Java is the political,...
Java is the political, geographic and economic centre of the Indonesian archipelago. It's a relatively small island, (approximately the same size as England) but has a population of 112 million, accounting for 55% of the country's total population. The island is long and narrow in shape, with a string of volcanic mountains punctuating its spine. It was on Java that the Hindu-Buddhist empires reached their zenith, producing architectural wonders such as Borobudur and Prambanan. When Islam came to the island in the 15th century, it absorbed rather than erased local cultures, leaving Java with a mish-mash of historic influences and religions. A strong conciousness of ancient religious and mystical thought carries over into present-day Java, providing a bulwark against wholesale modernisation.
