Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Berlin

The province of West Java is located in the Island of Java. Java is part of the Greater Sunda group of islands which consists of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Java as the main islands. It is in this region where a majority of the Indonesian population lives. And it is also in this region where the main economic activities of Indonesia are conducted.

The province of West Java with Bandung as the capital city came into existence on July 14,1950, under law Number 11 of 1950. The province of West Java today comprise 26 level II regions, which are divided into 20 districts and 6 municipalities. West Java is, geographically, divided into 3 (three) parts, ie. the Northern, Central and Southern parts of West Java. The Southern part of West Java is an upland strip / plateau that stretches from Ujung Kulon (Pandeglang) to Nusa Kambangan (the South coast plain of Ciamis).

As a means of transportation, the road network in South West Java has nearly all been asphalted. To increase and facilitate access to the flow of goods and people as well as to support tourism potential, the Southern road network is under construction to connect each district, from Labuhan at the west end to Pangandaran in the east. The network is 605 km in length and has several bridges over the rivers that flow in to the Indonesia Ocean.

Central Java

After being torn apart by riots several months ago, Solo has now risen and claimed back its identity, as the business and cultural city that never sleeps. On March 4th until March 14th , 1999, Solo held First-Class Products Expo '99, exhibiting superior products in automotive, electronic, real estate, banking, furniture, handicrafts, and fashion. The Expo also hosted a business seminar, which examined the business prospects in Solo. One thing has been examined enough : Solo is the city that never sleeps. As a business and cultural city, Solo's night life has never appeared to cease. At night, people usually enjoy the traditional food of Liwet rice along with a cup of tea, in the Keprabon, an area in Yogyakarta where locals usually gather for traditional meals.
Cultural tradition has also been passed through generations. With the two Sultanates in the city, Kasunanan and Mangkunegaran, Solo's cultural values have grown among the younger generation. Local government of the city has always nurtured ritual traditions, such as Maleman Sriwedari (celebrations welcoming the fasting month for the Moslems) , Kirab Pusaka (ritual of cleaning up inherited traditional swords), Grebeg Maulud and the Sekatenan (both celebrations of Prophet Mohammad's birth), Tourists in Yogyakarta wishing to see the Ramayana dance at Prambanan temple, can join travel and tour packages offered by tour operators in Yogyakarta, through hotels all over the city. Tickets can be purchased individually from hotels and tour operators in Yogyakarta.

Tourists should seek and confirm the show schedules first, before making the trip. As for the transportation to Prambanan, the temple's officials have provided shuttle buses with the price of Rp 3000 ( US 30 cents) one way, which is a cheap and comfortable option, rather than taking public transport.

Yogyakarta

Lying in the shadow of the aptly named "Fire Mountain", (2914 meter-high active volcano, Mt.Merapi), is the seat of the once mighty Javanese Empire of Mataram, Ngayogyakarto Hadiningrat.Yogyakarta (Yogya) came into being in 1755, when a land dispute split the power of Mataram into the Sultanates of Yogyakarta and Surakarta (solo). Prince Mangkubumi built Kraton of Yogyakarta and created one of the most powerful Javanese states ever. The Kraton is still the hub of Yogyakarta's traditional life and despite the advance of the refinement which has been the hallmark of its art and people for centuries.
Yogyakarta is one of the supreme cultural centers of Java. Full Gamelan orchestras keep alive the rhythms the past, classical Javanese dances entrance with visions of beauty and poise, shadows come to life in the stories of the Wayang kulit and a myriad of traditional visual art forms keep locals and visitors alike spell-bound. Yogya has an extraordinary life force and charm which seldom fails to captivate.
Contemporary art has also grown in the fertile soil of Yogyakarta's sophisticated cultural society. ASRI, the Academy of Fine Arts, is the centre of the arts in the region and Yogyakarta has given its name to an important school of modern painting in Indonesia, best illustrated by the renowned impressionist, the late Affandi.
The province is one of the most densely populated areas of Indonesia. It stretches from the slopes of mighty Mount Merapi in the North to the wave - swept beaches of the powerful Indian Ocean to the South.

East Java

Little of the Majapahit Empire's former glory still stands in East Java. Nevertheless, East Java has a variety of attractions, ranging from temple sites to unspoiled beaches, stunning volcanoes, extra ordinary highland lakes, resplendent marine parks and fantastic wildlife reserves. Magnificent mountain scenery includes the crater and legendary sea of sand at Mount Bromo, the "sulphur mountain" of Welirang and rugged Ijen Plateau. The island of Madura, famous for its bull races, is also part of the province and has its own traditions, culture and language.The provincial capital, Surabaya is second in size, population, and commerce only to Jakarta. It is also the most industrialized province in the nation with a strong economy based on agriculture, (coffee, mangoes and apples), fisheries and oil. The province is efficiently connected to the rest of Java by good roads, regular trains, and air services between Surabaya and other major cities in the country including Denpasar on Bali, which is only half an hour's flight away.