JAVA

also spelled Djawa, or Jawa Indonesian island lying southeast of Malaysia and Sumatra, south of Borneo (Kalimantan), and west of Bali. Java is only the fourth largest island in the Republic of Indonesia but contains more than half of the nation's population and dominates it politically and economically. Java's area, including offshore Madura Island, is 51,038 square miles (132,187 square km). The capital of Java and of the republic is Jakarta (formerly Batavia), which is also Indonesia's largest city. Administratively, Java is composed of three provinsi (provinces)Jawa Barat (West Java), Jawa Tengah (Central Java), and Jawa Timur (East Java)as well as Jakarta Raya (Greater Jakarta) daerah khusus lbukota (special capital district) and Yogyakarta daerah istimewa (special district), both of which are administratively considered as provinces.