Balinese language in the context of Java

Dewi Sri or Shridevi (Javanese: ꦢꦺꦮꦶꦱꦿꦶ, Balinese: ᬤᬾᬯᬶᬲ᭄ᬭᬶ, Dewi Sri, Sundanese: ᮑᮄ ᮕᮧᮠᮎᮤ ᮞᮀᮠᮡᮀ ᮃᮞᮢᮤ, Nyai Pohaci Sanghyang Asri) is the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese Hindu Goddess of rice and fertility, still widely worshiped on the islands of Java, Bali and Lombok, Indonesia. She is often associated or equated with the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, the shakti (consort) of Vishnu.

Javanese (/ˌdʒɑːvəˈniːz/ JAH-və-NEEZ, /dʒævə-/ JAV-ə-, /-ˈniːs/ -⁠NEESS; Basa Jawa, Javanese script: ꦧꦱꦗꦮ, Pegon: باسا جاوا‎, IPA: [bɔsɔ d͡ʒɔwɔ]) is an Austronesian language spoken primarily by the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, Indonesia. There are also pockets of Javanese speakers on the northern coast of western Java. It is the native language of more than 68 million people.

Javanese is the largest of the Austronesian languages in number of native speakers. It has several regional dialects and a number of clearly distinct status styles. Its closest relatives are the neighboring languages such as Sundanese, Madurese, and Balinese. Most speakers of Javanese also speak Indonesian for official and commercial purposes as well as a means to communicate with non-Javanese-speaking Indonesians.

The Balinese (Balinese: ᬳᬦᬓ᭄‌ᬩᬮᬶ, romanized: Anak Bali (in the ketah register), ᬯᭀᬂᬩᬮᬶ, Wong Bali (in the madia register), ᬓ᭄ᬭᬫᬩᬮᬶ, Krama Bali (in the singgih register); Indonesian: Orang Bali) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Indonesian island of Bali and the surrounding islands. The Balinese population of 4.2 million (1.7% of Indonesia's population) live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 85% of the island's population. The Balinese are distinctive amongst the ethnic groups of Indonesia for their adherence to Balinese Hinduism rather than Abrahamic religions such as Islam or Christianity.

There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok and in the easternmost regions of Java (e.g. the regency of Banyuwangi), most of them are descendants of Balinese since the kingdoms era who once controlled the region. Some Balinese can also be found in Balinese migrant areas such as Lampung and Sulawesi regions, mainly due to the migration following the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963 as well as the transmigration program enacted by the Indonesian government.

Bali (English: /ˈbɑːli/ ; Indonesian: ['bali]; Balinese: ᬩᬮᬶ) is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller offshore islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan to the southeast. The provincial capital, Denpasar, is the most populous city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second-largest, after Makassar, in Eastern Indonesia. The Denpasar metropolitan area is the extended metropolitan area around Denpasar. The upland town of Ubud in Greater Denpasar is considered Bali's cultural centre. The province is Indonesia's main tourist destination, with a significant rise in tourism since the 1980s, and has become the country's area of overtourism. Tourism-related business makes up 80% of the Bali economy.

Bali is the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia, with 86.40% of the population adhering to Balinese Hinduism. It is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. The Indonesian International Film Festival is held every year in Bali. Other international events that have been held in Bali include Miss World 2013, the 2018 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, and the 2022 G20 summit. In March 2017, Tripadvisor named Bali as the world's top destination in its Traveler's Choice award, which it earned once again in January 2021.

Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is the official and national language of Indonesia. It is a standardized variety of Malay, an Austronesian language that has been used as a lingua franca in the multilingual Indonesian archipelago for centuries. With over 280 million inhabitants, Indonesia ranks as the fourth-most populous nation globally. According to the 2020 census, over 97% of Indonesians are fluent in Indonesian, making it the largest language by number of speakers in Southeast Asia and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Indonesian vocabulary has been influenced by various native regional languages such as Javanese, Sundanese, Minangkabau, Balinese, Banjarese, and Buginese, as well as by foreign languages such as Arabic, Dutch, Hokkien, Portuguese, Sanskrit, and English. Many borrowed words have been adapted to fit the phonetic and grammatical rules of Indonesian, enriching the language and reflecting Indonesia's diverse linguistic heritage.

Most Indonesians, aside from speaking the national language, are fluent in at least one of the more than 700 indigenous local languages; examples include Javanese and Sundanese, which are commonly used at home and within the local community. However, most formal education and nearly all national mass media, governance, administration, and judiciary and other forms of communication are conducted in Indonesian.

The Lesser Sunda Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Sunda Kecil, Tetum: Illá Sunda ki'ik sirá, Balinese: ᬓᬧᬸᬮᭀᬯᬦ᭄ᬲᬸᬦ᭄ᬤᬘᬾᬦᬶᬓ᭄, romanized: Kapuloan Sunda cénik), now known as Nusa Tenggara Islands (Indonesian: Kepulauan Nusa Tenggara, or "Southeast Islands"), are an archipelago in the Indonesian archipelago. Most of the Lesser Sunda Islands are located within the Wallacea region, except for the Bali province which is west of the Wallace Line and is within the Sunda Shelf. Together with the Greater Sunda Islands to the west, they make up the Sunda Islands. The islands are part of a volcanic arc, the Sunda Arc, formed by subduction along the Sunda Trench in the Java Sea. In 1930 the population was 3,460,059; today over 17 million people live on the islands. Etymologically, Nusa Tenggara means "Southeast Islands" from the words of nusa which means 'island' from Old Javanese language and tenggara means 'southeast'.

The main Lesser Sunda Islands are, from west to east: Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Savu, Rote, Timor, Atauro, Alor archipelago, Barat Daya Islands, and Tanimbar Islands. Apart from the eastern half of Timor island and Atauro island which constitute the nation of Timor Leste, all the other islands are part of Indonesia.

Balinese Hinduism (Indonesian: Hinduisme Bali; Balinese: ᬳᬶᬦ᭄ᬤᬸᬯᬶᬲ᭄ᬫᬾᬩᬮᬶ, Hindusmé Bali), also known in Indonesia as Agama Hindu Dharma ('Hindu Dharma Religion'), Agama Tirtha (' Tirtha Religion'), Agama Air Suci ('Holy Water Religion') or Agama Hindu Bali ('Hindu Bali Religion'), is the form of Hinduism practised by the majority of the population of Bali. This is particularly associated with the Balinese people residing on the island, and represents a distinct form of Hindu worship incorporating local animism, ancestor worship or Pitru Paksha, and reverence for Buddhist saints or Bodhisattava.

The population of Indonesian islands is predominantly Muslim (87%). The island of Bali is an exception where about 87% of its people identify as Hindu (about 1.7% of the total Indonesian population).

The Bali Sea (Indonesian: Laut Bali, Balinese: ᬲᭂᬕᬭᬩᬮᬶ, romanized: Segara Bali) is the body of water north of the island of Bali and south of Kangean Island in Indonesia. The sea forms the south-west part of the Flores Sea, and the Madura Strait opens into it from the west.

Topeng (from Balinese: ᬢᭀᬧᬾᬂ; Javanese: ꦠꦺꦴꦥꦺꦁ, romanized: topèng; Sundanese: ᮒᮧᮕᮨᮔᮌ) is a dramatic form of Indonesian dance in which one or more mask-wearing ornately costumed performers interpret traditional narratives concerning fabled kings, heroes, and myths, accompanied by gamelan or other traditional music instruments. Topeng dance is a typical Indonesian dance that can be found in various regions of Indonesia. Topeng dance has the main characteristic that the dancers use masks to cover their faces. The dance will usually be performed by one dancer or a group of dancers.

Topeng is widely used in dances that are part of traditional ceremonies or the retelling of ancient stories from the ancestors. It is believed that topeng is closely related to ancestral spirits, which are considered to be the interpretations of gods. In some tribes, topeng still adorns various daily artistic and customary activities. Topeng dance is a dance performance filled with meaningful symbols that are expected to be understood by the audience. These symbols are conveyed through the colors of the masks, the expressions of the masks, and the accompanying music. The meaning conveyed can be in the form of leadership values, love, wisdom, and many others expressed through the medium of dance movements.

The Balinese script, (Balinese: ᬅᬓ᭄ᬱᬭᬩᬮᬶ, Aksara Bali, pronounced [aksarə ˈbali]) also known as hanacaraka (Balinese: ᬳᬦᬘᬭᬓ), is an abugida used in the island of Bali, Indonesia, commonly for writing the Austronesian Balinese language, Old Javanese, Malay and the liturgical language Sanskrit. With some modifications, the script is also used to write the Sasak language, used in the neighboring island of Lombok. In the present day it is also sometimes used to write the national language Indonesian.

The script is a descendant of the Brahmi script, and so has many similarities with the modern scripts of South and Southeast Asia. The Balinese script, along with the Javanese script, is considered the most elaborate and ornate among Brahmic scripts of Southeast Asia.

Nusa Penida (Indonesian pronunciation: [nuˈsa pəˈnida]; Balinese: ᬦᬸᬲᬧᭂᬦᬶᬤ, romanized: nusa pĕnida) is an island located near the southeastern Indonesian island of Bali, which forms a district of the same name in Klungkung Regency. The Badung Strait separates the island and Bali. The interior of Nusa Penida is hilly with a maximum altitude of 524 metres, and the climate is drier than Bali. Like Bali, it is a major tourist destination.

In addition to Nusa Penida, the administrative district of Nusa Penida includes the nearby islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, plus eleven even smaller islands. The district had a population of 45,110 at the 2010 census, covering 202.84 km (78.32 sq mi), and the official estimate as of 2024 was 65,820.

Banyuwangi Regency (Javanese: ꦑꦧꦸꦥꦠꦺꦤ꧀ꦨꦪꦸꦮꦔꦶ, Balinese: ᬓᬩᬸᬧᬢᬾᬦ᭄​ᬩᬜᬸᬯᬗᬶ, romanized: Kabupatèn Banyuwangi) is a regency of East Java province in Indonesia. This regency also known as the sun rise of Java because it is located at the easternmost end of Java Island. The town of Banyuwangi serves as a port for ferry services between Java and Bali. The regency is surrounded by mountains and forests to the west; by sea to the east and south - is separated by the Bali Strait from Bali. With an area of 3,594 km, this regency is the third largest on the island of Java after Cianjur Regency and Sukabumi Regency in West Java. The regency is a tourist destination, and subject to ongoing development as an international tourist destination with relevant infrastructure. Banyuwangi regency has been declared a taman bumi (earth park), or national geological park (Geopark) in 2018.

It had a population of 1,488,791 according to the 2000 Census; by the 2010 Census it had risen to 1,556,078; and at the 2020 Census to 1,708,114; the official estimate as at mid 2024 was 1,791,789 (comprising 894,056 males and 897,733 females). The town of Banyuwangi is the administrative capital. The name Banyuwangi is Javanese for "fragrant waters", connected to the Javanese folklore of Sri Tanjung.

The Kingdomship of Bali (Balinese: ᭚ᬓᭂᬭᬚ᭡ᬦ᭄ᬩᬮᬶ; romanized: Kĕrajaan Bali) was a series of Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms that once ruled some parts of the volcanic island of Bali, in Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. With a history of native Balinese kingship spanning from the early 10th to early 20th centuries, Balinese kingdoms demonstrated sophisticated Balinese court culture where native elements of spirit and ancestral reverence combined with Hindu influences—adopted from India through ancient Java intermediary—flourished, enriched and shaped Balinese culture.

Because of its proximity and close cultural relations with the neighbouring island of Java during the Indonesian Hindu-Buddhist period, the history of the Bali Kingdom was often intertwined with and heavily influenced by its Javanese counterparts, from Mataram (c. 9th century) to the Majapahit empire in the 13th to 15th centuries. The culture, language, arts and architecture of the island was influenced by Java. Javanese influences and presences grew even stronger with the fall of the Majapahit empire in the late 15th century. After the empire fell to its Muslim vassal the Demak Sultanate, a number of Hindu Majapahit courtiers, nobles, priests, and artisans found refuge on the island of Bali. As a result, Bali became what historian Ramesh Chandra Majumdar describes as the last stronghold of Indo-Javanese culture and civilisation. The Bali Kingdom in the following centuries expanded its influence to neighboring islands and began to establish colonies; Gelgel Kingdom Bali, for example, expanded their influence and established a colony in the Blambangan region at the eastern tip of Java to the western part of the Sumbawa island, while Karangasem Kingdom established their colonial settlements in western parts of Lombok, and the Klungkung kingdom conquered Nusa Penida in a later period.

Mount Agung (Indonesian: Gunung Agung; Balinese: ᬕᬸᬦᬸᬂᬆᬕᬸᬂ, romanized: gunung āgung, lit. 'The Great Mountain') is an active volcano in Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia. It is located southeast of Mount Batur volcano, also in Bali. It is the highest point on Bali, and dominates the surrounding area, influencing the climate, especially rainfall patterns. From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical. From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Mount Rinjani on the nearby island of Lombok, to the east, although both mountains are frequently covered in clouds. Agung is a stratovolcano, with a large and deep crater. Its most recent eruptions occurred from 2017–2019.

Nusa Lembongan (Balinese: ᬦᬸᬲ​ᬮ᭄ᬮᭂᬫ᭄ᬩᭀᬗᬦ᭄, romanized: nusa lĕmbongan) is an island located southeast of Bali, Indonesia. It is part of a group of three islands that make up the Nusa Penida District in Klungkung Regency, of which it is the most famous of the three islands of Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan - known together as the "Nusa Islands". This island group, in turn, is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands.

Nusa Ceningan (Balinese: ᬦᬸᬲ​ᬘᭂᬦᬶᬗᬦ᭄, romanized: nusa cĕningan; Indonesian pronounced [ˌnusa t͡ʃəˈniŋan]) is a small island located in Nusa Penida District, Klungkung Regency, Bali, Indonesia; between Nusa Lembongan to the north-west and Nusa Penida to the south-east and south-east. All three islands are south-east of mainland Bali and lie on the southern side of the Strait of Badung. As none of the three islands have an airport, a boat or ferry is required to get to Nusa Ceningan.

There is a notable surf break off Nusa Ceningan which attracts some surfers away from the more crowded breaks on Nusa Lembongan.

Denpasar (Indonesian pronunciation: [denˈpasar]; Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ, Dénpasar) is the capital and the largest city of the province of Bali, Indonesia.Denpasar is the largest city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second largest city in Eastern Indonesia after Makassar. It is bordered by Badung Regency to its west, Gianyar Regency to its east, and the Indian Ocean and the Badung Strait to its south. The growth of the tourism industry on the island of Bali has pushed the city of Denpasar to become a center of business activities, and has positioned the city as an area with high per capita income and growth in Bali. The population of the City at the end of 2024 was 670,210.

Denpasar is the main gateway to the Bali island, the city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands.

Ubud (Balinese: ᬉᬩᬸᬤ᭄) is a town in the Gianyar Regency of Bali, Indonesia. Ubud has no status, that is part of the eponymous Ubud District of Gianyar. Promoted as an arts and culture centre, Ubud has developed a large tourism industry. It forms a northern part of the Greater Denpasar metropolitan area (known as Sarbagita).

Ubud is an administrative district (kecamatan) with a population of 74,800 (as of the 2020 Census) in an area of 42.38 km. The central area of Ubud desa (village) has a population of 11,971 and an area of 6.76 km, and receives more than three million foreign tourists each year. The area surrounding the town is made up of farms, rice paddies, agroforestry plantations, and tourist accommodations. As of 2018, more tourists visited Ubud than Denpasar to the south.