Indonesia >> Java

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Java is one of the largest islands in Indonesia, and it can be considered to be representative of the country- everything that Indonesia is known for- whether it be ancient stone temples, thick tropical forests, waving fields of paddy, or brilliant white beaches- you can get a taste of it in Java. Compared to the rest of the islands in the Indonesian archipelago, Java is by no means small. It’s all of 800 km across, and going from one place to another within the island can take quite a bit of time, often a day or two. But they’ll be days well spent, because Java has some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, as well as some of the most popular tourist sights: Borobodur, Prambanan, Mount Bromo. The national capital Jakarta is situated on Java, in the western part of the island which besides being the administrative and commercial heart of the country is also of historical and cultural importance.

Historically Speaking

Java is considered by many scholars to be one of the earliest ''cradles of civilisation’- after all, it was on this island that remains of the pre-historic ''Java Man’ were found. Later centuries saw Java under the suzerainty of Hindu rulers, whose domain was mainly centred around Central Java. Between the 8th and 10th centuries, the Hindu empire of Mataram touched its zenith, and it was at this time that one of Java’s outstanding monuments were built- the magnificent Borobodur temple complex, probably the most spectacular Buddhist shrine on earth. Later empires, such as the Sanjaya dynasty also left behind evidence of their reign in the form of temples dedicated to Hindu gods. The coming of the Arabs to Java resulted in the downfall of the Hindu empire (Islam replaced Hinduism as the religion of the majority), but with the passage of time, the Muslim rulers were themselves ousted by European colonists. It was in Java (at Banten, to be precise) that the Dutch and the British first set foot in Indonesia, and it was from Java that the Dutch ruled Indonesia till the country’s independence in 1949.