LAMPUNG

propinsi (province), southern Sumatra, Indonesia, bounded by the Java Sea on the east, the Sunda Strait on the south, the Indian Ocean on the west, and Sumatera Selatan (South Sumatra) province on the north and northwest. It covers an area of 12,860 sq mi (33,307 sq km) and includes the islands of Sebuku, Sebesi, Sertung, and Rakata in Sunda Strait. The area formed part of the kingdom of Kantoli in southern Sumatra in the beginning of the 6th century and in the 14th century was included in the Hindu Majapahit Empire of eastern Java. Hindu and Buddhist archaeological remains have been found at Palas, Talangpadang, Liwa, and Gunung (mount) Besar. In the 16th century, Lampung was part of the Muslim state of Bantam (now Banten) under Hasanuddin (ruled 155270). The Dutch incorporated Lampung into their colonial empire in 1860. It became part of the Republic of Indonesia in 1950. The Banjaran (mountains) Bengkulen, a portion of the Pegunungan (mountains) Barisan, run the length of the province from the northwest to southeast and are surmounted by volcanic cones including Gunung Batai 5,518 ft (1,682 m) and Tangkit (mount) Tebak, 6,939 ft. The mountains are flanked by narrow coastland on the southwest and by rapidly descending highlands on the northeast. The eastern lowland area of Lampung stretches from the foothills of the Banjaran Bengkulen to the belt of swamps along the eastern coast. The Sungai (river) Sekampung, Sungai Seputih, and Wai (stream) Tulangbewang descend the eastern slopes of the Bengkulen and drain eastward into the Java Sea. Mangrove and freshwater swamp forests are found along the coast; tropical lowland evergreen rain forests extend from the coastal swamps into the mountains. Most of the population is engaged in agriculture; rubber, tea, coffee, soybeans, sweet potatoes, corn (maize), peanuts (groundnuts), copra, and palm oil are produced. Deep-sea fishing is also important. Industries include wood carving, food processing, cloth weaving, mat and basket making, and the production of handmade paper. Road and railway transport is confined to the foothills of the Banjaran Bengkulen and link Tanjung Kurang, the provincial capital, with Kotabumi, Panjang, and Telukbatung. The eastern half of the province relies mainly on riverine transport. The population is a mixture of Malay, Javanese, and Minangkabau. The Javanese are the most numerous because of a large influx of rural Javanese into Lampung in the early 20th century. Pop. (1980) 4,624,785.