Java (Indonesian: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. Once the centre of powerful Hindu kingdoms and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, Java now plays a dominant role in the economic and political life of Indonesia. Housing a population of 130 million in 2006[1], it is the most populous island in the world, ahead of Honshū, the main island of Japan. Java is also one of the most densely populated regions on Earth.
Formed mostly as the result of volcanic events, Java is the 13th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in Indonesia. A chain of volcanic mountains forms an east-west spine along the island. It has three main languages, and most residents are bilingual, with Indonesian as their second language. While the majority of Javanese are Muslim, Java has a diverse mixture of religious beliefs and cultures.Java is known for several important finds of early hominid specimens.[8] 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 notable as the first early hominid specimen found outside Europe. In the following course of human history, several kingdoms existed on Java. The first kingdoms ruled there were Indianized kingdoms like Tarumanagara and Sunda, influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. Sailendra (8–9th century), Mataram (752–1045), Kediri (1045–1221), Singhasari (1222–1292) and Majapahit (1293–1500) were among them, leaving evidence of their existence throughout Java. Among many other temples in Java, Borobudur (a Buddhist temple) and Prambanan (a Hindu temple) are the most famous relics of the old Javanese kingdoms, both of which are listed in the UNESCO world heritage site.
Islam spread into the Indonesian archipelago, including Java, in the thirteenth century. At the time, the Wali Songo (the "nine ambassadors") were the most prominent Muslim evangelists in the region. The spread of Islam (1200–1600) took place first in coastal cities, which developed into Muslim states, such as Sultanate of Demak (1475–1518) and Mataram Sultanate (1500s–1700s).
Early 18th century Dutch map; only the north coastal ports of Java are well known.
Early 18th century Dutch map; only the north coastal ports of Java are well known.
In 1602, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) arrived in the archipelago and subsequently occupied and maintained control of trade and power for more than 300 years. VOC established Batavia (present-day Jakarta) on the northern coast of Java as its trading center and administrative headquarters. Other north coastal cities, such as Semarang and Surabaya, developed into major trading harbors. The Dutch also developed Bandung in the inner mountainous region of West Java to which they had planned to move the capital from Batavia.
Java was briefly governed by the British East India Company (1811–1816) under the appointed Lieutenant Governor General Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, while Holland was occupied by France during the Napoleonic wars. During Raffles' administration he introduced partial self-government, a land-tenure system, and abolished the slave trade. Besides that, Raffles developed a strong interest in Javanese culture and restored several temples, including Borobudur. Raffles also wrote the famous book of "The History of Java", the first book that described Java's civilization and culture to the outside world.
After Indonesian independence in 1945 Jakarta remained as the capital, while Java itself has grown into the most crowded area in Indonesia. Although parts of rural Java are still underdeveloped, the urban areas are the wealthiest and most developed parts of Indonesia.
