Ιάβα

Java

Χώρα	Ινδονησία
Locality	Sunda Islands
Πρωτεύουσα	Τζακάρτα
Επιφάνεια	126.700 χμ²
Πληθυσμός   –Σύνολο (εκτ. 2005)   –Πυκνότητα πληθυσμού	124 εκατ. 981 κατ./χμ²

Η Ιάβα αποτελεί μία νήσο της Ινδονησίας, και την τοποθεσία της πρωτεύουσάς της, της Τζακάρτας. Είναι το πολυπληθέστερο νησί και μία από τις πιο πυκνοκατοικημένες περιοχές του κόσμου. Πρώην περιοχή ισχυρών Ινδουϊστικών βασιλείων και πυρήνας των αποικιακών Ανατολικών Ινδιών, η Ιάβα τώρα παίζει ένα κυρίαρχο ρόλο στην οικονομική και πολιτική ζωή της Ινδονησίας.

Γεωγραφία

Φύση

Το όρος Semeru και το όρος Bromo στην Ανατολική Ιάβα

Η Ιάβα (Πρότυπο:Coor d) είναι ένα σύμπλεγμα νησιών: το Καλιμαντάν (Βόρνεο) στο βορρά, τη Σουμάτρα στα βορειοδυτικά, το Μπαλί στα ανατολικά, το Σουλαβέσι στα βορειοανατολικά και τη Νήσο των Χριστουγέννων στα νότια. Είναι το 13ο σε μέγεθος νησί του κόσμου.

Η Ιάβα έχει ηφαιστειογενή προέλευση και περιλαμβάνει περισσότερα από 38 βουνά κωνικής μορφής, που δηλώνει ότι έστω και μια φορά κάποτε ήταν ενεργά ηφαίστεια. Για περισσότερες πληροφορίες, δείτε Ηφαίστεια της Ιάβας.

Ο μεγαλύτερος ποταμός του νησιού είναι ο Bengawan Solo River, με μήκος 540 km. Ο ποταμός Bengawan Solo πηγάζει από το ηφαίστειο Tawu στην κεντρική Ιάβα, ρέει προς τα βόρεια και μετά ανατολικά μέχρι τις εκβολές του στη Θάλασσα της Ιάβας, κοντά στην πόλη Σουραμπάγια.

Δημογραφικά στοιχεία

Κεντρική Τζακάρτα

Στην Ιάβα βρίσκεται η πρωτεύουσα της Ινδονησίας, η Τζακάρτα. Δημοφιλείς τουριστικοί προορισμοί αποτελούν επίσης η πόλη Yogyakarta, ένα τεράστιο μνημείο σε σχήμα πυραμίδας αφιερωμένο στο Βούδα, γνωστό και ως Borobudur και το Prambanan, ο μεγαλύτερος ινδουϊστικός ναός στην Ιάβα.

Η Ιάβα είναι μακράν το δημοφιλέστερο νησί της Ινδονησίας, καθώς το 85% του συνολικού πληθυσμού της χώρας διαμένει εκεί.[1]. 'Εχοντας έκταση 126,700 square km, και 124 εκατομμύρια κατοίκους, με 981 κατοίκους ανά τετραγωνικό χιλιόμετρο, αν ήταν χώρα, θα ήταν η δεύτερη πιο πυκνοκατοικημένη χώρα στον κόσμο μετά το Μπαγκλαντές.

Από τη δεκαετία του '70, η κυβέρνηση της Ινδονησίας έχει αναπτύξει προγράμματα εσωτερικής μετανάστευσης, που στοχεύουν στην μετεγκατάσταση των κατοίκων της Ιάβας σε άλλα λιγότερο κατοικημένα νησιά της Ινδονησίας. Το πρόγραμμα αυτό είχε ποικίλα αποτελέσματα και πολλές φορές προκαλούνταν διαμάχες μεταξύ των ντόπιων και των νεοαφιχθέντων.

Το νησί διαιρείται σε 4 επαρχίες, μια ειδική επαρχία* (daerah istimewa), και ένα προάστιο της πρωτεύουσας** (daerah khusus ibukota):

• Banten
• Jakarta**
• Jawa Barat (Δυτική Ιάβα)
• Jawa Tengah (Κεντρική Ιάβα)
• Jawa Timur (Ανατολική Ιάβα)
• Yogyakarta*

History

Αρχείο:Westjava puncak.JPG

View of the Puncak area in West Java, overlooking tea plantations

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.

Scientists speculate that, 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 Indonesia from the VOC, and in the mid-nineteenth century, they implemented new policies, usually called the Cultivation System (Dutch: cultuurstelsel). These policies, intended to increase the profitability of the colony by requiring increased production of cash crops, led to famine and widespread poverty on Java. By the beginning of the twentieth century, protest over the policy's effects, and political changes in the Netherlands and in the Indies led to the Ethical Policy. This policy of increased investment in the colony gave many more Javanese elites access to a 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 a Republic after World War II.

Republican era

With the establishment of Jakarta as the capital and the Javanese roots of the majority of Indonesian political figures, the island has a dominant role in the political and economic life of the nation. While parts of rural Java are among the poorest in the nation, the urban areas of the island are Indonesia's wealthiest and most urbanized areas. Both presidents Sukarno (1945-1965) and Suharto (1965-1998), were from Java.

This political dominance has resulted in resentment on the part of some residents of other islands. 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

Languages spoken in Java (Javanese is shown in white)

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 (92%) 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
• Arab

See also

• Badui
• Osing
• Sailendra
• Singhasari
• Tenggerese
• 2006 Java earthquake

External links

• Πρότυπο:Wikitravelpar
• JAVA, FACTS AND FANCIES, by Augusta De Wit, 1905. (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format)