East Java

Central Java

Central Java (Indonesian: Provinsi Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia. The administrative capital is Semarang. It is one of the six provinces of the island of Java. Central Java is both a political entity and a cultural concept. Culturally and historically Yogyakarta is a significant part of Central Java. However, administratively the city and surrounding region has been part of a separate special region after Indonesian independence. In the same context, but in contrast - the region of Surakarta is a significant incorporated component of Central Java.

The province of Central Java is 32,548.20 km² in area; approximately a quarter of the total land area of Java. Its population is 31,820,000 (2005), making it the third most-populous province in Indonesia after West Java and East Java, and constituting approximately one quarter of the island's population.

GEOGRAPHY

Mount Merbabu near Salatiga - much of Central Java's countryside is dominated by rice fields and volcanic peaks.

Located in the middle of the island of Java, the Central Java province is bordered by the West Java and the East Java provinces. A small portion of its south region is the Yogyakarta Special Region province, fully enclosed by the Central Java province. Yogyakarta is historically and culturally part of the Central Java region, although it is currently a separate political entity. To the north and the south, the Central Java province faces the Java Sea and the Indian Ocean. Central Java also includes some offshore islands: Karimun Jawa Islands in the north, and Nusakambangan in the southwest.

The average temperature in Central Java is between 18–28 degrees celsius and the relative humidity varies between 73–94 percent. While a high level of humidity exists in most low lying parts of the province, it drops significantly in the upper mountains. The highest average annual rainfall of 3,990 mm with 195 rainy days was recorded in Salatiga.

The geography of Central Java is regular with small strips of lowlands near the northern and southern coast with mountain ranges in the centre of the region. To the west lies an active stratovolcano Mount Slamet, then a bit further to the east is the Dieng Volcanic Complex on the Dieng Plateau. At southeast of the Dieng plateau lies the high plateau of Kedu Plain, bordered on the east side by the twin volcanoes of Mount Merapi (the most active volcanoes in Indonesia) and Mount Merbabu. At the south of Semarang, lies Mount Ungaran, and to the north-east of the city lies Mount Muria on the most northern tip of Java. To the east near the border with East Java lies Mount Lawu, where its eastern slopes are in the East Java province.

Due to active volcanic history and therefore volcanic ash, Central Java is a very fertile region for agriculture. Sight of extensive paddy fields is common, except in the southeastern — Gunung Kidul region — partly due to the high concentration of limestone and its location in a rain shadow from the prevailing weather.

West Java

GEOGRAPHY & 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 main language spoken in Cirebon and nearby areas (Majalengka, Indramayu, Sumber) is Cirebonese, a dialect of Javanese. Indonesian is widely spoken as a second language, except in some remote rural areas. Provincial Plant of West Java is Gandaria (Bounea macrophylla anacardiaceae). Provincial Mascot of West Java is Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinocerous sondaicus).

CULTURE :
Sundanese share Java island with other Malayan people: Javanese people. They primarily live in their home province of West Java. Although Sundanese live in the same island with Javanese, they consider themselves a distinct cultural area called Sunda. Someone moving from West Java Province to Central or East Java Provinces, is literally said to be moving from Sunda to Java. Western Java or the Sunda country, has an ancestral tradition of scholarly music. There are some types of gamelan: the Sundanese gamelan that impress politeness and grace of Sunda , gamelan degung (little "chamber" gamelan), gamelan salendro for the gholek theatre and, lost but not least, a small flute and zither ensemble, the kecapi suling.

Gamelan Pelog is traditionally reserved for Tayuban, Wayang Cepak, and for listening and dance music of the Kratons in Cirebon. Whereas Gamelan Prawa is traditionally reserved for Wayang Purwa.

Tembang Sunda is a genre of Sundanese vocal music accompanied by a core ensemble of two kecapi (zither) and a suling (bamboo flute

Tembang means song or poem and Sunda is a geographical, historical, and cultural construct which signifies home for the Sundanese people of Indonesia. The music and poetry of tembang Sunda are closely associated with the Priangan (literally the abode of the gods), the highland plateau that transverses the central and southern parts of Sunda. The natural beauty of Priangan, a lush agricultural region surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, politeness and grace of Sundanese is reflected in many songs of the tembang Sunda.

The Kecapi suling is tembang Sunda minus vocal.Tarawangsa is a genuine popular art is performed on ensemble consists of tarawangsa (a violin with an end pin) and the jentreng (a kind of seven-stringed zither). It is accompanied by a secret dance called Jentreng. The dance is a part of a ritual celebrating the goddess of paddy Dewi Sri. Its ceremonial significance is associated with a ritual of thanksgiving associated with the rice harvest. Tarawangsa can also be played for healing or even purely for entertainment.

Dances

Tari Merak Sundanese dance shows the influence of the many groups that have traded and settled in the area over the centuries, but remains uniquely distinctive, with its variation from graceful to dynamic syncopated drumming patterns, quick wrist flicks, sensual hip movements, and fast shoulder and torso isolations.The Tari Merak (Dance of the Peacock) is a female dance inspired by the movements of a peacock and its feathers blended with the classical movements of Sundanese dance. The Tari Merak symbolises the beauty of nature.

Folktales and Legend Stories

There are and folktales transcribed from Pantun Sunda stories). Among the most well known folktale and stories are:
Mundinglaya Dikusumah, which tells of Mundinglaya visiting Jabaning Langit to find layang Salaka Domas. It is a symbolic story of Surawisesa visiting Malaka to establish a pace treaty with Portuguese before 1522.

Lutung Kasarung, tells the life of a beautiful princes, in the era of Pasir Batang kingdom, a vassal of Sunda kingdom. She faces the evil of her older sister willing to seize her right as a queen.

Ciung Wanara, tells of the fight of two princes of Sunda kingdom and the history of Brebes river or Cipamali river as a boundary between Sunda and Java territories.
Besides, Sundanese also have folk legend. The most wellknown legend is:

Sangkuriang , which tells the story of the creation of Mount Tangkuban Parahu and the ancient lake Bandung.