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.
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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.
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.
