Java

The origins of the name "Java" are not clear. Java may have been named after the jawa (foxtail millet) plant, derived from the Proto-Austronesian root *zawa. The historian Michael Laffan argued that the vernacular form jawa is more likely to have derived from an older form *yaba, based on the directionality of sound changes.

In the early nineteenth century, the British scholar Stamford Raffles suggested that another possible source for Java's name is the word jauh (which he spelled jaú), a Malay word meaning "beyond" or "distant". It has been suggested that another possible root is *awa or *yawa, meaning "home", related to the Polynesian words awaʻi (awaiki) or hawaʻi (hawaiki), but these roots are not universally accepted as Proto-Austronesian. None of these alternative hypotheses has found broad support among scholars, so the jawa (millet) theory remains the generally accepted one.

The toponym Java first appears in foreign literary works around the turn of the Common Era. In Sanskrit texts like the Ramayana, Java is referred to as Yavadvīpa, with Shavakam) and also in the Pāli scripture Mahāniddesa (likely pre-1st century BCE) as a place to be reached by boats.

The Greek term 葉調 Yépótí (Shépó (Zhǎowā), the present-day name in Mandarin Chinese.

In the later Middle Ages, Muslim writers began to refer to the islands of Indonesia by the term al-Zabaj (Arabic: الزابج). The Arabic usage of the word Zabaj was loose, often incorporating either Sumatra or Java or both. It is the Arabic term Zabaj, rather than the ancient Greek term Iabadiu, that had the greater influence on late medieval Europeans.

The period between the 5th and 15th century in Java is often referred to as the Hindu-Buddhist period, while in the broader context of Southeast Asia it is also referred to as the Classic period. The Taruma kingdom of western Java existed from the 5th to the 7th centuries, while the Heling kingdom sent embassies to China starting in 640.

The first state to leave a substantial historical record was the Mataram kingdom that was founded in central Java at the beginning of the 8th century. The rulers of Mataram patronised both Hindu and Buddhist institutions, including Java's earliest Hindu temples on the Dieng Plateau. In the second half of the 8th century, these rulers described themselves as members of the Sailendra dynasty, which strongly supported Mahayana Buddhism.c. 1100–1222), Singhasari (1222–1292) and Majapahit (1293–r. 1613–1646) was crucial in establishing military hegemony and a "mystic synthesis" that harmonised Islam with pre-existing Javanese cultural attitudes.

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.

Banten

East Java

1 Jakarta

Population growth

edit

Population density of Java and Madura by subdistrict as of 2022, with major urban areas shown

Java is the most populous island in the world and is home to an estimated 159.2 million people; about 56% of Indonesia's total population. At about 1,192 people per km in 2025, 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.c. 15th century) explained the mythical origin of the island and its volcanic nature.

Religion in Java (2023)

1. Islam (96.1%)
2. Protestantism (2.26%)
3. Roman Catholicism (1.07%)
4. Buddhism (0.48%)
5. Hinduism (0.11%)
6. Aliran Kepercayaan (0.01%)
7. Confucianism (0.01%)

Hinduism was the main religion in Java before the arrival of Islam. Indian influences came first with Shaivism and Buddhism penetrating deeply into society, blending with indigenous tradition and culture. One conduit for this were the ascetics, 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, Brahmin clerics and pudjangga (sacred literati) legitimised rulers and linked Hindu cosmology to their political needs. Small Hindu enclaves are scattered throughout Java, but there is a large Hindu population along the eastern coast nearest Bali, especially around the town of Banyuwangi.pronounced [ˈdʒawa]; Javanese: ꦗꦮ; Sundanese:

Naim, Akhsan; Syaputra, Hendry (2011). Kewarganegaraan, Suku Bangsa, Agama, dan Bahasa Sehari-Hari Penduduk Indonesia: Hasil Sensus Penduduk 2010 (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Badan Pusat Statistik. p. 47. ISBN 9789790644175.

↑ Laffan, Michael (2005). "Finding Java: Muslim nomenclature of insular Southeast Asia from Śrîvijaya to Snouck Hurgronje" (PDF). Asia Research Institute Working Paper Series. 52. Princeton University.

↑ Ptolemiaos, Klaudios (2017). Stückelberger, Alfred; Grasshoff, Gerd (eds.). Handbuch der Geographie [Handbook of Geography]. Basel: Schwabe AG Verlag.

↑ Zenkovsky, Serge A. (1974). Medieval Russia's epics, chronicles, and tales. New York: Dutton. pp. 345–347. ISBN 0525473637.

↑ Pravitasari, Andrea Emma (24 September 2015). "Study on Impact of Urbanization and Rapid Urban Expansion in Java and Jabodetabek Megacity, Indonesia". Geography, Environmental Science: 18. doi:10.14989/doctor.k19347. S2CID 131526829.

↑ "About Indonesia". Sucafina. Retrieved 27 June 2024.

↑ Aqil, Ibnu (6 January 2023). "Central Java rainy season to peak in January, February". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved 27 June 2024.

↑ Frost, Darrel R. (2021). "Rhacophorus margaritifer (Schlegel, 1837)". Amphibian Species of the World: An Online Reference. Version 6.1. American Museum of Natural History. doi:10.5531/db.vz.0001. Retrieved 6 February 2021.

↑ Matsu’ura, Shuji; Kondo, Megumi; Danhara, Toru; Sakata, Sheik; Iwano, Hideki; Hirata, Takafumi; Kurniawan, Iwan; Setiyabudi, Erik; Takeshita, Yoshihiro; Hyodo, Masayuki; Kitaba, Ikuko; Sudo Masafumi; Danhara, Yugo; Aziz, Fachroel (2020). "Age control of the first appearance datum for Javanese Homo erectus in the Sangiran area". Science. 367 (6474): 210–214. Bibcode:2020Sci...367..210M. doi:10.1126/science.aau8556. PMID 31919224. S2CID 210131393.

↑ Pope, G. (15 August 1983). "Evidence on the Age of the Asian Hominidae". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 80 (16): 4, 988–4992. Bibcode:1983PNAS...80.4988P. doi:10.1073/pnas.80.16.4988. PMC 384173. PMID 6410399. cited in Whitten, T; Soeriaatmadja, R. E.; Suraya A. A. (1996). The Ecology of Java and Bali. Hong Kong: Periplus Editions Ltd. p. 309.

↑ Zaim, Yahdi; Ciochon, Russell L.; Polanski, Joshua M.; Grine, Frederick E.; Bettis, E. Arthur; Rizal, Yan; Franciscus, Robert G.; Larick, Roy R.; Heizler, Matthew; Aswan, null; Eaves, K. Lindsay; Marsh, Hannah E. (2011). "New 1.5 million-year-old Homo erectus maxilla from Sangiran (Central Java, Indonesia)". Journal of Human Evolution. 61 (4): 363–376. Bibcode:2011JHumE..61..363Z. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.04.009. ISSN 1095-8606. PMID 21783226.

↑ Sastropajitno, Warsito (1958). Rekonstruksi Sedjarah Indonesia. Zaman Hindu, Yavadvipa, Srivijaya, Sailendra. Yogyakarta: PT. Pertjetakan Republik Indonesia.

↑ "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography/Iabadius - Wikisource, the free online library". en.wikisource.org.

↑ Coedès, George (1968). Walter F. Vella (ed.). The Indianized States of Southeast Asia. trans.Susan Brown Cowing. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1.

↑ 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. Griffiths, Arlo; Sastrawan, Wayan Jarrah; Bastiawan, Ekp (2024). "Restoring a Javanese Inscription to its Proper Place: The Minto Stone (Sangguran Charter) Seen in New Light". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. 180 (2–3): 133-211. doi:10.1163/22134379-bja10060 (inactive 16 August 2026).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of August 2026 (link)

↑ de Graaf, H.J.; Pigeaud, Th. (1985). Kerajaan-Kerajaan Islam Di Jawa: Peralihan dari Majapahit ke Mataram. Jakarta: Grafiti Press.

↑ Ekspedisi Anjer-Panaroekan, Laporan Jurnalistik Kompas. Pnerbit Buku Kompas, PT Kompas Media Nusantara, Jakarta Indonesia. November 2008. pp. 1–2. ISBN 978-979-709-391-4.

↑ "},"location":{"wt":"London"},"page":{"wt":"[https://archive.org/details/coinstokensofpos1889jame/page/213 213]"},"publisher":{"wt":"Bernard Quaritch"}},"i":0}}]}'/>Atkins, James (1889). The Coins And Tokens of the Possessions And Colonies of the British Empire. London: Bernard Quaritch. p. 213.

↑ Byrne, Joseph Patrick (2008). Encyclopedia of Pestilence, Pandemics, and Plagues: A-M. ABC-CLIO. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-313-34102-1.Kamil, Irfan; Kuwado, Fabian Januarius (7 December 2024). "Presiden Prabowo Teken UU Perubahan Nomenklatur Gubernur dan Anggota Dewan Daerah Khusus Jakarta". KOMPAS.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 10 December 2024.

↑ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026 (and earlier editions)

↑ Usia Kawin Pertama Rata-Rata Wanita Menurut Provinsi: Sensus Penduduk Tahun 1990, 2000 dan 2010 Archived 29 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 August 2015.

↑ "Population growth 'good for Papua'". The Jakarta Post. 23 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 30 August 2010.

1 2 3 4 5 "Java Religion". Hinduism in Java. 28 June 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2025.

1 2 3 4 5 6 Tempo: Indonesia's Weekly News Magazine. Arsa Raya Perdana. 2006.

↑ Demri (12 December 2017). "Why is Coffee Called Java? Colloquial Coffee Synonyms". www.littlecoffeeplace.com.

↑ Badan Pusat Statistik (2022). PDRB Atas Dasar Harga Berlaku Menurut Pengeluaran (Juta Rupiah), 2021. Jakarta: Badan Pusat Statistik.

Bibliography

edit

• Java travel guide from Wikivoyage

Provinces of Indonesia