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Jawa Tengah

Jawa Tengah

Central Java (Indonesian: Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It lies on the island of Java, between the provinces of East Java and West Java. Historically and culturally, Yogyakarta is also a part of the Central Java region, but it is a separate political entity. Some regions in Central Java such as Surakarta (Solo) and Banyumasan have their own special identity based on their history, culture and language/dialect and traditions. The population of Central Java is 30,851,144 (2000 census), making it the third most-populous province in Indonesia. There are many cities and towns in Central Java, such as Brebes, Tegal, Slawi, Pemalang, Pekalongan, Kajen, Batang, Kendal, Ungaran, Demak, Kudus, Pati, Jepara, Rembang, Purwodadi, Blora, Salatiga, Boyolali, Sukoharjo, Wonogiri, Sragen, Magelang, Mungkid, Muntilan, Temanggung, Purbalingga, Purwokerto, Wonosobo, Banjarnegara, Cilacap, Kebumen, and Purworejo.

External links


- [http://www.jawatengah.go.id/ Official site] Category:Provinces of Indonesia

Indonesian language

Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a standardized dialect of the Malay language that was officially defined with the declaration of Indonesian independence in 1945, and the two languages remain quite similar. The language is spoken fluently as a second language by most Indonesians, who use a regional language (examples are Minangkabau and Javanese) at home and in their local community. Most formal education, as well as nearly all national media and other communication, are in Indonesian. The Indonesian name for the language is Bahasa Indonesia (literally language of Indonesia); this name is sometimes used in English as well.

History

Bahasa Indonesia is a normative form of the Malay language, an Austronesian (or Malayo-Polynesian) language which had been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries, and was elevated to the status of official language with the Indonesian declaration of independence in 1945, drawing inspiration from the Sumpah Pemuda (Youth's Oath) event in 1928. It is very similar to the official Malaysian form of the language. However it does differ from the Malaysian form in some ways, with differences in pronunciation and also in vocabulary, due in large part to the many Dutch words in the Indonesian vocabulary. It is spoken as a mother tongue by only 7% of the population of Indonesia, but altogether almost 200 million people speak it, with varying degrees of proficiency. It is an essential means of communication in a region with more than 300 native languages, used for business and administrative purposes, at all levels of education and in all mass media. However, most native Indonesian speakers would admit that the standard correct version of the language is hardly ever used in a normal daily conversation. One can read standard correct Indonesian in books and newspaper, or listen to it when watching the news on television, but few native Indonesian speakers use formally correct language in their daily conversations. While this is a phenomenon common to most languages in the world (for example, spoken English does not always correspond to written standards), the degree of "correctness" of spoken Indonesian (in terms of grammar and vocabulary) by comparison to its written form is noticeably low. This is due to the fact that most Indonesians prefer to mix their own local dialects (Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, and even Chinese) with Indonesian when speaking, which results in the creation of various types of accented Indonesian, the very types that a foreigner is most likely to hear upon arriving in any Indonesian city or town. This phenomenon is exacerbated by the trendy use of slang, particularly in the cities. A classic example of a speaker of accented Indonesian is former president Soeharto, whose Javanese dialect came through whenever he delivered a speech. The Dutch colonization left an imprint on the language that can be seen in words such as polisi (police), kualitas (quality), telepon (telephone), bis (bus), kopi (coffee), rokok (cigarette), universitas (university), kantor (office), wortel (carrot), wastafel (washbasin), and resleting (zipper). There are also some words derived from Portuguese (sabun, soap; meja, table; jendela, window; mentega, butter; tenda, tent, and gereja, church), Chinese (pisau, knife or dagger; loteng, [upper] floor), Hindi (kaca, mirror) and from Arabic (khusus, special; maaf, sorry; selamat ..., a greeting; kursi, chair). There are also words derived from Javanese (aku, I (informal), and its derivative form mengaku, confess). See also List of borrowed words in Indonesian

Classification

Indonesian is part of the Western Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian languages. According to the Ethnologue, Indonesian is modeled after the Riau Malay spoken in northeast Sumatra.

Geographic distribution

Indonesian is spoken throughout Indonesia, although it is used most extensively in urban areas, and less so in the rural parts of Indonesia.

Official status

Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia.

Sounds

There are six pure vowel sounds: a , e , i , o , u , the schwa which is also spelled e; and three diphthongs (ai, au, oi). The consonantic phonemes are rendered by the letters p, b, t, d, k, g, c ([tS/tʃ], like the ch in cheese), j ([dZ/dʒ] as in English), h, ng (which also occurs initially), ny (as in canyon), m, n, s (unvoiced, as in sun or cats), w, l, r (trilled or flapped) and y. There are five more consonants that only appear in loanwords: f, v, sy (pronounced sh), z and kh (as in loch). Here are a few useful tips for the learner:
- Indonesian pronunciation is similar in many ways to Italian. If you are completely new to Indonesian and are at all familiar with Italian pronunciation, it may help to think of how Italians pronounce certain words such as pasta or Napoli.
- However, in Indonesian, the g is always hard as in got, never soft as in giraffe.
- Indonesian is pronounced with the tongue further forward in the mouth than in English.
- k, p, and t are unaspirated, ie they are not followed by a noticeable puff of air as they often are in English words.
- The t is pronounced with the tongue forward, against the back of the top teeth, (halfway between the English "t" and "th" sounds). For the letter d, the tongue position is the same as in the English d. This is not essential for the learner of Indonesian, but it will help to distinguish t from d, which are otherwise almost identical.
- The glottal stop: When k is at the end of a word, the sound is cut off sharply (a "glottal stop"), e.g. "baik", "bapak". This is similar to some British (esp. London) accents where the final t is dropped ("got", "what"). A few Indonesian words have this sound in the middle, e.g. "bakso" (meatballs), or represented by an apostrophe in Arabic derived words such as "Al Qur'an".
- The accent is placed on the second-last syllable of each word. For more, and to listen to examples, see [http://www.seasite.niu.edu/flin/pronunciation/guide_to_pronunciation_of_indone.htm SEASite Guide to Pronunciation of Indonesian]

Grammar

Compared to European languages, Indonesian has a strikingly small use of grammatically gendered words; the same word is used for he and she or for his and her. Most of the words that refer to people (family terms, professions, etc.) have a form that does not distinguish between the sexes; for example, adik can both refer to a (younger) brother or sister; no distinction is made between girlfriend and boyfriend. In order to specify gender, an adjective has to be added: adik laki-laki corresponds to brother but really means male younger sibling. There is no word like the English man that can refer both to a male person and to a human being in general. Note: There are some words that are gendered, for instance putri means daughter, and putra means son; words like these are usually absorbed from other languages (in these cases, from Sanskrit through the Old Javanese language). In Jakarta and some other areas, abang may be used for older brother; kakak (older sibling) is then used to mean older sister. Plurals are expressed by means of reduplication, but only when the plural is not implied by the context. Thus person is orang, and people is orang-orang, but one thousand people is seribu orang, as the numeral makes it unnecessary to mark the plural form. (Reduplication has many other functions, however). There are two forms of we, depending on whether you are including the person being talked to. The basic word order is SVO. Verbs are not inflected for person or number, and there are no tenses; tense is denoted by time adverbs (such as yesterday) or by other tense indicators, such as sudah, meaning already. On the other hand, there is a complex system of verb affixes to render nuances of meaning and denote active-passive voices. Such affixes include prefixes, infixes, suffixes, and their combinations; all of which are often ignored in daily conversations.

Vocabulary

Indonesian as a modern dialect of Malay has borrowed heavily from many languages, among others: Sanskrit, Arabic, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese and many other languages, including other Austronesian languages. It is estimated that there are some 750 Sanskrit loanwords in modern Indonesian, 1000 Arabic (Persian and some Hebrew) ones, some 125 Portuguese (also Spanish and Italian) ones and a staggering number of some 10,000 loanwords from Dutch. The latter also comprises many words from other European languages, which came via Dutch, the so-called "International Vocabulary". The vast majority of Indonesian words, however, come from the root lexical stock of its Austronesian heritage. Although Hinduism and Buddhism are no longer the major religions of Indonesia, Sanskrit which was the language vehicle for these religions, is (still) held in high esteem and is comparable with the status of Latin in English and other West European languages. Residents of Bali and Java tend to be particularly proud of the Hindu-Buddhist heritage. Sanskrit is also the main source for neologisms. These are usually formed from Sanskrit roots. The loanwords from Sanskrit cover many aspects of religion, art and everyday lives. The Sanskrit influence came from contacts with India long ago from the beginning of the Common Era. The words are either directly borrowed from India or with the intermediary of the (Old) Javanese language. In the classical language of Java, Old Javanese, the number of Sanskrit loanwords is far greater. The Old Javanese - English dictionary by prof. P.J. Zoetmulder, S.J. (1982) contains no fewer than 25,500 entries. Almost half are Sanskrit loanwords. Unlike other loanwords, Sanskrit loanwords have entered the basic vocabulary of Indonesian, so by many these aren't felt as foreign anymore. The loanwords from Arabic are mainly concerned with religion, in particular with Islam, as can be expected. Many early Bible translators, when they came across some unusual Hebrew words or proper names, used the Arabic cognates. In the newer translations this practice is discontinued. They now turn to Greek names or use the original Hebrew Word. For example, the name Jesus was initially translated as Isa, but is now spelt as Yesus. Psalms used to be translated as Zabur, the Arabic name, but now it is called Mazmur which corresponds more with Hebrew. The Portuguese loans are common words, which were mainly, connected with articles the early European traders and explorers brought to Southeast Asia. The Portuguese were among the first westerners who sailed east to the "Spice Islands". The Chinese loanwords are usually concerned with cuisine, trade or often just exclusively things Chinese. There is a considerable Chinese presence in the whole of Southeast Asia. According to the Indonesian government, the relative number of people of Chinese descent in Indonesia is only 3.5%. Whether this is true or not is still a matter of debate, many think the number is much higher. But what is sure is that in urban centres the number can be as high as between 10-25%. The former colonial power, the Netherlands, left an impressive vocabulary. These Dutch loanwords, and also from other non Italo-Iberian, European languages loanwords which came via Dutch, cover all aspects of life. Some Dutch loanwords, having clusters of several consonants, pose difficulties to speakers of Indonesian. This problem is usually solved by insertion of the schwa. For example Dutch schroef ['sxruf] => sekrup [sĕ'krup]. As modern Indonesian draws many of its words from foreign sources, there are many synonyms. For example, Indonesian has three words for book, i.e. pustaka (from Sanskrit), kitab (from Arabic) and buku (from Dutch). These words have, as can be expected, slight different meanings. A pustaka is often connected with ancient wisdom or sometimes with esoteric knowledge. A derived form, perpustakaan means a library. A kitab is usually a religious scripture or a book containing moral guidances. The Indonesian word for the Bible is Alkitab, thus directly derived from Arabic. The book containing the penal code is also called the kitab. Buku is the most common word for books. In addition to those above, there are also direct borrowings from various languages in the world, such as "karaoke" from Japanese, and "modem" from English. See also List of borrowed words in Indonesian

Writing system

Indonesian is written using the Latin alphabet. It is more phonetically consistent than many languages—the correspondence between sounds and their written forms is generally regular. One common source of confusion for foreign readers, particularly when reading place names, is the spelling changes in the language that have occurred since Indonesian independence. Commonly-used changes include: The first of these changes (oe to u) occurred around the time of independence in 1947; all of the others were a part of an officially-mandated spelling reform in 1972. Some of the old spellings, which were more closely derived from the Dutch language, do survive in proper names; for example, the name of a former president of the Indonesia is still sometimes written Soeharto, and the central Java city of Yogyakarta is sometimes written Jogjakarta, which is how it is pronounced.

See also


- Common phrases in different languages
- Language families and languages
- Demographics of Indonesia
- Indonesian slang language
- Differences between Malay and Indonesian

External links


- [http://www.seasite.niu.edu/indonesian/percakapan/indonesia7days/indo7days_fs.htm Learning Indonesian in 7 Days (SEAsite)]
- [http://www.sprachprofi.de.vu/english/ind.htm Free online resources for learners]
- [http://www.seasite.niu.edu/indodict/diction.htm Indonesia-English dictionary in one page (SEAsite) (can save to disk)]
- [http://www.dicts.info/di1.php?k1=1&k2=47 Indonesian dictionary (All free dictionaries)]
- [http://www.ethnologue.org/show_language.asp?code=ind Ethnologue report for Indonesian]
- [http://www.indonetcafe.com/indonesian-dutch/kamus.php Indonesia-Dutch dictionary] Category:Malayo-Polynesian languagesCategory:Languages of Indonesia
- Category:Austronesian languages ko:인도네시아어 ms:Bahasa Indonesia ja:インドネシア語 th:ภาษาอินโดนีเซีย

Provinces of Indonesia

The number of provinces of Indonesia has tended to increase as new provinces have been split from existing territories. As of January 2003 there appear to be 29 provinces (provinsi), 2 special regions
- (daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district
  - (daerah khusus ibukota). In September 2004, that number was increased to 33 with the last addition of West Sulawesi.
- Western New Guinea
  - West Irian Jaya (Irian Jaya Barat)
  - Papua (formerly Irian Jaya). A proposal to split this into Papua Tengah (Central Papua) and Papua Timur (East Papua) has not been implemented.
- Java
  - Banten
  - Central Java (Jawa Tengah)
  - East Java (Jawa Timur)
  - Jakarta
  - (DKI Jakarta)
  - West Java (Jawa Barat)
  - DI Yogyakarta
-
- Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo
  - Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah)
  - East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur)
  - South Kalimantan (Kalimantan Selatan)
  - West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat)
- Maluku Islands (Moluccas)
  - Maluku
  - North Maluku (Maluku Utara)
- Bali and Nusa Tenggara (Lesser Sunda Islands)
  - Bali
  - East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur)
  - West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat)
- Sulawesi (Celebes)
  - Central Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tengah)
  - Gorontalo
  - North Sulawesi (Sulawesi Utara)
  - South East Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tenggara)
  - South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan)
  - West Sulawesi (Sulawesi Barat)
- Sumatra
  - Aceh
- (Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam)
  - Bangka-Belitung
  - Bengkulu (fomerly Bencoolen)
  - Jambi
  - Lampung
  - North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara)
  - Riau
  - Riau Islands (Kepulauan Riau)
  - South Sumatra (Sumatera Selatan)
  - West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat) Provinces are divided into regencies (kabupaten) and municipalities (kotamadya).

External link


- [http://www.world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1104447162&men=gmap&lng=en&gln=xx&dat=32&geo=-101&srt=npan&col=aohdq Maps] Indonesia, Provinces of ms:Daerah di Indonesia

Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay Archipelago, the world's largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world and the fourth most populous overall. It has had free elections since the 1998 Revolution which led to the resignation of President Suharto, who came to power in 1965.

History

Under the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism, several kingdoms formed on the islands of Sumatra and Java from the 7th to 14th century. The arrival of Arab traders from Gujarat, India, later brought Islam, which became the dominant religion in many parts of the archipelago after the collapse of Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms. When the Portuguese came in the early 16th century, they found a multitude of small states. These states were vulnerable to the Portuguese, and later other Europeans, who were in pursuit of dominating the spice trade. In the 17th century, the Dutch emerged as the most powerful of the Europeans, ousting the Spanish and Portuguese (except for their colony of Portuguese Timor on the island of Timor). The Dutch influence started with trading by the Dutch East India Company (VOC), a private enterprise, which gradually expanded its region of influence and its grip on political matters. Following the dissolution of the VOC in 1799, as well as the political instability from the Napoleonic Wars, the East Indies were awarded to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. From this time onward, the East Indies were officially ruled as colonies of the Dutch crown. Under the nineteenth-century Cultivation System (Cultuurstelsel), large plantations and forced cultivation were established on Java, finally creating the profit for the Netherlands that the VOC was unable to produce. In a more liberal period of colonial rule after 1870 the Cultivation System was abolished, and after 1901 the Dutch introduced the Ethical Policy, which included limited political reform and increased investment in the colony. During World War II, with the Netherlands under German occupation, in December 1941 Japan began a five prong campaign towards Java and the vital fuel supplies of the Dutch East Indies. Though Japan captured Java by March 1942, it was unable to find any national leader willing to cooperate with the Japanese government against the Dutch, eventually the Japanese commander ordered that Sukarno be released from his prison island and in July 1942 Sukarno arrived in Jakarta. Sukarno, with colleagues, cooperated with the Japanese occupiers. In 1945, with the war drawing to a close, Sukarno was made aware of an opportunity to declare an independence. Upon lobbying, Japan agreed that Sukarno established a committee to plan for independence. Sukarno, and Mohammad Hatta, declared independence on 17 August. In an effort to regain control of their previously occupied colonies, the Allies sent in their armies, together with the Netherlands' Army. Indonesia's war for independence lasted from 1945 until 27 December, 1949, when, under heavy international pressure, the Netherlands acknowledged Indonesia's independence. Sukarno became the country's first president, with Mohammad Hatta as the first vice president. See Indonesian National Revolution. It was not until 16 august 2005 that the Dutch government recognised 1945 as the country's year of independence and expressed its regrets over the Indonesian deaths caused by the Netherlands' Army. The 1950s and 1960s saw Sukarno's government aligning itself first with the emerging non-aligned movement and later with the socialist bloc. The 1960s saw Indonesia in a military confrontation against neighboring Malaysia, and increasing frustration over domestic economic difficulties. Army general Suharto became president in 1967 with the excuse of securing the country against an alleged Communist coup attempt against a weakening Sukarno. In the aftermath of Suharto's rise, hundreds of thousands people were killed or imprisoned in a backlash against alleged Communist supporters. Suharto's administration is commonly called the New Order era. Suharto invited major foreign investment into the country, which produced substantial, if uneven, economic growth. However, Suharto enriched himself and his family through widespread corruption and he was forced to step down amid massive popular demonstrations and a faltering economy by the Indonesian Revolution of 1998. In the period of 1998 to 2001, the country had three presidents: Bacharuddin Jusuf (BJ) Habibie, Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri. In 2004 the largest one-day election in the world and Indonesia's first direct Presidential election was held and was won by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Parts of northern Sumatra, particularly Aceh, were devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami on 26 December 2004. See Impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Indonesia

Politics

The highest legislative body is the Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat (MPR, head: Hidayat Nur Wahid) or 'People's Consultative Assembly', consisting of the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR, head: Agung Laksono) or People's Representative Council, elected for a five-year term, and the Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (DPD, head: Ginandjar Kartasasmita) or Regional Representatives Council. Following elections in 2004, the MPR became a bicameral parliament, with the creation of the DPD as its second chamber.

Provinces

Currently, Indonesia has 33 provinces (of those, 2 are special territories and 1 capital city territory). The provinces are subdivided in districts, which are in turn split up in sub-districts and municipalities. The provinces are: Bali, Bangka-Belitung, Banten, Bengkulu, Central Java, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, East Java, East Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, South Sumatra, Gorontalo, Jambi, Lampung, Maluku, North Maluku, North Sulawesi, North Sumatra, Papua (Irian Jaya), Riau, Riau Kepulauan, South East Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, West Irian Jaya, West Java, West Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, West Sulawesi, West Sumatra The special territories (daerah istimewa) are Aceh (or Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam) and Yogyakarta. Special territories have more autonomy from the central government than other territories, and as a result they have unique legislative privileges: the Acehnese government has the right to create an independent legal system and instituted a form of sharia (Islamic Law) in 2003; Yogyakarta remains a sultanate whose sultan (currently the wildly popular Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X) is the territory's de facto governor for life. The capital city territory is Jakarta. Though Jakarta is a single city, it is administered much as any other Indonesian province. For example, Jakarta has a governor (instead of a mayor), and is divided into several sub-regions with their own administrative systems. East Timor was a province of Indonesia from its annexation in 1976 until Indonesia relinquished sovereignty in 1999. Following a period of transitional administration by the UN, it became an independent state in 2002.

Geography

2002 Indonesia's 18,108 islands, of which about 6,000 are inhabited, are scattered around the equator, giving the country a tropical climate. The largest populated islands are Java, one of the most densely populated regions on Earth, where about half of the population lives, Sumatra, Borneo (shared with Malaysia and Brunei), New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea) and Sulawesi. The country borders Malaysia on the island of Borneo (Indonesian: Kalimantan), Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea and East Timor on the island of Timor. In addition to the capital city of Jakarta, principal Indonesian cities of high population include Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, Palembang, and Semarang. Its location on the edges of tectonic plates, specifically the Pacific, Eurasian, and Australian, means Indonesia is frequently hit by earthquakes and the resulting tsunamis. Indonesia is also rich in volcanoes, the most famous being the now vanished Krakatau (Krakatoa), which was located between Sumatra and Java. Flora and fauna differ markedly between Kalimantan, Bali, and western islands on the one hand and Sulawesi, Lombok, and islands further to the east on the other hand. This ecological boundary has been called the Wallace line after its discoverer. The line is often given as the boundary between Asia and Australasia, as such making Indonesia a bicontinental country. See also: Map of Asia

Economy

Indonesia's economy suffered greatly in the late 1990s, in part as a result of the financial crisis that struck most of Asia at the time. The economy has stabilized somewhat since then. The country has extensive natural resources outside of Java, including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper and gold. Indonesia is the world's second largest exporter of natural gas, though it has recently become a net importer of crude oil. Major agricultural products include rice, tea, coffee, spices and rubber. Indonesia's major trading partners are Japan, the United States and the surrounding nations of Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. The central bank of Indonesia is Bank Indonesia [http://www.bi.go.id] The economy is now undergoing a process of rebuilding after the tsunami that struck in December of 2004.

Demographics

Indonesia's population can be roughly divided into two groups. The west of the country is Asian and the people are mostly Malay, while the east is more Pacific and people on New Guinea are Papuan, with roots in the islands of Melanesia. There are, however, many more subdivisions, which is logical given the fact that Indonesia spans an area the size of Europe or the USA and that it consists of many islands that to a large degree had their own separate development. Many Indonesians identify with a more specific ethnic group that is often linked to language and regional origins; examples of these are Javanese, Sundanese, or Batak. But there are also quite different groups within many islands, such as Borneo, with its Dayak and Punan, who have different lifestyles and skintones. Most Indonesians speak a local language (bahasa daerah) as their first tongue, but the official national language, Indonesian (locally called Bahasa Indonesia or simply Bahasa, meaning language) is almost universally taught in schools and is spoken by nearly every Indonesian. Originally a lingua franca for most of the region, including present-day Malaysia (and thus closely related to Malay), it was accepted by the Dutch as the de facto language for the colony and declared the official language after independence. The formerly large, influential Eurasian community (locally known as Indos) has largely left the country for the Netherlands, California and Australia, although a few still remain in Indonesia and are highly esteemed models and soap opera stars. There are also serious ethnic tensions in Indonesia, predominately between Indonesians of Chinese ethnicity and the Pribumi peoples, who are natives of Indonesia. The riotings in Jakarta in 1997 and 1998 highlight this recurring tension. Ethnic relations are strained mostly due to the high level of economic power that the Chinese-Indonesians have relative to the Pribumi peoples, which in turn propels anti-Chinese sentiment. Positions of power and influence in the business sphere are consistently held by ethnic Chinese Indonesians. The Indonesian government is attempting to remedy this problem, but due to widespread corruption and discontent experienced by the poorer citizens of Indonesia ethnic harmony is slow in coming. Corruption, collusion, and nepotism which characterized Suharto's presidency clearly define the origins of Indonesia’s ethnic tensions today. Islam is Indonesia's main religion, with almost 88% of all Indonesians declared as Muslim according to the 2000 religious census, making Indonesia the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world. Prior to the arrival of the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity and Islam in the Malay Archipelago, the popular beliefs in region had been thoroughly influenced by Indic religious philosophy through Hinduism and Buddhism. After independence syncretism and intermarriage has decreased somewhat and religious divides sharpened, leading to communal violence in many of the eastern islands as well as in Java. Although Islam was once mainly practiced in Java and parts of Sumatra, the transmigration program has increased the number of Muslims living in Bali, Borneo, the Celebes, the Moluccas, and Papua. The remaining population is 8% Christian (of which roughly three quarters are Protestant, with the remainder mainly Catholic, and a substantial charismatic minority), 3% Hindu and 1% Buddhist with small communities of Jews. Indonesians are required to declare themselves as one of these official religions. As a result, many Indonesian "Muslims" are non-practicing, follow Indonesia's animist traditions (a fact that the government strenuously denies), or are entirely secular.

Culture

Art forms in Indonesia have been influenced by several cultures. The famous Javanese and Balinese dances, for example, contain aspects of Hindu culture and mythology. Also well-known are the Javanese and Balinese wayang kulit shadow theatre shows, displaying several mythological events. Several islands are famous for their batik and ikat cloth. Silat is a unique martial art originating from the archipelago.

Miscellaneous topics


- Agama Hindu Dharma
- Communications in Indonesia
- Foreign relations of Indonesia
- Hinduism in Southeast Asia
- Indonesian calendars
- Indonesian car number plates
- Indonesian Chinese
- Islam in Indonesia
- Islands of Indonesia
- List of famous Indonesians
- Military of Indonesia
- Music of Indonesia
- Public holidays in Indonesia
- Transportation in Indonesia
- Indonesian Civil War
- History of Indonesia

Further reading


- Theodore Friend, Indonesian Destinies, [http://www.hup.harvard.edu/ Harvard University Press], 2003, hardcover, 544 pages, ISBN 0674011376
- Steven Drakeley: The history of Indonesia, Westport, Connecticut : Greenwood, 2005, 201 S., ISBN 0-313-33114-6

See also


- 2002 Bali bombing
- 2005 Bali bombings

External links

Official sites (owned and operated by the government of Indonesia and its agencies)
- [http://www.antara.co.id/ Antara] — National News Agency
- [http://www.bi.go.id/ Bank Indonesia] — Indonesian Central Bank
- [http://www.info-ri.com/ Info-RI] — National Information Portal (in Indonesian)
- [http://www.deplu.go.id/?language=en&embassy=1& List of Indonesian embassies and consulates worldwide] (Department of Foreign Affairs)
- [http://www.indonesia.go.id/ National Portal of Republic of Indonesia] (in Indonesian)
- [http://www.rri-online.com/ RRI] — National Radio Network
- [http://www.tvri.co.id/ TVRI] — National Television Network (in Indonesian) Other sites (not owned nor operated by the government of Indonesia and its agencies)
-
- [http://www.business-indonesia.com/ Business Indonesia]
- [http://www.kompas.com/ Kompas] - Indonesia's most widely circulated Newspaper (in Indonesian)
- [http://www2.iisg.nl/indoc/ INDOC Database on Indonesian Labour]
- [http://www.indonesia-house.org/ Indonesia House] (in English and in Dutch)
- [http://www.insideindonesia.org/ Inside Indonesia Journal]
- [http://www.aseannewsnetwork.com/indonesia.html News from Indonesia] (in English and in Indonesian) Category:ASEAN member states Category:Island nations Category:Republics Category:Southeast Asian countries Category:Bicontinental countries zh-min-nan:Ìn-nî ko:인도네시아 ms:Indonesia ja:インドネシア simple:Indonesia th:ประเทศอินโดนีเซีย

Java island

:"Java" redirects here. For other uses, see Java (disambiguation). Java (disambiguation) Java (Indonesian, Javanese, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. It is the most populous island in the world; indeed, it has a larger population than either the continents of Australia or Antarctica (see the list of islands by population). With an area of 132,000 square km, and 127 million inhabitants at 864 people per km² it would, if it were a country, be the second most densely-populated country of the world after Bangladesh, except for some very small city-states.

Geography

Natural

Bangladeshs]] Java () is in a chain of islands with Kalimantan (Borneo) to the north, Sumatra to the northwest, Bali to the east, Sulawesi to the northeast and Christmas Island to the south. It is the world's 13th largest island. Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin; and contains no fewer than thirty-eight mountains of that conical form, which indicates their having at one time or another been active volcanoes. See Volcanoes of Java. The island's longest river is the Bengawan Solo River, at some 540 km in length. The Bengawan Solo rises from its source in central Java at the Tawu volcano, flows north then eastwards to its mouth in the Java Sea, near the city of Surabaya.

Human

Java contains the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta. Popular tourist destinations include the city of Yogyakarta, a massive pyramid-like monument to Buddha known as Borobudur; and Prambanan, the largest Hindu temple in Java. Java is the most densely-populated island in Indonesia, with nearly 60% of the overall population of the country residing there [http://www.bps.go.id/sector/population/table1.shtml]. Since the 1970s, the Indonesian government has run transmigration programs aimed at resettling the population of Java on other less-populated islands of Indonesia. This program has met with mixed results, and has been behind many instances of ethnic tension, and even violence between the native people and the settlers. The island is divided into 4 provinces, 1 special region
- (daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district
  - (daerah khusus ibukota):
- Banten
- Jakarta
  -
- Jawa Barat (West Java)
- Jawa Tengah (Central Java)
- Jawa Timur (East Java)
- Yogyakarta
-

History

Paleontology

The island of Java is famous for several paleoanthropological finds of early hominid specimens. In particular, the 1891 discovery of cranial fossil remains commonly known as "Java man" (now designated as Trinil 2, after the Trinil site on the Bengawan Solo River), is famous for being the first such discovery of an early hominid specimen outside of Europe. This find, and several subsequent ones which have been made at various locations along the river's valleys, are now generally classified as belonging to the species Homo erectus. Two million years ago, the rainfall in the Sunda and Digul plateaus was very heavy, which allowed heavy tropical vegetation to thrive. This, in turn allowed many prehistoric cultures to emerge, as evidenced in many fossil findings in this region.

Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms

Much evidence of Java's past kingdoms remains; such as the famous Buddhist Borobudur and Hindu Prambanan temples. Indeed, the Javanese culture, and language itself, was heavily influenced by the cultures and languages of the Indian subcontinent. In the sixth and seventh centuries, many maritime kingdoms arose in Sumatra and Java, which controlled the waters in the Straits of Malacca, and flourished with the increasing sea-trade between China and India and beyond. During this time, scholars from India and China visited these kingdoms to translate literary and religious texts. The most prominent of the Hindu kingdoms was the Majapahit kingdom based in East Java, from where it ruled a large part of what is now western Indonesia. The name of the Majapahit empire is still invoked by contemporary Indonesian leaders to promote "unity", and the legitimacy of the state. The remnants of the Majapahit kingdom shifted to Bali during the sixteenth century, as Muslim kingdoms in the western part of the island gained influence.

Muslim kingdoms and the Dutch colonization

The earliest Muslim "evangelists" were called the Wali Songo, the "nine ambassadors". Several of them were of Chinese origin, leading to speculation about Zheng He's influence on the trade in the Straits of Malacca. Many of their tombs are still well-preserved, and often visited "Ziarah" for superstitious and religious reasons. Most of the brand of Islam that is adopted in Java is mixed with long-standing indigenous beliefs, and has a decidedly "local flavor". For example, the legend of Nyi Roro Kidul was invented as a mix of the superstition common on the southern coast of Java, and Islamic influences. The Dutch East India Company, (VOC) established its trading and administrative headquarters in Batavia (now the capital city of Jakarta). This capital, along with other coastal cities such as Semarang and Surabaya, was the focus of Dutch attention during most of the colonial period. The VOC maintained control over the mountainous interior of the island through indigenous client states, such as Mataram in central Java. The nineteenth century saw the Dutch government take over administration of the East Indies from the Dutch East India Company, and in the mid-nineteenth century, they implemented the cultuurstelsel and cultuurprocenten policies, which caused widespread famine and poverty. A Dutch author Douwes Dekker wrote a novel Max Havelaar to protest these conditions, and in turn the political and social movement spurned by this protest resulted in the Ethical Policy, by which many Javanese elites were given a chance to earn Dutch education, both in Java and in the Netherlands itself. It was from this elite that the most prominent nationalist leaders came. They formed the core of the new government, when Indonesia became independent after World War II.

Post independence

With the establishment of Jakarta as the capital, and the Javanese roots of the majority of Indonesian political figures, the island remains politically and economically dominant over the rest of the country. While much of rural Java is very poor, the urban areas of Java are among the wealthiest, most highly- developed regions in the country. Both presidents Sukarno and Suharto, who together ruled for the first forty-nine years of independence, were from Java. This political dominance has resulted in resentment on the part of some residents of other islands. The respected Indonesian author Pramoedya Ananta Toer once recommended that the Indonesian capital be moved outside the island of Java, in order to free the Indonesian nationalist movement from its Java-centric character.

Culture

Generally speaking, the three major cultures of Java are the Sundanese culture of West Java, the Central Java culture, and the East Java culture. In the western part of Central Java, usually named the Banyumasan region, a cultural mingling occurred; bringing together Javanese culture and Sundanese culture to create the Banyumasan culture. In the central Javan 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. Java was the site of many influential kingdoms in the Southeast Asian region, 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 Mahabarata. 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. See also: Culture of Indonesia

Language

Culture of Indonesia The three major languages spoken on the island are Javanese, Sundanese and Madurese. Other languages spoken by smaller groups include Betawi, Banyumasan, Badui, Osing and Tenggerese. The vast majority of the population also speaks Indonesian, generally as a second language.

Religion

Most Javanese (93%) are Muslims, either of the Abangan (40%) (nominal) type or orthodox (60%). Small Hindu (1-2%) enclaves are scattered through-out Java, but a large Hindu population prevails along the eastern coast nearest Bali, especially around the town of Banyuwangi. There are also Christian (2-3%) (communities; mostly in the major cities, although they are in the minority. Certain rural areas of south-central Java are strongly Catholic. Buddhist communities (1%) also exist in the major cities, primarily among the Indonesian Chinese. Then there are also groups of followers of Kejawen, or Javanese "mystical" groups (see "mysticism") who do not fit easily into governmental administrative categories - such as Sumarah, Subud and other groups. During the Suharto era, it was mandatory to belong to a government-approved religion in order to have an identity card, which itself was also mandatory. Followers of Kejawen had various difficulties because of this issue.

Ethnic groups


- Javanese (See: Javanese language)
- Sundanese (See: Sundanese language)
- Madurese
- Indonesian Chinese
- Cirebonese

See also


- Badui
- Osing
- Sailendra
- Singhasari
- Tenggerese

Further reading


- [http://fax.libs.uga.edu/DS646x2xW819j/ JAVA, FACTS AND FANCIES], by Augusta De Wit, 1905. (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & [http://fax.libs.uga.edu/DS646x2xW819j/1f/java_facts_and_fancies.pdf layered PDF] format)

External links


- Category:Islands of Indonesia Category:History of JavaCategory:History of IndonesiaCategory:History of South East Asia ko:자와 섬 ms:Jawa ja:ジャワ島

East Java

East Java (Indonesian: Jawa Timur) is one of Indonesia's 32 provinces. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and also includes neighboring Madura and Bawean islands. The administrative center of the province is located in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia and a major industrial center and port.

Population

According to the 2000 census, East Java has 34 million inhabitants, second only to West Java among Indonesian provinces. The inhabitants consist of mostly Javanese. Native minorities include migrants from nearby Madura, and distinct Javanese ethnicities such as the Tengger people in Bromo, the Samin and the Using people in Banyuwangi. East Java also hosts a significant population of other ethnic groups, such as Chinese, Indians, and Arabs. In addition to the national language Bahasa Indonesia, they also speak Javanese. Javanese spoken in the western part of East Java is indistinguishable from the one spoken in nearby Central Java, with its hierarchy of high, medium, and low speeches. But in the eastern cities of Surabaya, Malang, and surrounding areas, the people speak a more egalitarian version of Javanese, with much less regard for hierarchy and a richer vocabulary for vulgarity. While Madurese is spoken by around 15 millions of Madurese, concentrated in Madura Island, Kangean Islands, Masalembu Islands, Eastern part of East Java, and East Java main cities. The major religion in East Java is Islam. This comes from earlier history, when Islam spread from northern cities in Java where many traders from Gujarat, India visited, bringing Islam. The eastern part of East Java, from Surabaya to Pasuruan, then following various cities along the coast line, and turning back in Banyuwangi to Jember, is well known as the "horseshoe area" in context with earlier Muslim communities living there.

Cities

There are 29 municipalities (kabupaten) and 9 cities (kota) in East Java: Kabupaten Bangkalan, Kabupaten Banyuwangi, [http://www.kabblitar.go.id Kabupaten Blitar], Kabupaten Bojonegoro, [http://www.bondowoso.go.id Kabupaten Bondowoso], [http://www.gresik.go.id Kabupaten Gresik], [http://www.pemdajember.go.id Kabupaten Jember], [http://www.pemdajombang.go.id Kabupaten Jombang], [http://www.kediri.go.id Kabupaten Kediri], [http://www.lamongan.go.id Kabupaten Lamongan], [http://www.lumajang.go.id Kabupaten Lumajang], [http://www.madiun.go.id Kabupaten Madiun], [http://www.magetan.go.id Kabupaten Magetan], [http://www.kabmalang.go.id Kabupaten Malang], [http://www.pemkab-mojokerto.go.id Kabupaten Mojokerto], [http://www.nganjuk.go.id Kabupaten Nganjuk], [http://www.ngawi.go.id Kabupaten Ngawi], [http://www.pacitan.go.id Kabupaten Pacitan], Kabupaten Pamekasan, [http://www.kab-pasuruan.go.id Kabupaten Pasuruan], [http://www.ponorogo.go.id Kabupaten Ponorogo], [http://www.kabupatenprobolinggo.go.id Kabupaten Probolinggo], Kabupaten Sampang, [http://www.sidoarjo.go.id Kabupaten Sidoarjo], [http://www.pemda-situbondo.go.id Kabupaten Situbondo], [http://www.sumenep.go.id Kabupaten Sumenep], Kabupaten Trenggalek, [http://www.tuban.go.id Kabupaten Tuban], [http://www.tulungagung.go.id Kabupaten Tulungagung], Batu, [http://www.blitar.go.id Kota Blitar], [http://www.kotakediri.go.id Kota Kediri], [http://www.madiunkota.go.id Kota Madiun], [http://www.pemkot-malang.go.id Kota Malang], [http://www.mojokerto.go.id Kota Mojokerto], [http://www.pasuruan.go.id Kota Pasuruan], [http://www.probolinggo.go.id Kota Probolinggo], Surabaya

History

East Java has a history dating back centuries, with its famous kingdom of Singosari which is now a city, located near Malang. The Majapahit kingdom originated from East Java, and the region was a part of the Mataram kingdom during its peak.

Natural resources


- Chalk (Gresik, the city is also famous of its cement industries.)
- Marble (Tulung Agung)
- Oil (Cepu)
- Salt (Madura Island)

Education

East Java hosts some famous universities in Indonesia, both owned by government and private. Three major cities for universities, because they have government's universities, are Surabaya, Malang, and Jember. Among them, Airlangga University and Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology are the most famous, and both are located in Surabaya. See: List of universities in East Java Another important form of education that is available in most cities in East Java is the pesantren. This kind of education is built and organized by Islamic clerics, and associated with local or national Muslim organizations. Jombang is a famous city for its pesantren.

Media

East Java supports several regional media outlets. Local newspapers with provincial news reach their readers earlier than their competitors from Jakarta. In the spirit of "providing more news from around readers", most newspapers even issue municipal sections which are different among their distribution areas.
- [http://www.jawapos.co.id Jawa Pos Group], one of major newspaper group in Indonesia, is based in Surabaya.
- Surabaya Post is one of historical newspaper that had provincial circulation. In addition, there are two popular Javanese magazines published in Surabaya:
- Penyebar Semangat (Spreader of Spirit) is a historical and popular Javanese magazine.
- Jaya Baya, the other Javanese magazine which used the name of one of the famous Prabu Jaya Baya. There are also some local television networks which bloomed up since 3 or 2 years ago. The first one is "JTV" from Surabaya. Then, several more existed and concentrated in Malang areas :
- Batu TV
- Agropolitan TV (ATV)
- Malang TV
- Mahameru TV

National parks


- Meru Betiri National Park - Between Jember and Banyuwangi districts, this park covers 580 km². Hard to get to, it contains fantastic coastal rainforest and scenery and is home to abundant wildlife.
- Alas Purwo National Park - This 434 km² park is formed by the Blambangan Peninsula (south eastern Java). Comprised of mangrove, savanna, lowland monsoon forests and excellent beaches, the park's name means First Forest in Javanese. Javanese legend says that the earth first emerged from the ocean here.
- Baluran National Park - This 250 km² national park is located in north east Java, once known as Indonesia's little piece of Africa, the parks formerly extensive savanna has been largely replaced by Acacia.
- Mount Bromo and Tengger caldera, Semeru National Park, (alt 2500 m); located at East Java (Jawa Timur) at the region of Probolinggo and Pasuruan, 70 km from Surabaya the capital city of East Java province. Mount Bromo is one of the great hiking and treking destination for overseas tourists. The breathtaking view of Bromo also atrract hundreds of photo enthusiast to see the view up there.

External links


- [http://www.jatim.go.id/ Government of East Java] - In Indonesian
- Category:Provinces of Indonesia

West Java

West Java (Jawa Barat) is a province of Indonesia, located on the island of Java. The capital is Bandung.

History

History shows that Jawa Barat is the first province in Indonesia, referring to a statement from Staatblad number 378. In 1950, West Java province officially became a province of Indonesia. On October 17, 2000, as part of nationwide political decentralization, Banten was separated from West Java and made into a new province.

Geographic and Demographic

With a population of 35.470.611 (2000 census), West Java is the most populous province in Indonesia. It has an area of 34.736 km²; aside from the province of Jakarta, it is the most densely populated province in the country, with an average 1033 people per km². West Java borders Jakarta and Banten province to the west, and Central Java to the east. To the north is Java Sea. To the south is the Indian Ocean. Unlike most other provinces in Indonesia which have their capitals in coastal area, the provincial capital Bandung is located in a mountainous area. In addition to Indonesian, the official national language , the other widely-spoken language in the province is Sundanese. In some areas near the southern borders with Central Java, Javanese is also spoken. The ethnic language spoken in Cirebon and nearby areas (Majalengka, Indramayu, Sumber) is Cirebonese which is a mix between Sundanese and Javanese. Indonesian is widely spoken as a second language, except in some remote rural areas.

Government

West Java is further subdivided into municipalities (kabupaten), each with a local capital:
- Kabupaten Bogor, Cibinong
- Kabupaten Sukabumi, Sukabumi
- Kabupaten Cianjur, Cianjur
- Kabupaten Bandung, Soreang
- Kabupaten Garut, Garut
- Kabupaten Tasikmalaya, Tasikmalaya
- Kabupaten Ciamis, Ciamis
- Kabupaten Kuningan, Kuningan
- Kabupaten Cirebon, Sumber
- Kabupaten Majalengka, Majalengka
- Kabupaten Sumedang, Sumedang
- Kabupaten Indramayu, Indramayu
- Kabupaten Subang, Subang
- Kabupaten Purwakarta, Purwakarta
- Kabupaten Karawang, Karawang
- Kabupaten Bekasi, Bekasi List of cities that has the status of level two district (daerah tingkat dua) in West Java:
- Bogor
- Sukabumi
- Bandung
- Cirebon
- Bekasi
- Depok
- Cimahi
- Tasikmalaya
- Banjar

Natural Resources

Raw natural resources include chalk, several offshore oilfields in the Java Sea, and lumber. Most of the province is very fertile, with a mix of small farms and larger plantations. There are several hydropower dams, including Jatiluhur, Saguling, and Cirata.

Tourism


- Ciater resort near Subang
- Maribaya in Lembang
- Gunung Tangkuban Perahu
- Puncak pass
- Jatiluhur dam
- Taman Safari in Cipanas
- Kebun Raya Bogor in Bogor
- Beaches of Pangandaran
- Selabintana resort in Sukabumi

External links


- [http://www.jabar.go.id West Java Government] Category:Provinces of Indonesia ms:Jawa Barat th:ชวาตะวันตก

Surakarta

Surakarta (its formal name; locally it is referred to as Solo) is a city on the Indonesian island of Java. It is some 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Yogyakarta, and slightly further southeast of Semarang. The city was a center of power during the 18th century Mataram Kingdom.

Surakarta or Solo

The local inhabitants are more familiar with and use the name of "Solo" for the city, rather than "Surakarta". "Surakarta" is however used in formal and official contexts.

Geography

The town is situated on the Bengawan Solo River, the longest river on Java. The river is the inspiration for the song Bengawan Solo, a 1940s composition by Gesang Martohartono which became famous throughout much of Asia.

History

This is the older of the two royal cities in Central Java (the other is Yogyakarta), and its ruling family can lay claim to being the rightful heirs to the Mataram dynasty. Like Yogya, Solo has two royal palaces and a number of museums, yet its tourist industry is nowhere near as developed. The city's main source of income is from textiles, and Solo has the biggest batik market on Java. Solo also makes an ideal base from which to visit the home of Java Man at Sangiran, as well as the intriguing temples Candi Ceto and Candi Sukuh.

Pakubuwono II

Up until 1744, Solo was little more than a quiet backwater village, 10km east of Kartasura, the contemporary capital of the Mataram kingdom. But in that year the Mataram susuhunan (king), Pakubuwono II, backed the Chinese against the Dutch, and the court at Kartasura was sacked as a result. Pakubuwono II searched for a more auspicious spot to rebuild his capital, and in 1745 the entire court was dismantled and transported in a great procession to Surakarta, on the banks of the Kali Solo. However, the decline continued, and in 1757 a rival royal house of Mangkunegoro was established right in the centre of Solo. Thereafter, Solo's royal houses wisely avoided fighting and instead threw their energies into the arts, developing a highly sophisticated and graceful court culture. The gamelan pavilions became the new theatres of war, with each city competing to produce the more refined court culture.

Pakubuwono X

Perhaps the most significant ruler of the twentieth century, was Pakubuwono X. His relationship with the Dutch, and his large family, and his popularity contributed to perhaps the largest funeral procession that ever occurred in Solo. He had contributed large expenditure on the Royal Graveyard at Imogiri in the main sections of the graveyard, as well as towards the new section that he was buried in.

Local dialect

Although people in Jawa Tengah use the same language named "boso jowo" ("basa jawa", Javanese) they have special characteristics which differentiate them from which region they come. For example, for the word "cold" ("dingin" in Indonesian, especially for weather), people in Surakarta use the word "adem", but people in Semarang use the word "atis". Category:Cities in Indonesia ja:スラカルタ

Banyumasan

Banyumas is an area, also known as the banyumasan region, and is located in the Western part of Central Java, in Indonesia. The term banyumasan is an adjective referring to the culture, language and peoples (Banyumaser) of Banyumas.

History

Main article: History of Banyumasan

Language

Main article: Banyumasan language The language of Banyumasan is Austronesian, and usually considered to be a dialect of Javanese.

Districts

Currently, Banyumasan Region has 8 districts (kabupaten). The districts are subdivided in sub districts (kecamatan), and in turn split up in municipalities. The districts are: Cilacap, Kebumen, Banjarnegara, Purbalingga, Banyumas, Brebes, Tegal, and Pemalang,

Geography

Economy

Culture

See also

Cablaka (Blakasuta) Penginyongan Brebes salted eggs Moci, the Tea of Tegal Brebes onion Tegal traditional metal handicraft Tempeh bongkrek Bawor and Kudhi as Banyumasan mascots Mendoan & Kripik Warung Tegal (warteng) Serulingmas and KKB Banyumasan famous peoples : Sudirman, Gatot Subroto, Surono, R.A. Wiriaatmaja, Susilo Sudarman, Suparjo Rustam, Yoga Soegama, R. Suprapto, Margono Sukarjo, K.H. Muslich, K.H. Ahmad Thohari, Kurnia Effendi, M. Koderi, A.T. Mahmud, Entang Wiharso, Slamet Gundono, Ki Sugino Siswocarito, Ki Enthus Susmono, Ki Sugito Purbotjarito, Timbul Suhadi, Eko Budiharjo, Otto Soemarwoto, Imam Budidarmawan Prasodjo, Purwoto Suhadi Gandasubtara, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, Sanyoto Sastrowardoyo, Fuad Bawazier, Subiakto Tjakrawerdaya, Hartono Mardjono, Rustriningsih, Mauro Purnomo Rahardjo, Yani Saptohudoyo, Mayangsari, Ebiet G. Ade, Christian Hadinata, Muhammad Sarengat, Richard Sam Bera, Purnomo, Meitri Widya Pangestika, Felix & Albert Sutanto, Titiek Sandhora - Muchsin Alatas, Bagyo, Darto Helm, Indro Warkop, Toro Margen, Soemarno Wiryo Di Harjo or Pak Singa, Tuti Wasiat, Koes Hendratmo etc.

External links


- [http://www.banyumas.go.id/ Official site of Banyumas District Government] (in Indonesian)
- [http://www.brebes.go.id/ Official site of Brebes District Government] (in Indonesian)
- [http://www.cilacap.go.id/ Official site of Cilacap District Government] (in Indonesian)
- [http://www.groups.yahoo.com/groups/banyumas/ Banyumasan Internet Community] (in Banyumasan)
- [http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/forum_komunikasi_warga_cilacap/ Other Banyumasan Internet Community] (in Banyumasan) Category:Geography of Indonesia

Census

A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). It can be contrasted with sampling in which information is only obtained from a subset of a population. As such it is a method used for accumulating statistical data, and it is also vital to democracy (voting).

Ancient and medieval censuses

Rome conducted censuses to determine taxes (see Censor). The Bible relates stories of several censuses. The Book of Numbers describes a divinely-mandated census that occurred when Moses led the Israelites from Egypt. A later census called by King David of Israel, referred to as the "numbering of the people," incited divine retribution (for being militarily motivated or perhaps displaying lack of faith in God). A Roman census is also mentioned in one of the best known passages of the Bible in the Gospel of Luke. The world's oldest extant census comes from China during the Han Dynasty. Taken in the fall of 2 AD, it is considered by scholars to be quite accurate. At that time there were 57.5 million living in Han China, the world's largest population. The second oldest preserved census is also from the Han, dating back to 140 AD, when only a bit more than 48 million people were recorded. Mass migrations into what is today southern China are believed to be behind this massive demographic decline. In the Middle Ages, the most famous census is the Domesday Book, undertaken in 1086 by William I of England "to find out ... what or how much each landholder had in land and livestock, and what it was worth," so that he could properly tax the land he had recently conquered. In 1183, a census was taken of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, to ascertain the number of men and amount of money that could possibly be raised against an invasion by Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria.

Modern censuses

Australia

The Australian census is run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. It is carried out every five years, the last one being on August 7, 2001 and the next planned census is August 8, 2006.

Brazil

The Brazilian census is carried out by IBGE, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, every 10 years. The last one was in 2000.

Canada

The Canadian census is run by Statistics Canada. The first census conducted in Canada was conducted in 1666, by French intendant Jean Talon, when he took a census to ascertain the number of people living in New France. In 1871, Canada's first formal census was conducted, which counted the population of Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec. In 1918, the Dominion Bureau of Statistics was formed. In 1971, Statistics Canada was formed to replace the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, and consequently, took over its census job. Censuses in Canada are conducted in five year intervals. The latest census was conducted in 2001 and the next planned census is 2006. Censuses taken in mid-decade (e.g. 1976, 1986, 1996, etc.) are referred to as quinquennial censuses. Others are referred to as decennial censuses. The first quinquennial census was conducted in 1956. See also: Canada 2001 Census

Costa Rica

Costa Rica carried out its 9th population census in 2000. INEC, National Institute of Statistics and Census is in charge of conduct these census. Past Costa Rican censuses were realized in 1864, 1883, 1892, 1927, 1950, 1963, 1973 and 1984.

Denmark

The first Danish census was in 1700-1701, and contained statistical information about adult men. Only about half of it still exists. A census of school children was taken during the 1730s. Following these early undertakings, the first census to attempt completely covering all citizens (including women and children who had previously been listed only as numbers) of Denmark-Norway was taken in 1769 [http://www.rhd.uit.no/census/ft1769.html]. At that point there were 797 584 citizens in the kingdom. Georg Christian Oeder took a statistical census in 1771 which covered Copenhagen, Sjælland, Møn, and Bornholm. After that, censuses followed somewhat regularly in 1787, 1801, and 1834, and between 1840 and 1860, the censuses were taken every five years, and then every ten years until 1890. Special censuses for Copenhagen were taken in 1885 and 1895. In the 20th century, censuses were taken every five years from 1901 to 1921, and then every ten years from 1930. The last census was taken in 1950. Currently, Det Centrale Personregister is doing the censuses using their register of Danish citizens. It is possible to search a portion of the Danish censuses online at [http://ddd.dda.dk/ Dansk Demografisk Database], and also view scanned versions at [http://www.arkivalieronline.dk/ Arkivalier Online].

France

Napoleon Bonaparte began the census in France as a means of determining the number of potential soldiers under his rule. Today, the census in France is carried out by INSEE. Since 2004, a partial census is carried out every year, and the results published as averages over 5 years.

Germany

The first large-scale census in the German Empire took place in 1895. Attempts at introducing a census in Germany sparked strong popular resentment in the 1980s since many quite personal questions were asked. Some campaigned for a boycott. In the end the Constitutional Court stopped the census in 1980 and 1983. The last census was in 1987. Germany has since used population samples in combination with statistical methods, in place of a full census.

Greece

Census takes place every 10 years and is carried out by the National Statistical Service of Greece [http://www.statistics.gr]. Last census was in 2001.

India

The decennial census of India is the primary source of information about the demographic characteristics of the population of India which is the second biggest country of the world in terms of population. The first census in India is dated 1872. It started as far back as in 1860 and was finished in 1871. Starting from there, a population census has been carried out every 10 years, latest being the fourteenth in February - March 2001. Census is carried out by the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, Delhi under the Census of India Act, 1948. The act gives Central Government many powers like to notify a date for Census, power to ask for the services of any citizen for census work. The law makes it compulsory for every citizen to answer the census questions truthfully. The Act provides penalties for giving false answer or not giving answers at all to the census questionnaire. One of the most important provisions of law is the guarantee for the maintenance of secrecy of the information collected at the census of each individual. The census records are not open to inspection and also not admissible in evidence. Census happens in two phases, first House Listing and House Numbering Operations and second actual population enumeration phase. Census is carried out by the canvassing method. In this method, each and every household is visited and the information is collected by a specially trained enumerator. 9th February 2001, the first day of the 2001 census was celebrated as the census day.

Source


- [http://www.censusindia.net/ Website of the office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India]
- [http://www.unfpa.org/sustainable/docs.htm Banthia J.K., Ex Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. "Mobilising Support for India’s Census - Constraints and Challenges"]

Italy

The census in Italy is carried out by ISTAT every 10 years. The last four were in 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001.

Japan

Japan collects census information every five years. The figures show the English translation of the 2005 census form. The form solicits information on name, sex, relationship to head of household, year and month of birth, marital status, nationality, number of members of household, type and nature of dwelling, floor area of dwelling, number of hours worked during the week prior to October 1, employment status, name of employer and type of business, and kind of work. Image:CensusSide1.png|Explanation of census form, side 1 Image:CensusSide2.png|Explanation of census form, side 2

Latvia

The most recent census in Latvia was in 2000. Before that, it was about 6 censuses, most part of these previous censuses was in the USSR time. The census in Latvia is carried out by Centrālā Statistikas Pārvalde (Central Statistical Bureau).

New Zealand

The census in New Zealand is carried out by Statistics New Zealand (Te Tari Tatau), every five years. The last was in 2001, the next will be in 2006. See New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings.

Poland

The census in Poland is carried out by GUS every circa 10 years. The last one occurred in 2002.

Portugal

The census in Portugal is carried out by INE every 10 years. The last one occurred in 2001.

Romania

The first census in Romania was carried out in 1859. Nowadays it is carried every ten years by the Institutul Naţional de Statistică (INSSE). The last one occurred in 2002.

Russia/USSR

In Russia, the first All-Russia Population Census was carried out in 1897. All-Union Population Censuses were carried out in the USSR (which included RSFSR and the other republics) in 1920, 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, and 1989). The first (post-Soviet) All-Russia Population Census was carried out in 2002. Next census is tentatively planned for 2010. Currently, the census is the responsibility of the [http://www.gks.ru Federal State Statistics Service.]

South Africa

The census in South Africa is carried out every 5 years by Statistics South Africa. The only two to date were in 1996 and 2001.

Ukraine

The first post-soviet census in Ukraine was carried out by [http://www.ukrcensus.gov.ua/eng/ State Statistics Committee of Ukraine] in 2001, 12 years after the last All-Union census in 1989.

United Kingdom

In the 7th century, Dalriada (now Scotland) was the first territory in what is now the UK to conduct a census, with what was called the "Tradition of the Men of Alba" (Senchus fer n'Alba'). England took its first Census when the Domesday Book was compiled in 1086 for tax purposes. The UK census as we know it today started in 1801 (championed by John Rickman who managed the first four up to 1831), partly to ascertain the number of men able to fight in the Napoleonic wars. Rickman's 12 reasons - set out in 1798 and repeated in Parliamentary debates - for conducting a UK census included the following justifications:
- 'the intimate knowledge of any country must form the rational basis of legislation and diplomacy'
- 'an industrious population is the basic power and resource of any nation, and therefore its size needs to be known'
- 'the number of men who were required for conscription to the militia in different areas should reflect the area's population'
- 'there were defence reasons for wanting to know the number of seamen'
- 'the need to plan the production of corn and thus to know the number of people who had to be fed'
- 'a census would indicate the Government's intention to promote the public good' and
- 'the life insurance industry would be stimulated by the results.' The census has been conducted every ten years since 1801 and most recently in 2001. The first four censuses (1801-1831) were mainly statistical (that is, they were mainly headcounts and contained virtually no personal information). The 1841 Census was the first to record names of all individuals in a household or institution. Because of World War II, there was no census in 1941. However, following the passage into law (on 5 September 1939) of the National Registration Act a population count was carried out on 29 September 1939, which was, in effect, a census. The census is undertaken by the government for policy and planning purposes, and the (statistical) information is also sold to interested parties. Public access to the census returns is restricted under the terms of the 100-year rule and the most recent returns made available to researchers are those of the 1901 Census. The census is usually very accurate, and with a fine of up to £1,000 for those who do not complete it, filled in by a high percentage of the population. An exception may have been the census conducted during the years of the poll tax (1991), when some people avoided it in case it was used for enforcing the tax. The 2001 census was the first year in which the government asked about religion. Perhaps encouraged by a chain letter that started in New Zealand, 390,000 people entered their religion as Jedi Knight (more than either Sikhs, Buddhists or Jews), with some areas registering up to 2.6% of people as Jedi.

United States

The United States Constitution mandates that the census be taken at least once every ten years (U.S. Congress could require a more frequent census by legislation), and that the number of members of the House of Representatives from each state be determined accordingly. In addition, Census Bureau statistics are used for apportioning Federal funding for many social and economic programs. But there is not a federal census legislation (nor for federal voting). The first U.S. Census was taken in 1790 by the local U.S. Marshals. Census-takers went door-to-door and recorded the number of people in each household, and the name of the head of the household. Slaves were counted, but for apportionment purposes each counted as only three-fifths of a citizen. American Indians being neither taxed nor considered during apportionment, were not counted. The first census counted 3.9 million people, less than half the population of New York City in 2000. The 2000 census counted over 281 million people. In 1902, a Public Law established the Census Bureau as a permanent Federal agency. Until the 2010 census, there were two forms of questionnaire – long and short. Currently, the plan is to replace the Long form in 2010 with the American Community Survey (ACS), but funding for ACS is not assured, in which case there may be a long form in the 2010 census. Computer algorithms (based on complex sampling rules) determine which form was mailed to a given household (in practice, of those households whose locations are on the Census Master Address List), one in six receiving the long form. This was supplemented by census workers who go door-to-door to talk to people who fail to return the forms. In addition to a simple count of residents, the Census Bureau collects a variety of statistics, on topics ranging from ethnicity to the presence of indoor plumbing. While some critics claim that census questions are an invasion of privacy, the data collected by every question is either required to enforce some federal law (such as the Voting Rights Act) or is required to administer some federal program. Congress gives approval to every question asked on the Census. Despite a massive effort, the Census Bureau has never been able to count every individual, leading to controversy about whether to use statistical methods to supplement the numbers for some purposes, as well as arguments over how to improve the actual head count. The Supreme Court has ruled that only an actual head count can be used to apportion Congressional seats; however, cities and minority representatives have complained that urban residents and minorities are undercounted. In several cases, the Census Bureau will recount an area with disputed figures, provided the local government pays for the time and effort. The State of