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Land
and People
A chain of volcanic
mountains, most densely forested with teak, palms,
and other woods, traverses the length of the island
from east to west; Mt. Semeru rises to 12,060 ft (3,676
m). There are almost two million acres of planted
teak forests; although Java contains only about 3%
of the country's forest land, it accounts for much
of its timber production. The climate is warm and
humid, the volcanic soil exceptionally fertile. There
are elaborate irrigation systems supplied by the island's
numerous short, turbulent rivers. Found mostly in
the interior are such animals as tigers, rhinoceroses,
and crocodiles; birds of brilliant plumage are numerous.
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of early humans (see human evolution); on it were found
(1891) the fossilized remains of the so-called Java
man, Pithecanthropus erectus. The typically Malayan
inhabitants of the island comprise the Javanese (the
most numerous), Sudanese, and Madurese. Numerous Chinese
and Arabs live in the cities. Like Bali, Java is known
for its highly developed arts. There is a rich literature,
and the wayang, or shadow play, employing puppets and
musical accompaniment, is an important dramatic form.
Java has many state and private institutions of higher
learning; most are in Jakarta, but Bandung, Bogor, Yogyakarta,
and Surabaya all have several universities. (source:The
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition)
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