JAVA, an island of the Dutch East Indies; between St. Nicholas Point and South Cape S., and is washed on the N. by the Sea of Java, on the E. by the Strait of Bali, on the S. by the Indian Ocean, and on the W. by Sunda Strait; extends almost due W. and E. The ex treme length is about 600 miles, the breadth 40 to 125 miles, the superficial area about 49,000 square miles, pop. about 35,000,000. Batavia, the capital had a pop. of about 230,000. The coast line is not much developed; a few large bays, protected by islands, furnish safe anchorage for vessels. From end to end of the island there is a mountain chain, named Gunung Kendang, and, especially in the W. part of the island, several parallel shorter chains. There are 43 volcanoes, several of which are still active. The rivers are generally small, but become torrents when swollen by rain; only a few of them are navigable. The climate depends on the altitude; it is rather hot and unhealthy on the coast, but pleasant in the hills.
The natives belong to the Malay race. The Madurese, in the E. part of the is land, the Sundanese, living in the W. part, and the Javanese proper differ in phy sique and in language. Most of them are Mohammedans, at least in name, for much of the belief of their ancestors sur vives in the Islamism that is now prac ticed. A few tribes, however, profess [he old religion (viz., the Baduwis in Bantam and the "Heathen" of the Teng :,,er Mountains). The native Christians number about 12,000, and the Chinese Christians a few hundred. The inhabit ants are more civilized than those of the other islands of the archipelago. There
are 39 Dutch Protestant and 21 Roman Catholic clergymen for the whole of the Dutch East Indies, besides those who are working among the natives. Every form of religious belief is free, but proselytiz ing is strictly prohibited.
The chief wealth of Java consists in its luxuriant vegetation, though the pro duction power seems to be now a little exhausted, at least to judge from the many diseases by which the plantations have been visited of late. The animal kingdom is not very rich; tigers, rhin oceros, deer, and wild swine are the chief representatives of the quadrupeds; there are only a few birds that are conspicu ous for their plumage. Several species of serpents (some venomous) and croco diles are found on the island.
The earliest historical references date back to the beginning of the 5th century. In A. D. 412 Fa-Hien visited Hindu col. onies in Java. About the year 800 the intercourse of the Hindus with the island appears to have become more important. In 1808 the kingdom of Bantam was in corporated with the Dutch possessions; but these in 1811 became part of the French empire. In the same year Java was occupied by the English, and re mained in their hands up to 1817. A short time after the Dutch had resumed possession of Java an insurrection burst out in Jokjakarta in 1825 under Dipa Negara, and the struggle lasted till 1830, when the chief of the rebels submitted to the Dutch authorities.