East Java in the context of Villages of Indonesia

Javanese culture (Javanese: ꦏꦧꦸꦢꦪꦤ꧀ꦗꦮ, romanized: Kabudayan Jawa) is the culture of the Javanese people.Javanese culture is centered in the provinces of Central Java, Yogyakarta and East Java in Indonesia. Due to various migrations, it can also be found in other parts of the world, such as Suriname (where 15% of the population are of Javanese descent), the broader Indonesian archipelago region, Cape Malay, Malaysia, Singapore, Netherlands and other countries. The migrants bring with them various aspects of Javanese cultures such as Gamelan music, traditional dances and art of Wayang kulit shadow play.

The migration of Javanese people westward has created the Javanese culture in a small part of the northern coast that is distinct from the Sundanese culture in the majority of West Java and Banten. Being the largest ethnic group, the Javanese culture and people influence Indonesian politics and culture, a process sometimes described as Javanisation.

The Bromo (Javanese: ꦧꦿꦩ), or Mount Bromo (Javanese: ꦒꦸꦤꦸꦁ​ꦧꦿꦩ, Indonesian: Gunung Bromo), is an active somma volcano, a Hindu pilgrimage site, and part of the Tengger mountains, in East Java, Indonesia. At 2,329 meters (7,641 ft), it is not the highest peak of the massif, but is the most active and famous. The area is one of the most visited tourist destinations in East Java, and the volcano is included in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The name Bromo comes from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. At the mouth of the crater, there is an idol of Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom, which is worshipped by Javanese Hindus. Mount Bromo is located in the middle of a plain called "Sea of Sand" (Javanese: Segara Wedi or Indonesian: Lautan Pasir), a nature reserve that has been protected since 1919.

A typical way to visit Mount Bromo is from the nearby mountain village of Cemoro Lawang. From there it is possible to walk to the volcano in about 45 minutes, but it is also possible to take an organized jeep tour, including stops at the viewpoint of Mount Penanjakan (2,770 m (9,090 ft)) (Indonesian: Gunung Penanjakan). The sights on Mount Penanjakan can also be reached on foot in about two hours. Depending on the level of volcanic activity, the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation sometimes issues a warning not to visit Mount Bromo.

Central Java (Indonesian: Jawa Tengah, Javanese: ꦗꦮꦶꦩꦢꦾ, romanized: Jawi Tengah) is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in the south, East Java in the east, and the Java Sea in the north. It has a total area of 33,750.37 km, with a population of 36,516,035 at the 2020 Census making it the third-most populous province in both Java and Indonesia after West Java and East Java. The official population estimate in mid-2024 was 37,892,280 (comprising 19,037,740 males and 18,854,540 females). The province also includes a number of offshore islands, including the island of Nusakambangan in the south (close to the border of West Java), and the Karimun Jawa Islands in the Java Sea.

Central Java is also a cultural concept that includes the Yogyakarta Special Region, in turn including the city of Yogyakarta; however, administratively that city and its surrounding regencies have formed a separate special region (equivalent to a province) since the country's independence, and is administered separately. Although known as the "heart" of Javanese culture, there are several other non-Javanese ethnic groups, such as the Sundanese on the border with West Java. Chinese Indonesians, Arab Indonesians, and Indian Indonesians are also scattered throughout the province.

The Javanese (Javanese: ꦮꦺꦴꦁꦗꦮ, romanized: Wong Jåwå (in the ngoko register), ꦠꦶꦪꦁꦗꦮꦶ, Tiyang Jawi (in the krama register); Indonesian: Orang Jawa) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the central and eastern part of Java island, which covers most of the administrative areas of the provinces of Central Java, East Java, and Special Region of Yogyakarta. With more than 100 million people, Javanese people are the largest ethnic group in both Indonesia and in Southeast Asia as a whole. Their native language is Javanese, it is the largest of the Austronesian languages in number of native speakers and also the largest regional language in Southeast Asia. As the largest ethnic group in the region, the Javanese have historically dominated the social, political, and cultural landscape of both Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

There are significant numbers of Javanese diaspora outside of central and eastern Java regions, including the other provinces of Indonesia, as well as other countries such as Suriname, Singapore, Malaysia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Yemen and the Netherlands. The Javanese ethnic group has many sub-groups (based on native Javanese community on the island of Java) that can be distinguished based on their characteristics, customs, traditions, dialects, or even their respective ways of life. These include Banyumasan, Cirebonese, Mataram, Osing, and Tenggerese. The majority of the Javanese people identify themselves as Sunni Muslims, with a small minority identifying as Christians and Hindus. With a large global population, the Javanese are considered significant as they are the largest Muslim ethnic group in the Far East and the fifth largest in the world after the Arabs, Bengalis, Punjabis, and Turks.

The Sundanese (Sundanese: ᮅᮛᮀ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ, romanized: Urang Sunda; Indonesian: Orang Sunda) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to western part of Java island in Indonesia, with the term Tatar Pasundan (ᮒᮒᮁ ᮕᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓᮔ᮪) which covers most of the administrative areas of the provinces of West Java, Banten, and western part of Central Java. They number approximately 42 million and form Indonesia's second largest ethnic group, and the fourth largest in Southeast Asia. They speak the Sundanese language, which is part of the Austronesian languages.

Sundanese migrants can also be found in Lampung, South Sumatra, and, to a lesser extent, in Central Java and East Java.The Sundanese people can also be found on several other islands in Indonesia such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Papua.

Madura is an Indonesian island off the northeastern coast of Java. The island has an area of about 4,471.05 square kilometres (1,726.28 sq mi), but administratively Madura comprises an area of around 5,408.45 square kilometres (2,088.21 sq mi) due to the inclusion of various smaller islands to the east, southeast and north that are part of Madura's easternmost Sumenep Regency. Madura is part of the province of East Java. It is separated from Java by the narrow Madura Strait. The administered area had a density of 773 people per km (2,003 per sq. mile) in mid-2024, while the main island had a somewhat higher figure of 862.3 per km (2,233 per sq. mile).

The Ijen volcano complex is a group of composite volcanoes located on the border between Banyuwangi Regency and Bondowoso Regency of East Java, Indonesia. It is known for its blue fire, acidic crater lake, and labour-intensive sulfur mining.

It is inside an eponymous larger caldera Ijen, which is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) wide. The Gunung Merapi stratovolcano is the highest point of that complex. The name "Gunung Merapi" means 'mountain of fire' in the Indonesian language; Mount Merapi in central Java and Marapi in Sumatra have the same etymology.

Semeru is the highest mountain on the Indonesian island of Java and an active volcano located in the province of East Java in a subduction zone, where the Indo-Australian Plate subducts under the Eurasian Plate. Semeru is 3,676 m tall at its peak, making it the third tallest volcano in Indonesia.

The name "Semeru" is derived from Meru, the central world mountain in Hinduism, or Sumeru, the abode of gods. This stratovolcano is Mahameru, meaning "The Great Mountain" in Sanskrit.

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (Indonesian: Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru; abbreviated as TNBTS) is a national park located in East Java, Indonesia, to the east of Malang, to the west of Lumajang, to the south of Pasuruan and Probolinggo, and to the southeast of Surabaya, the capital of East Java. It is the only conservation area in Indonesia that has a sand sea, the Tengger Sand Sea (Indonesian: Laut Pasir Tengger), across which is the caldera of an ancient volcano (Tengger) from which four new volcanic cones have emerged. This unique feature covers a total area of 5,250 hectares at an altitude of about 2,100 meters (6,900 ft). The massif also contains the highest mountain in Java, Mount Semeru (3,676 meters (12,060 ft)), four lakes (including, the isolated Ranu Tompe), and 50 rivers. It is named after the Tenggerese people. The explosion of the volcano that created the caldera, happened ca. 45.000 years ago, in an event similar to the Krakatau eruption.

The Tengger Sand Sea has been protected since 1919. The Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park was declared a national park in 1982.

7°55′22″S 112°57′52″E / 7.92278°S 112.96444°E / -7.92278; 112.96444

The Cemoro Lawang (also known as Cemorolawang, Cemora Lawang, or Cemara Lawang) is a very small hamlet north-east of Mount Bromo (East Java), Indonesia with an altitude of 2,217 meters above sea level. Administratively, this hamlet is a part of Ngadisari Village, Sukapura, Probolinggo Regency. Cemoro Lawang is one of many routes that point to Tengger Caldera from the Probolinggo route. There is a viewpoint to see Mount Batok and Mount Bromo. It is principally a base for early morning climbs of Mt Bromo, an active volcano that stands in the middle of a Sand Sea. Many visitors approach the mountain from Surabaya which is about three hours drive away; others come from Bali.

Java Man (Homo erectus erectus, formerly also Anthropopithecus erectus or Pithecanthropus erectus) is an early human fossil discovered in 1891 and 1892 on the island of Java (Indonesia). Estimated to be between 700,000 and 1,490,000 years old, it was, at the time of its discovery, the oldest hominid fossil ever found, and it remains the type specimen for Homo erectus.

Led by Eugène Dubois, the excavation team uncovered a tooth, a skullcap, and a thighbone at Trinil on the banks of the Solo River in East Java. Arguing that the fossils represented the "missing link" between apes and humans, Dubois gave the species the scientific name Anthropopithecus erectus, then later renamed it Pithecanthropus erectus. The fossil aroused much controversy. Within a decade of the discovery almost eighty books or articles had been published on Dubois's finds. Despite Dubois's argument, few accepted that Java Man was a transitional form between apes and humans. Some dismissed the fossils as apes and others as modern humans, whereas many scientists considered Java Man as a primitive side branch of evolution not related to modern humans at all. In the 1930s Dubois made the claim that Pithecanthropus was built like a "giant gibbon", a much misinterpreted attempt by Dubois to prove that it was the "missing link". Eventually, similarities between Java Man and Sinanthropus pekinensis (Peking Man) led Ernst Mayr to rename both Homo erectus in 1950, placing them directly in the human evolutionary tree.

A gong is a percussion instrument originating from Southeast Asia, and used widely in Southeast Asian and East Asian musical traditions. Gongs are made of metal and are circular and flat or bowl-like in shape, and can come in various sizes. They are typically struck with a mallet. They can be played alone, giving a characteristic "crashing" sound, or played as part of a tuned set that produce bell-like sounds.

The earliest possible depictions of gongs is from the details on the surface of the Ngọc Lũ I bronze drum (c. 3rd to 2nd century BC) from the Dong Son culture of northern Vietnam. It depicts what looks like seven-gong ensembles along with other instruments (including cymbals/bells and the bronze drums themselves). The oldest undisputed historical mention of gongs can be found in sixth century AD Chinese records, which mentioned it as a foreign instrument that came from a country between Tibet and Burma. The term gong (Javanese: ꦒꦺꦴꦁ) originated in the Indonesian island of Java. Scientific and archaeological research has established that Annam, Java, Burma, and Southern China were the four main gong manufacturing centres of the ancient world. The gong found its way into the Western World in the 18th century, when it was also used in the percussion section of a Western-style symphony orchestra. A form of bronze cauldron gong known as a resting bell was widely used in ancient Greece and Rome: for instance in the famous Oracle of Dodona, where disc gongs were also used.

Arab Indonesians (Indonesian: Orang Arab Indonesia; Arabic: عربٌ إندونيسيون), or colloquially known as Jama'ah, are Indonesians of mixed Arab, mainly Hadharem from Yemen, and Indonesian descent. The ethnic group generally also includes those of Arab descent from other Middle Eastern Arabic speaking nations. Restricted under Dutch East Indies law until 1919, the community elites later gained economic power through real estate investment and trading. Currently found mainly in Java, especially West Java and East Java, they are almost all Muslims.

The official number of Arab and part-Arab descent in Indonesia was recorded since 19th century. The census of 1870 recorded a total of 12,412 Arab Indonesians (7,495 living in Java and Madura and the rest in other islands). By 1900, the total number of Arabs citizens increased to 27,399, then 44,902 by 1920, and 71,335 by 1930.

Javanese script (Javanese: ꦄꦏ꧀ꦱꦫ ꦗꦮ, romanized: aksara Jawa), also known as hanacaraka, carakan, and dentawyanjana is one of Indonesia's traditional scripts developed on the island of Java. The script is primarily used to write the Javanese language and has also been used to write several other regional languages such as Sundanese and Madurese, the regional lingua franca Malay, as well as the historical languages Kawi and Sanskrit. It heavily influenced the Balinese script from which the writing system for Sasak developed. Javanese script was actively used by the Javanese people for writing day-to-day and literary texts from at least the mid-16th century CE until the mid-20th century CE, before it was gradually supplanted by the Latin alphabet. Today, the script is taught in the Yogyakarta Special Region as well as the provinces of Central Java and East Java as part of the local curriculum, but with very limited function in everyday use.

Javanese script is an abugida writing system which consists of 20 to 33 basic letters, depending on the language being written. Like other Brahmic scripts, each letter (called an aksara) represents a syllable with the inherent vowel /a/ or /ɔ/ which can be changed with the placement of diacritics around the letter. Each letter has a conjunct form called pasangan, which nullifies the inherent vowel of the previous letter. Traditionally, the script is written without spaces between words (scriptio continua) but is interspersed with a group of decorative punctuation.

The Osing or Using (Osing: Lare Osing; Lare Using) are a sub-group of Javanese people native to the easternmost part of Java (especially in Banyuwangi), Indonesia. They are the descendants of the people of the ancient Kingdom of Blambangan. The population of Osing people is approximately 400,000 who are concentrated in the Banyuwangi Regency of East Java Province.

The Tenggerese people are a sub-ethnic group of Javanese in eastern Java who are centered in the isolated Tengger mountains (Mount Bromo) in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in eastern Java. The majority of the Tenggerese population profess Java Hinduism as their religion. They are the only Javanese ethnic group who have remained Hindu since the Majapahit era after the Osing people, who have been Islamized.

Scattered communities of Tenggerese also exist in the Pasuruan, Probolinggo, Malang, and Lumajang regencies of eastern Java. They are traditionally believed to be the descendants of the legendary Roro Anteng and Joko Seger. The Tenggerese are considered an ethnic sub-group of the Javanese people. Tengger people do not have a caste system. Their traditions are rooted in customs originating from the Majapahit Empire.