West Java , acronym
jabar with population around 41.48 million (2007), is the most populous
provinceThe province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...
of
IndonesiaThe Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands. With an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, with the world's largest population of Muslims.Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, located on Java Island. It is slightly larger in area than densely populated
TaiwanTaiwan , also known as Formosa , is the largest island of the Republic of China in East Asia. Taiwan is located east of the Taiwan Strait, off the southeastern coast of mainland China...
, but nearly double the population. Its capital city is
BandungBandung Indonesian: Kota Bandung) is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's fourth largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area, with 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 m above sea level, Bandung has relatively year-around cooler temperature than most other Indonesian...
.
History
The oldest human inhabitant archaeological findings in the region were unearthed in
AnyerAnyer is a town in West Java, Indonesia, fifteen kilometres south of Merak. It is home of a forty metre lighthouse built by King Willem III of the Netherlands in 1885 as a memorial for the townspeople killed by the eruption of Krakatau, which destroyed the town. The original lighthouse was...
(the western coast of Java) with evidences of bronze and iron metallurgical culture dated back to the first millennium AD.
The prehistoric Buni (the present-day
BekasiBekasi is a growing suburb in West Java, Indonesia, located on the eastern border of DKI Jakarta in the Jabotabek metropolitan region. To the south is Bogor Regency, east is Bekasi Regency....
)
clayClay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, which show plasticity through a variable range of water content, and which can be hardened when dried and/or fired...
potteryPottery is the ceramic ware made by potters. Major types of pottery include earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. The places where such wares are made are called potteries. Pottery is one of the oldest human technologies and art-forms, and remains a major industry today...
were later developed with evidences found from Anyer to
CirebonCirebon is a city on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the province of West Java, approximately 297 km east of Jakarta, at .- Etymology :...
. Some artifacts (dated from 400 BC — AD 100) such as food and drink containers were found mostly as burial gifts. There is also archeological evidence in
Batujaya Archaeological SiteBatujaya is an archeological site located in the village of Batujaya, Karawang in West Java, Indonesia. The site is five square kilometers in area and comprises more than 20 structural remains buried in what Sundanese call hunyur or unur...
dating from the 2nd century, and according to Dr Tony Djubiantono, the head of Bandung Archeology Agency, Jiwa Temple in Batujaya, Karawang, West Java was also built around this time.
Recorded history of West Java administration was started from the fourth century with the existence of
TarumanagaraTarumanagara or Taruma Kingdom or just Taruma is an early Sundanese kingdom, whose fifth-century ruler, Purnavarman, produced the earliest known inscriptions on Java island. The kingdom was not far from modern Jakarta, and Purnavarman apparently built a canal that changed the course of the Cakung...
kingdom. Seven inscribed stones written in Wengi letters (used in the
Indian PallavaThe Pallava dynasty ruled northern Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh with their capital at Kanchipuram. The origin of Pallavas is a subject of speculation. They were perhaps the descendents of the Saka-Pahlava-Kambhoja warriors from Northwest India. They have settled in the Guntur region of Andhra...
period) and in Sanskrit language describe most of the kings of Tarumanagara. Records of Tarumanegara's administration lasted until the sixth century, which coincides with the attack of
SrivijayaSrivijaya or Sriwijaya was an ancient Malay kingdom on the island of Sumatra, Southeast Asia which influenced much of the Maritime Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6 months...
as stated in the Kota Kapur inscription (AD 686).
The
Sunda kingdomThe Sunda Kingdom was, according to primary historical records from the sixteenth century, a kingdom covering areas of present-day Banten Province, Jakarta, West Java Province, and the west of Central Java Province...
then came into the ruling power of the region, the reference to which were found in the Kebon Kopi II inscription (AD 932).
An ulema known today as Sunan Gunung Jati settled in Banten Girang, with the intention of spreading the world of
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
in this still pagan town. In the meantime, the
Sultanate of DemakThe Sultanate of Demak was Muslim state located on Java's north coast in Indonesia, at the site of the present day city of Demak. A port fief thought to have been founded in the last quarter of the fifteenth century, it was influenced by Islam brought by Arab and Gujarat traders...
from central Java grew into an immediate threat to Sunda kingdom. To defend against the threat, Prabu Surawisesa Jayaperkosa signed a treaty (known as the Luso Sundanese Treaty) with the
PortugueseThe Portuguese Empire was the first global empire in history, with territories in South America, Africa, India and South East Asia...
in 1512. In return, the Portuguese was granted an accession to build fortresses and warehouses in the area, as well as trading agreement with the kingdom. This first international treaty of West Java with the Europeans was commemorated by the placement of the Padrao stone monument at the riverbank of the
Ciliwung RiverCiliwung is a river that passes through Jakarta, Indonesia. The river flows from its source near Puncak on the highlands of West Java to the Jakarta Bay....
in 1522.
Although the treaty with Portuguese had been established, it could not come to realization. Sunda Kalapa harbour fell under the alliance of the Sultanate of Demak and the Sultanate of Cirebon (former
vassal stateThe term vassal state commonly refers to any state that was subordinate to another in the pre-modern international system. The vassal in these cases was the ruler, rather than the state itself...
of Sunda kingdom) in 1524 after their troops under Paletehan alias Fadillah Khan had conquered the city. In 1524/1525, their troops under Sunan Gunung Jati also seized the port of Banten and established the Sultanate of Banten which was affiliating with the Sultanate of Demak. The war between the Sunda kingdom with Demak and Cirebon sultanates then continued for five years until a peace treaty were made in 1531 between King Surawisesa and Sunan Gunung Jati. From 1567 to 1579, under the last king Raja Mulya, alias Prabu Surya Kencana, Sunda kingdom declined essentially under the pressure from the Sultanate of Banten. After 1576, the kingdom could not maintain its capital at Pakuan Pajajaran (the present-day
BogorBogor is a city in West Java with a population of approximately 800,000 people in the CBD area and 2,000,000 in suburban area, bringing a total of 3 million population...
) and gradually the Sultanate of Banten took over the former Sunda kingdom's region. The
Mataram SultanateThe Sultanate of Mataram was the last major independent Javanese empire on Java before the island was colonized by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force in interior Central Java from the late sixteenth century until the beginning of the eighteenth century.-Javanese kingship:The name...
from central Java also seized the Priangan region, the southeastern part of the kingdom.
In the sixteenth century, the
DutchThe Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia. It was the first multinational corporation in the world and the first company to issue stock...
and the British trading companies established their trading ships in West Java after the falldown of
Sultanate of BantenThe Sultanate of Banten was founded in the sixteenth century and centered in Banten, a port city in northwest Java. It is said to have been founded by Sunan Gunungjati, who later went on to found Cirebon.-Formation and Growth:...
. For the next three hundred years, West Java fell under the
Dutch East IndiesThe Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, was the Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II.It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the former Dutch East India Company that came under the administration of the Netherlands in 1800...
' administration. West Java was officially declared as a province of Indonesia in 1950, referring to a statement from Staatblad number 378. On October 17 2000, as part of nationwide political decentralization,
BantenBanten is a province of Indonesia, located at the western end of Java Island. Banten has an area of 9,160.7 km² and population of 9,782,900 Banten was established in October 2000 after being separated from West Java province. The capital of the province is Serang.- History :Banten in the fifth...
was separated from West Java and made into a new province.
Geography
West Java borders Jakarta and
BantenBanten is a province of Indonesia, located at the western end of Java Island. Banten has an area of 9,160.7 km² and population of 9,782,900 Banten was established in October 2000 after being separated from West Java province. The capital of the province is Serang.- History :Banten in the fifth...
province to the west, and
Central JavaCentral Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java. The province of Central Java is 32,548.20 km2 in area; approximately a quarter of the total land area of Java...
to the east. To the north is
Java SeaThe Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
. To the south is the
Indian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by South Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean...
. Unlike most other provinces in Indonesia which have their capitals in coastal area, the provincial capital Bandung is located in a mountainous area.
BantenBanten is a province of Indonesia, located at the western end of Java Island. Banten has an area of 9,160.7 km² and population of 9,782,900 Banten was established in October 2000 after being separated from West Java province. The capital of the province is Serang.- History :Banten in the fifth...
province was formerly part of West Java province, but was created a separate province in 2000.
The province's landscape is one of volcanic mountains, steep terrain, forest, mountains rivers, fertile agricultural land, and natural sea harbours.
Demographics and language
According to the 2005 Socio-Economic Survey, West Java's population is 39,960,869, making it the most populous province in Indonesia. It has an area of 34,736 km
2; aside from the province of
JakartaJakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. It also has a greater population than any other city in Southeast Asia. It was formerly known as Sunda Kelapa , Jayakarta , Batavia , and Djakarta . Located on the northwest coast of Java, it has an area of and a population of 8,489,910...
, it is the most densely populated province in the country with an average of 1,150 people per km
2.
In addition to
IndonesianIndonesian is the official national language of Indonesia. It is based on a version of Classical Malay of the Riau-Johor Sultanate. It was first declared the official language with the declaration of Indonesian independence in 1945, following the 1928 unifying-language declaration in the...
, the official national language, the other widely-spoken language in the province is
SundaneseNot to be confused with SudaneseSundanese is the language of about 27 million people from the western third of Java or about 15% of the Indonesian population....
. In some areas near the southern borders with
Central JavaCentral Java is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of six provinces on the island of Java. The province of Central Java is 32,548.20 km2 in area; approximately a quarter of the total land area of Java...
,
JavaneseJavanese language is the language of the people in the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. In addition, there are also some pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java...
is also spoken. The main language spoken in
CirebonCirebon is a city on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the province of West Java, approximately 297 km east of Jakarta, at .- Etymology :...
and nearby areas (
MajalengkaMajalengka is a city, nicknamed the City of the Wind, and capital of the Majalengka Regency in West Java, Indonesia.-External links:*...
,
IndramayuIndramayu is the capital of the Indramayu Regency of West Java, Indonesia.The town of Indramayu is located in the North coastal area of West Java, and East from Jakarta and North East from the city of Bandung and North West of the city of Cirebon. The town of Indramayu is situated below sea level,...
,
SumberSumber is the capital of the Cirebon Regency of West Java, Indonesia....
) is Cirebonese, a dialect of Javanese.
Indonesian is widely spoken as a second language, except in some remote rural areas.
Culture
Sundanese share Java island with other Malayan people: Javanese people. They primarily live in their home province of West Java. Although Sundanese live in the same island with Javanese, they consider themselves a distinct cultural area called Sunda. Someone moving from West Java Province to Central or East Java Provinces, is literally said to be moving from Sunda to Java.
Gamelan Orchestra
The musical arts of Sunda, which is an expression of the emotions of Sundanese culture, express politeness and grace of Sundanese. The music some of the most beautiful sounds in the world. Degung orchestra consists of Sundanese
gamelanA gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
.
In addition to the Sundanese forms of Gamelan in Parahyangan, the region of Cirebon retains its own distinct musical traditions. Amongst Cirebons' varying Gamelan ensembles the two most frequently heard are Gamelan Pelog (a non-equidistant heptatonic tuning system) and Gamelan Prawa (a semi-equidistant pentatonic tuning system). Gamelan Pelog is traditionally reserved for Tayuban, Wayang Cepak, and for listening and dance music of the Kratons in Cirebon. Whereas Gamelan Prawa is traditionally reserved for Wayang Purwa.
Cirebon also retains specialized Gamelan ensembles including: Sekaten, which is played in the Kratons to mark important times in the Islamic calendar. Denggung, also a Kraton ensemble which is believed to have a number of "supernatural powers". And Renteng, an ensemble found in both Cirebon and Parahyangan that is known for its loud and energetic playing style.
Zither Ensembles
Tembang SundaTembang sunda, also called seni mamaos cianjuran is a style of classical vocal music that originated in the Sunda province of highland west Java. Unlike Sundanese gamelan music, tembang sunda was developed in the court of the regent Kabupaten Cianjur during the Dutch colonial period...
is a genre of Sundanese vocal music accompanied by a core ensemble of two kacapi (zither) and a suling (bamboo flute). Tembang means song or poem and Sunda is a geographical, historical, and cultural construct which signifies home for the Sundanese people of Indonesia. The music and poetry of tembang Sunda are closely associated with the Parahyangan (literally the abode of the gods), the highland plateau that transverses the central and southern parts of Sunda. The natural beauty of Priangan, a lush agricultural region surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, politeness and grace of Sundanese is reflected in many songs of the tembang Sunda.
Kacapi suling is tembang Sunda minus vocal.
Tarawangsa is a genuine popular art is performed on ensemble consists of tarawangsa (a violin with an end pin) and the jentreng (a kind of seven-stringed zither). It is accompanied by a secret dance called Jentreng. The dance is a part of a ritual celebrating the goddess of paddy Dewi Sri. Its ceremonial significance is associated with a ritual of thanksgiving associated with the rice harvest. Tarawangsa can also be played for healing or even purely for entertainment.
Bamboo Ensembles
The three main types of Sundanese bamboo ensembles are angklung, calung, and arumba. The exact features of each ensemble vary according to context, related instruments, and relative popularity.
Angklung is a generic term for sets of tuned, shaken bamboo rattles. Angklung consists of a frame upon which hang several different lengths of hollow bamboo. Angklungs are played like handbells, with each instrument played to a different note. Angklung rattles are played in interlocking patterns, usually with only one or two instruments played per person. The ensemble is used in Sundanese processions, sometimes with trance or acrobatics. Performed at life-cycle rituals and feasts (hajat), angklung is believed to maintain balance and harmony in the village. In its most modern incarnation, angklung is performed in schools as an aid to learning about music.
The Angklung got more international attention when Daeng Soetigna, from Bandung, West Java, expanded the angklung notations not only to play traditional pélog or sléndro scales, but also diatonic scale in 1938. Since then, angklung is often played together with other western music instruments in an orchestra. One of the first well-known performances of angklung in an orchestra was during the Bandung Conference in 1955.
Like those in angklung, the instruments of the calung ensemble are of bamboo, but each consists of several differently tuned tubes fixed onto a piece of bamboo; the player holds the instrument in his left hand and strikes it with a beater held in his right. The highest-pitched calung has the greatest number of tubes and the densest musical activity; the lowest-pitched, with two tubes, has the least. Calung is nearly always associated with earthy humor, and is played by men.
Arumba refers to a set of diatonically tuned bamboo xylophones, often played by women. It is frequently joined by modern instruments, including a drum set, electric guitar, bass, and keyboards.
Puppetry
Wayang golek is a traditional form of puppetry from Sunda. Unlike the better-known leather shadow puppets (
wayang kulit) found in the rest of Java and Bali,
wayang golek puppets are made from wood and are three-dimensional, rather than two. They use a banana palm in which the puppets stand, behind which one puppeteer (
dalang) is accompanied by his
gamelan orchestra with up to 20 musicians. The
gamelan uses a five-note scale as opposed to the seven-note western scale. The musicians are guided by the drummer, who in turn is guided by signals from the puppet master dalang gives to change the mood or pace required.
Wayang golek are used by the Sundanese to tell the epic play "Mahabarata" and various other morality type plays.
Dance
Sundanese dance shows the influence of the many groups that have traded and settled in the area over the centuries, but remains uniquely distinctive, with its variation from graceful to dynamic syncopated drumming patterns, quick wrist flicks, sensual hip movements, and fast shoulder and torso isolations.
JaiponganJaipongan is a popular traditional dance of Sundanese people, West Java, Indonesia. The dance was created by Gugum Gumbira, based on traditional Sundanese Ketuk Tilu music and Pencak Silat movements.-History:...
is probably the most popular traditional social dance of Sundanese people. It can performed in solo, in group, or in pair.
The
Tari Merak (Dance of the Peacock) is a female dance inspired by the movements of a peacock and its feathers blended with the classical movements of Sundanese dance. The Tari Merak symbolises the beauty of nature.
Folktales and Legend Stories
There are and folktales transcribed from
Pantun SundaPantun Sunda is a type of Sundanese oral narrative performance interspersed with songs and music played on a kacapi, a kind of zither. A pantun used to be recited during an evening-length performance...
stories).
Among the most well known folktale and stories are:
- Mundinglaya Dikusumah
Mundinglaya Dikusumah is a folklore among Sundanese people, Indonesia. The folklore tells about a life of prince in the era of Sunda kingdom when Great King Silihwangi reigning in the kingdom...
, which tells of Mundinglaya visiting Jabaning Langit to find layang Salaka Domas. It is a symbolic story of Surawisesa visiting Malaka to establish a pace treaty with Portuguese before 1522.
- Lutung Kasarung
Lutung Kasarung is a legend among Sundanese people, Indonesia. The folklore tells about a life of a beautiful princess, in the era of Pasir Batang kingdom, a vassal of Sunda kingdom, facing evil of her older sister willing to seize her right as a crown princess. The story was made a movie by...
, tells the life of a beautiful princes, in the era of Pasir Batang kingdom, a vassal of Sunda kingdom. She faces the evil of her older sister willing to seize her right as a queen.
- Ciung Wanara
Ciung Wanara is a legend among Sundanese people, Indonesia. The legend is history record of Sunda Galuh kingdom. The legend describe the culture tie between Sundanese and Javanese living in western part of Central Java province.-Source:...
, tells of the fight of two princes of Sunda kingdom and the history of Brebes river or Cipamali river as a boundary between Sunda and Java territories.
- Sangkuriang
Sangkuriang is a legend among Sundanese people, Indonesia. The legend tells about the creation of lake Bandung, Mount Tangkuban Parahu, Mount Burangrang and Mount Bukit Tunggul....
, which tells the story of the creation of Mount Tangkuban Parahu and the ancient lake BandungBandung Indonesian: Kota Bandung) is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's fourth largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area, with 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 m above sea level, Bandung has relatively year-around cooler temperature than most other Indonesian...
.
Literature
Old Sundanese literature, among others, are:
- Bujangga Manik
Bujangga Manik is one of the precious remnants of Old Sundanese literature. It is told in octosyllabic lines – the metrical form of Old Sundanese narrative poetry – in a palm leaf kept in the Bodleian Library in Oxford since 1627 or 1629...
, which was written on 29 palm leaves and kept in the Bodleian Library in Oxford since 1627, mentioning more than 450 names of places, regions, rivers and mountains situated on Java island, Bali island and Sumatra island.
- Carita Parahyangan
Carita Parahyangan is a text contained in a single manuscript, registered as kropak 406 from the former collection of the Bataviaasch Genootschap voor Kunsten en Wetenschappen , now in the Perpustakaan National in Jakarta...
, telling Sundanese kings and kingdoms from the pre-Islamic period.
- Siksakandang Karesian, providing the reader with all kinds of religious and moralistic rules, prescriptions and lessons.
Government
West Java is subdivided into regencies (
kabupaten), each with a local capital:
- Bogor Regency
Bogor Regency Indonesian: Kabupaten Bogor is a regency of West Java, Indonesia, south of DKI Jakarta, and bordered by Tangerang Regency, the City of Depok and the City and Regency of Bekasi to the north, and fully encircling Bogor City....
, CibinongCibinong is the capital of the Bogor Regency of West Java, Indonesia.In Cibinong is now where the Science Center of Indonesian Institute of Sciences is located....
- Sukabumi Regency
Sukabumi Regency Indonesian: Kabupaten Sukabumi is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Pelabuhan Ratu is its capital. Sukabumi City is fully encircled by the regency....
, Pelabuhan RatuPalabuhanratu is an isolated fishing village at the south coast of West Java in the Sukabumi Regency. It is about four hours' drive from Indonesia's capital Jakarta, whose residents love to visit the Teluk Palabuhanratu Bay, once named "Wijnkoopsbaai" by the Dutch. The form is that of a large...
- Cianjur Regency
Cianjur Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Cianjur is its capital....
, CianjurCianjur is a city in the West Java province of Indonesia, the capital of Cianjur Regency. Cianjur is located in the middle of the main road between Jakarta and Bandung . The population is about 100,000...
- Bandung Regency
Bandung Regency is the suburban area located at south, southeast and east the city of Bandung, part of the Bandung Metropolitan Area. It is part of the Indonesian province of West Java, about 75 miles south of Jakarta...
, SoreangSoreang is the capital of the Bandung Regency of West Java, Indonesia....
- West Bandung Regency, Ngamprah
- Garut Regency
Garut is one of the regencies in Indonesia's southern West Java province. Its area is 3,065.19 km² . Geographically, it lies between 6°57′34″ – 7°44′57″ South latitude and 107°24′34″ – 108°7′34″ East longitude.-Adjacent regencies:It...
, GarutGarut is the capital of Garut Regency, West Java province, Indonesia. In the 1930s, Garut was a favored hill station of the Dutch....
- Tasikmalaya Regency
Tasikmalaya Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Singaparna is its capital, located on the west side of Tasikmalaya cities.Lists of sub-district at Tasikmalaya regencies :* Bantarkalong* Bojong Asih* Bojong Gambir...
, SingaparnaSingaparna is the capital of Tasikmalaya Regency in West Java, Indonesia. Singaparna is a district located 10 Km to the west from Tasikmalaya city....
- Ciamis Regency
Ciamis is a regency in West Java, Indonesia. It has an area of 2,556.75 km² and population of 1,523,000 . The regency is divided into 30 subdistricts. Its capital is Ciamis....
, CiamisCiamis is the capital of the Ciamis Regency in West Java, Indonesia....
- Kuningan Regency
Kuningan Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Kuningan is its capital....
, KuninganKuningan is a city and regency in eastern West Java, Indonesia, between Cirebon and Tasikmalaya, about 200 km east of Jakarta. The area is near Mount Cereme/Ciremai , the highest mountain in West Java. The mountain is located in the western part of the region. The eastern part is a valley...
- Cirebon Regency
Cirebon Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Sumber is its capital....
, SumberSumber is the capital of the Cirebon Regency of West Java, Indonesia....
- Majalengka Regency
Majalengka Regency is one of 16 regencies in West Java, Indonesia. The capital is Majalengka.As of 2006, this regency consists of the 23 districts , all of which make up a total of 13 urban villages and 318 rural villages ...
, MajalengkaMajalengka is a city, nicknamed the City of the Wind, and capital of the Majalengka Regency in West Java, Indonesia.-External links:*...
- Sumedang Regency
Sumedang Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Sumedang is its capital....
, SumedangSumedang is a town in West Java, Indonesia, approximately 35 km northeast of Bandung.The town is famous for tahu Sumedang, a local variety of deep fried tofu. a...
- Indramayu Regency
Indramayu Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Indramayu is its capital.This regency is located on the northeastern part of West Java...
, IndramayuIndramayu is the capital of the Indramayu Regency of West Java, Indonesia.The town of Indramayu is located in the North coastal area of West Java, and East from Jakarta and North East from the city of Bandung and North West of the city of Cirebon. The town of Indramayu is situated below sea level,...
- Subang Regency
Subang Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. It has an area of 2,051.76 km² and population of 1,407,000 . Its regency seat is in Subang.The regency is divided into 21 subdistricts....
, SubangSubang is the capital of the Subang Regency, West Java, Indonesia....
- Purwakarta Regency
Purwakarta Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Purwakarta is its capital.Its area is 969.82 km2 with 760,220 people in 2005, for a density of 783.88 people per sq km....
, PurwakartaPurwakarta is the capital of the Purwakarta Regency of West Java, Indonesia....
- Karawang Regency
Karawang Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. Karawang is its capital.It has an area of 1,737.53 sq km and 1,939,674 people in 2005, with a density of 1,116 people/sq km. For the ,2,073,356 was the population.- References :...
, KarawangKarawang is the capital of the Karawang Regency of West Java, Indonesia. It is located 70km east of Jakarta, by motorway.While Karawang's main industry is agriculture and aquaculture, industrial industrialisation has been pronounced especially since Karawang International Industry City , and...
- Bekasi Regency
Bekasi Regency is a regency of West Java, Indonesia. The capital city is Cikarang. It is bordered by DKI Jakarta and Bekasi Municipality to the east, by Bogor Regency to the south, and by Karawang Regency to the east....
, CikarangCikarang is the capital of Bekasi Regency, West Java in Indonesia. Jababeka is the biggest industrial estate in Southeast Asia.. Property project also built in Cikarang, such as Lippo Cikarang, Cikarang Baru, and Kota Delta Mas. The last one is office complex of Bekasi Regency....
List of cities (
kota) in West Java:
- Bogor
Bogor is a city in West Java with a population of approximately 800,000 people in the CBD area and 2,000,000 in suburban area, bringing a total of 3 million population...
- Sukabumi
Sukabumi is a city surrounded by the regency of the same name in the highlands of West Java, Indonesia, about 80 km south of the national capital, Jakarta....
- Bandung
Bandung Indonesian: Kota Bandung) is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's fourth largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area, with 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 m above sea level, Bandung has relatively year-around cooler temperature than most other Indonesian...
- Cirebon
Cirebon is a city on the north coast of the Indonesian island of Java. It is located in the province of West Java, approximately 297 km east of Jakarta, at .- Etymology :...
- Bekasi
Bekasi is a growing suburb in West Java, Indonesia, located on the eastern border of DKI Jakarta in the Jabotabek metropolitan region. To the south is Bogor Regency, east is Bekasi Regency....
- Depok
Depok is a city in West Java province, Indonesia on the western border of DKI Jakarta in the Jabodetabek metropolitan region. The "de" in Jabodetabek refers to Depok. Word "depok" itself comes from Sundanese language meaning hermitage or abode of one living in seclusion...
- Cimahi
Cimahi is a city located west of Bandung, West Java, Indonesia in the Bandung Metropolitan Area. The city is a major textile producer exporter, and is host to several military education facilities....
- Tasikmalaya
Tasikmalaya is a city and regency in southeastern West Java, Indonesia, between Bandung and Purwokerto on the southerly of the two major road routes across Java....
- Banjar
Natural resource
Based on the data from Indonesia State Secretary, total rice field in West Java Province in 2006 was 9,488,623 km which produce 9,418,882 tons paddy in 2006, consisting of 9,103,800 tons rice field paddy and 315,082 tons farmland paddy. Palawija production, reached 2,044,674 tons with productivity 179.28 quintal per ha. Nevertheless, the widest plant’s width is for corn commodity which reaches 148,505 ha, West Java also produce horticulture consists of 2,938,624 tons vegetables, 3,193,744 tons fruits, and 159,871 tons medicines plants/ bio pharmacology.
Forest in West Java reaches 764,387.59 ha or 20.62% from total size of the province. It consists of productive forest 362,980.40 ha (9.79%), protected forest 228,727.11 ha (6.17%), and conservation forest 172,680 ha (4.63%). Mangrove forest reaches 40,129.89 ha, and spread in 10 regencies where coasts are available. Besides, there is also another protected forest of about 32,313.59 ha organized by Perum Perhutani Unit III West Java and Banten.
From the productive forest, in 2006 West Java harvested crop of about 200,675 m3 wood, although the need of wood in this province every year is about 4 million m3. Until 2006, populace forest’s width 214,892 ha with wood production is about 893,851.75 m3. West Java also produce non forest’s crop which is potential enough to be developed as forestry work, such as Sutera alat jamur, pine, gerah dammar, maleleuca, rattan, bamboo, and swallow bird’s net.
In fishery sector, the excellent commodities are goldfish, nila fish, milkfish, freshwater catfish, windu shrimp, green mussel, gouramy, patin, seaweed and vaname shrimp. In 2006, this province harvested 560,000 tons fish from fishery cultivation crop and brackish or 63.63% from fishery production total in West Java.
In poultry husbandry field, dairy cow, domestic poultry, and ducks are excellent commodity in West Java. 2006’s data stated now there are 96,796 dairy cows (25% national population), 4,249,670 sheep, 28,652,493 domestic poultries, and 5,596,882 ducks (16% of the national population). Now there are only 245,994 beef cattle in West Java (3% national population), whereas the need every year is about 300,000 beef cattle.
This province has many excellent objects in plantation fields, such as tea, clove, coconut, rubber, cacao, tobacco, coffee, sugar palm and akar wangi. From all those commodities, clove, coconut, rubber, cacao, tobacco, and coffee are of national excellent commodities from West Java. From area side, the best productivity, that is plan area’s width equals with plant’s width that produces tobacco and sugar palm commodities. From production side, the highest productivity is oil palm (6.5 tons per ha) and sugar palm (5.5 tons per ha).
West Java also produces excellent mine production. In 2006, it contributes 5,284 tons zeolite, 47,978 tons bentonite, iron sand, pozolan cement, feldspar, and jewel barn/ gemstone. Precious stone mining potential generally are found in Garut, Tasikmalaya, Kuningan, and Sukabumi Regency areas.
Raw natural resources include
chalkChalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. It forms under relatively deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores. It is common to find flint and chert...
, several offshore oilfields in the
Java SeaThe Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
, and lumber. Most of the province is very fertile, with a mix of small farms and larger plantations. There are several
hydropowerHydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of moving water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes....
dams, including Jatiluhur, Saguling, and Cirata.
July 2006 earthquake
On 17 July 2006, the region was shocked by
an earthquakeThe July 2006 Java earthquake was a magnitude 7.7 earthquake off the southwestern coast of Java, Indonesia. It occurred on July 17, 2006, at 08:24 UTC ....
that measured 7.7 on the
Richter scaleThe Richter magnitude scale, also known as the local magnitude scale, assigns a single number to quantify the amount of seismic energy released by an earthquake. It is a base-10 logarithmic scale obtained by calculating the logarithm of the combined horizontal amplitude of the largest displacement...
and that was followed by a small-scale tsunami. The earthquake was followed by 2 big aftershocks which measured up to 5.9 and 6.1 on the Richter scale respectively.
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