18th century.[69] The Javanese comprise about
two-thirds of the island's population while the Sundanese and Madurese account for 38% and 10%
respectively.[69] The fourth group is the Betawi people who speak a dialect of Malay. They are the
descendants of the people living around Batavia from around the 17th century. Betawis are creole people,
mostly descended from various Indonesian archipelago ethnic groups such as Malay, Sundanese, Javanese,
Balinese, Minang, Bugis, Makassar, Ambonese, mixed with foreign ethnic groups such as Portuguese, Dutch,
Arab, Chinese and Indian brought to or attracted to Batavia to meet labour needs. They have a culture and
language distinct from the surrounding Sundanese and Javanese.

The Javanese prose text Tantu Pagelaran (c. 15th century) explained the mythical origin of the island and its
volcanic nature.

Four major cultural areas exist on the island:

1. The heartland of the Javanese people in the central part of Java with Yogyakarta as its cultural center;

2. the Pasisir region (from Javanese: ꦥꦱꦶꦱꦶꦂ , lit. 'shore, coast') on the northern coast, home to the first
Muslim sultanate in Indonesia;

3. the Sunda lands (Sundanese: ᮒᮒᮁ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ, Tatar Sunda) in the western part of Java with Parahyangan as
their heartland;

4. the eastern salient of Java, also known as Blambangan, consisting of the Blambangan Peninsula east
of the Tengger Massif.

Madura makes up a fifth area having close cultural ties with coastal eastern Java.[69]

The kejawen of Javanese culture is the island's most dominant. Java's remaining aristocracy is 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.[69] The territory from
Banyumas in the west through to Blitar in the east encompasses Indonesia's most fertile and densely
populated agricultural land.[69]

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. 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.[70]

Java was the site of many influential kingdoms in the Southeast Asian region,[71] 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.
Languages

Languages spoken in Java (Javanese is

shown in white). "Malay" refers to Betawi,
the local dialect as one of Malay creole
dialect.

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, Banyumasan, and Tenggerese
(closely related to Javanese), Baduy and Bantenese (closely related to Sundanese), Kangeanese (closely
related to Madurese), and Balinese.[72] The vast majority of the population also speaks Indonesian, often as a
second language.[73]

Religion

Religion in Java (2023)[74]

Islam (96.1%)
Protestantism (2.26%)
Roman Catholicism (1.07%)
Buddhism (0.48%)
Hinduism (0.11%)
Aliran Kepercayaan (0.01%)
Confucianism (0.01%)

Hinduism was the main religion in Java before the arrival of Islam.[75] Indian influences came first with
Shaivism and Buddhism penetrating deeply into society, blending with indigenous tradition and culture.[76]
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.[76] 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.

Religions Total

Islam 151,001,350

Protestantism 3,551,176

Roman Catholicism 1,677,824

Buddhism 755,560

Hinduism 168,055

Aliran Kepercayaan 21,855

Confucianism 20,303

Overall 157,196,123

[74]

The coming of Islam, strengthened the status structure of this traditional religious pattern. More than 98
percent of the Muslims in Java are Sunnis with very minority being Shia and Ahmadis (respectively 1% and
0.2%), on a broad continuum between abangan (more syncretic) and santri (more orthodox). Muslim
scholars (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.[76]
 The Menara Kudus Immanuel Church a Ganjuran Roman Catholic Pura Parahyangan
Mosque in Kudus, built in Protestant church in church in Bantul Regency, Agung Jagatkarta, a
a mix of traditional Jakarta built in the traditional Hindu shrine dedicated
Islamic and old Javanese Javanese style to Prabu Siliwangi,
styles Bogor

Maha Vihara Mojopahit, a Boen Tek Bio, the

Buddhist monastery near oldest Chinese temple
Trowulan Majapahit in Tangerang
temple, Mojokerto

Pre-Islamic Javanese 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.[76] 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 to reform 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.[76]

There are also Christian communities, mostly in the larger cities, primarily among Chinese Indonesian and
minority Javanese even some rural areas of south-central Java are strongly Roman Catholic. Buddhist
communities also exist in the major cities, primarily among the Chinese Indonesian. The Indonesian
constitution recognises six official religions.

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 six in East Java.[76] 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.[77] Sunda Wiwitan is a traditional Sundanese religion, its adherents still exist in
several villages.[78]

Economy

Water buffalo ploughing rice fields near

Salatiga, in Central Java

Initially the economy of Java relied heavily on rice agriculture. Ancient kingdoms such as the Kingdoms of
Sunda, 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 ancient 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 Dutch East India Company
(VOC) era.[79]

The VOC set their foothold on Batavia in the 17th century and was succeeded by the Dutch East Indies in the
19th century. During these colonial times, the Dutch introduced the cultivation of commercial plants in Java,
such as sugarcane, rubber, coffee, tea, and quinine. In the 19th and early 20th century, Javanese coffee
gained global popularity. Thus, the name "Java" today has become a synonym for coffee.[80][81][82][83]

Whoosh high-speed train passing through

Bekasi city

Java has been Indonesia's most developed island since the Dutch East Indies era and continues to be so
today in the 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 the early
19th century. It became the backbone of Java's road infrastructure and laid the base of Java North Coast
Road (Indonesian: Jalan Pantura, abbreviation from "Pantai Utara"). 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, industry, business, trade and 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 has become the centre of art,
culture and tourism. Industrial estates are 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 the New Order until the present day, 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 motorways, Java has 16 national highways.

Java transport network

Based on the statistical data by the year of 2021 released by Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik),
Java alone contributes around 60% of Indonesia's GDP or equivalent to US$686 billion (int$2.0 trillion,
PPP).[84]

See also

History of Indonesia
Indonesia portal

List of monarchs of Java Islands portal

Notes

a. /ˈdʒɑːvə, ˈdʒævə/;[1] Indonesian: Jawa, pronounced [ˈdʒawa]; Javanese: ꦗꦮ; Sundanese: ᮏᮝ

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69. Hefner, Robert (1997). Java. Singapore: Periplus Editions. p. 58. ISBN 978-962-593-244-6.

70. "Theatre and dance" ([Link] . Britannica.

Retrieved 27 June 2024.

71. See Wallace Stevens's poem "Tea" for an appreciative allusion to Javanese culture.

72. Languages of Java and Bali ([Link]

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list some of these as dialects rather than languages.

73. "Ethnic groups" ([Link] . Britannica. Retrieved

27 June 2024.

74. "Visualisasi Data Kependudukan" ([Link]

[Link]/peta/) (in Indonesian). Ministry of Home Affairs. 31 December 2023. Archived from
the original ([Link] on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2024.

75. "Java Religion" ([Link] . Hinduism in Java.

28 June 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2025.

76. van der Kroef, Justus M. (1961). "New Religious Sects in Java". Far Eastern Survey. 30 (2): 18–25.
doi:10.2307/3024260 ([Link] . JSTOR 3024260 ([Link]
stable/3024260) .

77. Beatty, Andrew, Varieties of Javanese Religion: An Anthropological Account, Cambridge University
Press 1999, ISBN 0-521-62473-8

78. Tempo: Indonesia's Weekly News Magazine ([Link]

sunda+wiwitan+religion) . Arsa Raya Perdana. 2006.

79. "Growth and impact of the Dutch East India Company" ([Link]
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80. "Why Is Coffee Called "A Cup of Joe"?" ([Link]

oe#:~:text=When+it+comes+to+the,to+be+known+as+java) . Wonderopolis. 16 January 2018.

81. Demri (12 December 2017). "Why is Coffee Called Java? Colloquial Coffee Synonyms" ([Link]
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82. "Why is Coffee Called Java? | Coffee Facts & History" ([Link]
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Bibliography

Taylor, Jean Gelman (2003). Indonesia: Peoples and Histories ([Link]

n) . New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-10518-6.

Further reading

Cribb, Robert (2000). Historical Atlas of Indonesia ([Link] .

London and Honolulu: RoutledgeCurzon Press, University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2111-1.

Padmo, Soegijanto (2000). Java and The Making of The Nation. ([Link]
ons/[Link]) Humaniora Journal, Gadjah Mada
University.

External links

Java travel guide from Wikivoyage