indahnesia.com - Provinces of Indonesia - West Java - Motto: Gemah ripah repeh rapih

This page is a short summary containing more general information about the province of West Java. Extensive information on West Java can be found in the directories 'Jawa', 'Jakarta', 'Bogor', 'Bandung' and 'Cirebon' on this website.

Location map of 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 West Java 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.

Geography and demographics

According to the 2005 Socio-Economic Survey, West Java's population is 39,960,869, making it 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 of 1,150 people per km².

Picture: Puncak Pass

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.

Administrative division

West Java is subdivided into regencies (kabupaten), each with a local capital:

Bogor Regency, Cibinong
Sukabumi Regency, Pelabuhan Ratu
Cianjur Regency, Cianjur
Bandung Regency, Soreang
Garut Regency, Garut
Tasikmalaya Regency, Tasikmalaya
Ciamis Regency, Ciamis
Kuningan Regency, Kuningan
Cirebon Regency, Sumber
Majalengka Regency, Majalengka
Sumedang Regency, Sumedang
Indramayu Regency, Indramayu
Subang Regency, Subang
Purwakarta Regency, Purwakarta
Karawang Regency, Karawang
Bekasi Regency, Bekasi

List of cities (kota) 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

Mount Tangkuban Perahu

Puncak pass

Jatiluhur dam

Taman Safari in Cipanas

Bogor Botanical Gardens in Bogor

Beaches of Pangandaran

Selabintana resort in Sukabumi

Boscha Observatorium in Lembang

Mekarsari fruit park, the world's biggest fruit park

July 2006 earthquake

Recently, the region was shocked by 7.2 on Richter-scale earthquake that followed by small-scale tsunami. The earthquake was followed by 2 big aftershocks with both measured up to 5.9 and 6.1 on Richter scale respectively.