Java: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:47, 5 October 2024

Revision as of 00:36, 10 October 2024

Line 93:

=== After the arrival of modern humans ===

[[File:Sumbing, Java.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Sumbing]] surrounded by rice fields. Java's volcanic topography and rich agricultural lands are the fundamental factors in its history.]]

The island's exceptional fertility and rainfall allowed the development of wet-field rice cultivation, which required sophisticated levels of cooperation between villages. Out of these village alliances, small kingdoms developed. The chain of volcanic mountains and associated highlands running the length of Java kept its interior regions and peoples separate and relatively isolated.<ref>Ricklefs (1991), pp. 16–17.</ref> Before the advent of Islamic states and European colonialism, the rivers provided the main means of communication, although Java's many rivers are mostly short. Only the [[Brantas River|Brantas river]] and Solo river could provide long-distance communication and this way their valleys supported the centers of major kingdoms. A system of roads, permanent bridges, and toll gates is thought to have been established in Java by at least the mid-17th century. Local powers could disrupt the routes as could the wet season and road use was highly dependent on constant maintenance. Consequently, communication between Java's population was difficult.<ref name="RICKLEFS_p15" />

{{multiple image

Line 327:

}}

Java has been traditionally dominated by an elite class, while the people in the lower classes were often involved in agriculture and fishing. The elite class in Java has evolved over the course of history, as cultural wave after cultural wave immigrated to the island. There is evidence that South Asian emigres were among this elite, as well as Arabian and Persian immigrants during the Islamic eras. More recently, Chinese immigrants have also become part of the economic elite of Java. Although politically the Chinese generally remain sidelined, there are notable exceptions, such as the former governor of Jakarta, [[Basuki Tjahaja Purnama]]. Though Java is increasingly becoming more modern and urban, only 75% of the island has electricity. Villages and their rice paddies are still a common sight. Unlike the rest of Java, the population growth in Central Java remains low. Central Java however has a younger population than the national average.<ref>[http://www.bkkbn.go.id/kependudukan/Pages/DataSensus/Sensus_Penduduk/Pola_Perkawinan/Rata_Usia_Kawin_Pertama/Nasional.aspx Usia Kawin Pertama Rata-Rata Wanita Menurut Provinsi: Sensus Penduduk Tahun 1990, 2000 dan 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629055719/http://www.bkkbn.go.id/kependudukan/Pages/DataSensus/Sensus_Penduduk/Pola_Perkawinan/Rata_Usia_Kawin_Pertama/Nasional.aspx |date=2015-06-29 }}. Retrieved 16 August 2015.</ref> The slow population growth can in part be attributed to the choice by many people to leave the more rural Central Java for better opportunities and higher incomes in the bigger cities.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/30/central-java-strives-alleviate-poverty.html |author=Agus Maryono |title=Central Java strives to alleviate poverty |work=The Jakarta Post |date=30 March 2009 |access-date=16 August 2015 |archive-date= 8 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908234750/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/30/central-java-strives-alleviate-poverty.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> Java's population continues to rapidly increase despite many Javanese leaving the island. This is somewhat due to the fact that Java is the business, academic, and cultural hub of Indonesia, which attracts millions of non-Javanese people to its cities. The population growth is most intense in the regions surrounding [[Jakarta]] and [[Bandung]], which is reflected through the demographic diversity in those areas.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

===Population development===

Line 333:

Java is the [[List of islands by population|most populous major island in the world]] and is home to 56% of Indonesia's population, with a combined population of 156.4&nbsp;million according to the official estimates as at mid 2023 (including Madura's 4.06&nbsp;million).<ref name=JKTPOS>{{cite news |title=Population growth 'good for Papua' |date=23 August 2010 |access-date=30 August 2010 |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/23/population-growth-%E2%80%98good-papua%E2%80%99.html |work=[[The Jakarta Post]] |archive-date=24 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824053746/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/23/population-growth-%E2%80%98good-papua%E2%80%99.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> At nearly 1,185 people per km² in 2023, 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.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

The population growth rate more than doubled in economically depressed Central Java in the latest 2010–2020 period vs 2000–2010, indicative of migration or other issues; there were significant [[Mount Merapi#2006 eruption|volcanic eruption]]s during the earlier period. Approximately 45% of the population of Indonesia is ethnically Javanese,<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/indonesia/ Indonesia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413004319/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/indonesia |date=2021-04-13 }}. ''[[The World Factbook]]''. [[Central Intelligence Agency]].</ref> while Sundanese make a large portion of Java's population as well.

The western third of the island (West Java, Banten, and DKI Jakarta) has an even higher population density, of roughly 1,563 per square kilometre and accounts for most of the population growth of Java.<ref name="JKTPOS"/> It is home to three metropolitan areas, [[Greater Jakarta]] (with outlying areas of Greater [[Serang]] and Greater [[Sukabumi]]), [[Bandung Metropolitan Area|Greater Bandung]], and Greater [[Cirebon]].{{cn|date=December 2023}}