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Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in the South East Asian country of . It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including ) 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. Indonesia's capital city, , 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 world heritage sites are located in Java: Ujung Kulon National Park, , , and Sangiran Early Man Site.

Java was formed by volcanic eruptions due to geologic of the under the . It is the 13th largest island in the world and the fifth largest in Indonesia by landmass, at about (including 's ). 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 . Javanese and Sundanese are the most spoken.

(2026). 9789790644175, Badan Pusat Statistik. .
The ethnic groups native to the island are the in the central and eastern parts and in the western parts. The in the Eastern salient of Java are migrants from (which is part of Province in administrative terms), while the in the capital city of are hybrids from various ethnic groups in Indonesia. Most residents are bilingual, speaking Indonesian (the official language of ) as their first or second language. While the majority of the people of Java are , Java's population comprises people of diverse religious beliefs, ethnicities, and cultures.
(2004). 9789628734238, Periplus Editions (HK) Limited.

Java is divided into four administrative provinces: , , , and , and two special regions, and Yogyakarta.

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

The famous Indian epic, the , mentions an island called "Yavadvipa"—the chief of the eponymous hero 's army, , leads his troops of humanoid apemen to Yavadvipa in search of Rama's kidnapped consort .

(2026). 9788120749108, Sterling Publishers. .
(2010). 9788120749108, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
Java was hence referred to in India by the name , with meaning "island" and meaning "", a plant for which the island was famous.

Java is also mentioned in the ancient epic by the poet Satthanar, which states that Java had a kingdom with a capital called "Nagapuram".Hindu culture in ancient India by Sekharipuram Vaidyanatha Viswanatha, p. 177.Tamil Literature by M. S. Purnalingam Pillai, p. 46.The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago by V. Kanakasabhai, p. 11.

Another possible source for Java's name is the word jaú, variations of which mean "beyond" or "distant".

Yet another possibility is that the word "Java" comes from Proto-Austronesian awa or yawa, meaning "home".Hatley, R., Schiller, J., Lucas, A., Martin-Schiller, B., (1984). "Mapping cultural regions of Java" in: Other Javas away from the kraton. pp. 1–32. This is similar to the words awaʻi ( awaiki) or hawaʻi ( hawaiki) used in , especially in .

An island called or is also mentioned in 's 150 AD Geographia, composed during the height of the . , the "island of barley", was also said to be rich in gold, and to have a silver city called "Argyra" located at its western end.

(2026). 9781107689923, Cambridge University Press. .

The late 5th century Chinese historical text Book of Song and the 7th century Book of Liang referred to Java as 闍婆 (). Chinese texts also reference an Indianized kingdom on Java's northern cost known as 訶陵 () from 640–818 AD. The island was referred to as 闍婆 () until the (1271–1368), whereupon it began to be called 爪哇 (), the present-day name in .Lombard, Denys (2005) . Nusa Jawa: Silang Budaya, Bagian 2: Jaringan Asia. Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama. An Indonesian translation of Lombard, Denys (1990). Le carrefour javanais. Essai d'histoire globale (The Javanese Crossroads: Towards a Global History) vol. 2. Paris: Éditions de l'École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. p. 12. In his 1451 book ("The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores"), Chinese explorer , who accompanied the famous Admiral on three of his Ming treasure voyages, noted that the Chinese referred to Java as 爪哇 (), and that it had previously been called 闍婆 ().

When 14th century Italian traveler Giovanni de' Marignolli returned to Europe from Asia, he claimed to have stopped at a land called "Saba" for several months, which he said had many elephants and was led by a queen, possibly Queen Gitarja (. 1328–1350); this name "Saba" might have been his interpretation of .Yule, Sir Henry (1913). Cathay and the way thither: being a collection of medieval notices of China vol. III. London: The Hakluyt Society.

9th century merchant Sulaiman al-Tajir mentioned two notable islands which separated the Arabian Peninsula from China: one was the 800- long (), and the other was the 400-farsakh long az-Zabaj (; ), identified as Java.

(2026). 9786029346008, Suluh Nuswantara Bakti.

15th century Russian merchant , one of the first Europeans to visit India, traveled to India in 1466 and described the land of Java, which he called шабайте ().Braginsky, Vladimir. 1998. Two Eastern Christian sources on medieval Nusantara . Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. 154(3): 367–396.

(1974). 9780525473633, Dutton. .

Geography
Java lies between to the west and to the east. lies to the north, and is to the south. It is the world's 13th largest island. Java is surrounded by the to the north, the to the west, the Indian Ocean to the south and and in the east.

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 , . The most active volcano in Java and also in Indonesia is , . In total, Java has more than 150 mountains.

Java's mountains and highlands split the interior into a series of relatively isolated regions suitable for cultivation; the rice lands of Java are among the richest in the world.

(1990). 9780333576908, MacMillan.
Java was the first place where Indonesian coffee was grown, starting in 1699. Today, is grown on the Ijen Plateau by small-holders and larger plantations.

The area of Java is about (including Madura's and minor offshore islands). It is about long and up to wide. The island's longest river is the 600 km long . The river rises from its source in central Java at the volcano, then flows north and eastward to its mouth in the Java Sea near the city of . Other major rivers are , , and .

The average temperature ranges from to ; average humidity is 75%. The northern coastal plains are normally hotter, averaging during the day in the . The south coast is generally cooler than the north, and highland areas inland are even cooler. The begins in November and ends in April. During that rain falls mostly in the afternoons and intermittently during other parts of the year. The wettest months are January and February.

West Java is wetter than , and mountainous regions receive much higher rainfall. The highlands of West Java receive over annually, while the north coast of East Java receives annually.

Natural environment
Java is an island with a large amount of biodiversity. The natural environment of Java is tropical rainforest, with ecosystems ranging from coastal 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 environment in the east, corresponding to the climate and rainfall in these regions. 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 species of flora and fauna flourished; such as the , , Javan warty pig, , Javan lutung, , , and . With over 450 bird species and 37 endemic species including the Javan green magpie, , , and , Java is a birdwatcher's paradise. There are about 130 freshwater fish species in Java.Nguyen, T. T. T., and S. S. De Silva (2006). Freshwater finfish biodiversity and conservation: an asian perspective. Biodiversity & Conservation 15(11): 3543–3568. There are also several endemic amphibian species in Java, including 5 species of .

Since ancient times, people have opened the rainforest, altered the ecosystem, shaped the landscapes and created 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 and , 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
Fossilised remains of , popularly known as the "", dating back 1.3 million years were found along the banks of the . cited in ; cited in

cited in

H. erectus arrived in Eurasia approximately 1.8 million years ago, in an event considered to be the first African exodus. There is evidence that the Java population of H. erectus lived in an ever-wet forest habitat. More specifically the environment resembled a , but was likely regularly inundated ("hydromorphic savanna"). The plants found at the Trinil excavation site included grass (), , , and , which are typical of lowland rainforest.

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. 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 , Indonesia, and endemic to the island of , the Philippines. Genetic analysis of present-day Southeast Asian populations indicates the widespread dispersal of the (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.

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
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.Ricklefs (1991), pp. 16–17. 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 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.

The emergence of civilization on the island of Java is often associated with the arrival of 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 , 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."

The Greek geographer called the island Iabadius or Sabadius ().

(2026). 9789792624991, Jakarta : Indonesian Institute of Sciences, : International Center for Prehistoric and Austronesian Studies. .
(1981). 9789004061965, Brill Archive. .
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) meaning silver in Greek.

According to Chinese record Míng Shǐ, the Javanese kingdom was founded in 65 BC, or 143 years before the story of Aji Saka began.Groeneveldt, Willem Pieter (1876). " Notes on the Malay Archipelago and Malacca, Compiled from Chinese Sources". Batavia: W. Bruining.

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 information, the Javanese kingdom was divided into two: the pre-Hinduism kingdom and the post-Hindu kingdom, which began in 78 AD.

Hindu–Buddhist kingdoms era
The kingdom of western Java existed from the 5th to the 7th centuries,The dating of the Taruma kingdom is based on the palaeography of its inscriptions, which scholars agree date to the second half of the 5th century or slightly later. while the sent embassies to China starting in 640.
(1968). 9780824803681, University of Hawaii Press.
However, the first major principality was the that was founded in central Java at the beginning of the 8th century. Mataram's religion centered on the Hindu god , and the kingdom produced some of Java's earliest Hindu temples on the . Around the 8th century, the Sailendra dynasty rose in and become the patron of . This ancient kingdom built monuments such as the 9th century and in central Java.

Around the 10th century, the center of power shifted from central to eastern Java. The eastern Javanese kingdoms of , and were mainly dependent on rice agriculture, yet also pursued trade within the Indonesian archipelago, and with China and India. Majapahit was established by , and by the end of the reign of (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, , led many of the kingdom's territorial conquests. 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.

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 , Cirebon, and 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.

Java’s Islamic tradition is known for its tolerance and harmony among faiths. Local religious organizations actively promote peace and inclusivity, reflecting broader values of coexistence in Indonesian society.

Colonial periods
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. 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. Internal conflict prevented the Javanese from forming effective alliances against the Dutch. Remnants of the Mataram survived as the Surakarta (Solo) and Yogyakarta principalities. Javanese kings claimed to rule with divine authority and the Dutch helped them to preserve remnants of a Javanese aristocracy by confirming them as regents or district officials within the colonial administration.

Java's major role during the early part of the colonial period was as a producer of rice. In spice-producing islands like , rice was regularly imported from Java, to supply the deficiency in means of subsistence.

During the in Europe, the Netherlands fell to France, as did its colony in the . 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 in Western Java to Panarukan in East Java, served as a military supply route and was used in defending Java from British invasion.

(2008). 9789797093914, Pnerbit Buku Kompas, PT Kompas Media Nusantara, Jakarta Indonesia.
In 1811, Java was captured by the British, becoming a possession of the , and Sir 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.
(2026). 9789814358859, Singapore: Monsoon Books Pte Ltd..

In 1815, there may have been five million people in Java. 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 and maize that could sustain populations that could not afford rice.Taylor (2003), p. 253. 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.Taylor (2003), pp. 253–254. claimed 100,000 lives in Java in 1820.

(2026). 9780313341021, ABC-CLIO. .

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.Taylor (2003), p. 254. However, other sources claimed the Dutch's Cultivation system is linked to famines and epidemics in the 1840s, firstly in and then , 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

Java is divided into four provinces and two special regions:


9,352.776.888,098,27710,632,16611,904,56212,431,3901,329

Special Region of Jakarta		 ( de facto)660.980.508,361,0799,607,78710,562,08810,684,94616,165

 37,040.0427.9335,724,09343,053,73248,274,16050,345,1891,359
Western Java
(3 areas above)		 47,053.7935.4952,183,44963,293,68570,740,81073,461,5251,561

 34,337.4925.9031,223,25832,382,65736,516,03537,892,2801,104

Yogyakarta Special Region		 3,170.652.393,121,0453,457,4913,668,7193,759,5001,186
Central Java Region
(2 areas above)		 37,508.1428.2934,344,30335,840,14840,184,75441,651,7801,110


(Include Madura Islands)		 48,036.8436.2334,765,99337,476,75740,665,69641,814,499870
Java Island (1)
–127,190.3295.92118,063,445132,987,827147,586,696152,771,1431,201
Island (2) of East Java
–5,408.454.083,230,3003,622,7634,004,5644,156,661769
Region Administered as Java 132,598.77100%121,293,745136,610,590151,591,260156,927,8041,183
(1) including the neighbouring small archipelagos of the (648.55 km2), the (167.41 km2), (50.278 km2), (40.85 km2), the (30.32 km2) - all the foregoing within .
(2) Other offshore islands are included in this figure, but are comparatively very small in population and area; they include (84.73 km2), (197.42 km2), (78 km2), (121 km2), (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
Java has been traditionally dominated by an elite class, while the people 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 wave after cultural wave immigrated to the island. There is evidence that South Asian emigres were among this elite, as well as Arabian and Persian immigrants during the Islamic eras. More recently, Chinese immigrants have also become part of the economic elite of Java. Although politically the Chinese generally remain sidelined, there are notable exceptions, such as the former governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. Java houses the majority of Indonesia's urban population. Currently, 65% of the island is urbanized. Unlike the rest of Java, the population growth in Central Java remains low. Central Java however has a younger population than the national average. Usia Kawin Pertama Rata-Rata Wanita Menurut Provinsi: Sensus Penduduk Tahun 1990, 2000 dan 2010 . Retrieved 16 August 2015. The slow population growth can in part be attributed to the choice by many people to leave the more rural Central Java for better opportunities and 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 and , which is reflected through the demographic diversity in those areas.

Population growth
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). 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, Indonesia . The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 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. It is home to three metropolitan areas, (with outlying areas of Greater and Greater ), Greater Bandung, and Greater .

From the 1970s to the fall of the 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 . 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
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 and . A third group is the , who inhabit the island of off the northeast coast of Java and have immigrated to in large numbers since the 18th century.
(1997). 9789625932446, Periplus Editions.
The Javanese comprise about two-thirds of the island's population while the Sundanese and Madurese account for 38% and 10% respectively. The fourth group is the who speak a dialect of . They are the descendants of the people living around from around the 17th century. Betawis are , mostly descended from various Indonesian archipelago ethnic groups such as , , , , Minang, , , , mixed with foreign ethnic groups such as Portuguese, , , Chinese and Indian brought to or attracted to Batavia to meet labour needs. They have a culture and language distinct from the surrounding and .

The Javanese prose text () 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 as its cultural center;
  2. the region (from ) on the northern coast, home to the first Muslim sultanate in Indonesia;
  3. the lands (Sundanese: , Tatar Sunda) in the western part of Java with as their heartland;
  4. the eastern salient of Java, also known as , consisting of the Blambangan Peninsula east of the Tengger Massif.

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

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. The territory from in the west through to in the east encompasses Indonesia's most fertile and densely populated agricultural land.

In the southwestern part of Central Java, which is usually named the 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 , 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 music and puppet shows.

Java was the site of many influential kingdoms in the Southeast Asian region,See Wallace Stevens's poem "Tea" for an appreciative allusion to Javanese culture. and as a result, many literary works have been written by Javanese authors. These include and , the story of the orphan who usurped his king, and married the queen of the ancient Javanese kingdom; and translations of and . 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
The three major languages spoken on Java are Javanese, Sundanese and Madurese. Other languages spoken include (a dialect local to the Jakarta region), , Banyumasan, and Tenggerese (closely related to Javanese), and Bantenese (closely related to Sundanese), (closely related to Madurese), and Balinese. Languages of Java and Bali . Other sources may list some of these as dialects rather than languages. The vast majority of the population also speaks Indonesian, often as a second language.

Religion
Hinduism was the main religion in Java before the arrival of Islam. influences came first with and penetrating deeply into society, blending with indigenous tradition and culture. One conduit for this were the , 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, clerics and pudjangga (sacred literati) legitimised rulers and linked cosmology to their political needs. Small enclaves are scattered throughout Java, but there is a large population along the eastern coast nearest , especially around the town of .

151,001,350
3,551,176
1,677,824
755,560
168,055
21,855
20,303
157,196,123
The coming of , strengthened the status structure of this traditional religious pattern. More than 98 percent of the in Java are with very minority being and (respectively 1% and 0.2%), on a broad continuum between (more syncretic) and (more orthodox). Muslim scholars ( ) became the new religious elite as Hindu influences receded. Islam recognises no hierarchy of religious leaders nor a formal , but the Dutch colonial government established an elaborate rank order for mosque and other Islamic preaching schools. In Javanese (Islamic schools), the Kyai perpetuated the tradition of the resi. Students around him provided his needs, even around the school.

File:Masjid Menara Kudus.jpg|The Menara Kudus Mosque in , built in a mix of traditional Islamic and old Javanese styles File:Gereja Immanuel, Gambir, Jakarta.jpg|Immanuel Church a Protestant church in File:Ganjuran Church, exterior 01.jpg| in , built in the traditional Javanese style File:Pura Parahyangan Agung Jagatkartta, Candi Siliwangi Shrine.jpg|Pura Parahyangan Agung Jagatkarta, a Hindu shrine dedicated to , File:001 Main Temple (25595087247).jpg|Maha Vihara Mojopahit, a Buddhist monastery near Majapahit temple, File:Boen Tek Bio.jpg|Boen Tek Bio, the oldest in

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 , and practice. The kyais are the principal intermediaries between the villages masses and the realm of the . 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 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 , who have mixed pre-Islamic and Hindu-Indian concepts with a superficial acceptance of Islamic belief.

There are also communities, mostly in the larger cities, primarily among Chinese Indonesian and minority even some rural areas of south-central Java are strongly . 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 reported 63 religious sects in Java other than the official Indonesian religions. Of these, 35 were in , 22 in and six in . These include , , , etc. Their total membership is difficult to estimate as many of their adherents identify themselves with one of the official religions.Beatty, Andrew, Varieties of Javanese Religion: An Anthropological Account, Cambridge University Press 1999, is a traditional religion, its adherents still exist in several villages.

Economy
Initially the economy of Java relied heavily on rice agriculture. Ancient kingdoms such as the Kingdoms of Sunda, , and 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 spice from ancient times in the Majapahit era, until well into the Dutch East India Company (VOC) era.

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 , rubber, coffee, tea, and . In the 19th and early 20th century, Javanese coffee gained global popularity. Thus, the name "Java" today has become a synonym for coffee. high-speed train passing through 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 in the early 19th century. It became the backbone of Java's road infrastructure and laid the base of Java North Coast Road (). 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 , , , and ; while some traditional Sultanate cities such as , , and 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 , , , , and . The 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 and ; also the ones in , and . In addition to these motorways, Java has 16 national highways.

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).

See also
  • History of Indonesia
  • List of monarchs of Java

Notes
Bibliography

Further reading

External links
: , , , ,
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