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West Java

geography Maturity 5-7 Next article →

West Java is a large and busy province in Indonesia.

West Java Province
West Java Province

It sits on the western part of Java island. To the north, the land meets the Java Sea. To the south, the coast touches the Indian Ocean. The province borders Banten and the capital region of Jakarta. Many people call this area their home. It is the native land of the Sundanese people. They are the second-largest ethnic group in the whole country.

Map of West Java with cities and regencies names
Map of West Java with cities and regencies names

This province is very crowded with people. It is the most populous province in Indonesia. In the year 2020, the population was 48,274,162. By mid-2025, official estimates said it grew to 50,759,003 people. The population grows by about 400,000 people every year. Many people live in the northwest corner near Jakarta. This area includes the cities of Bekasi and Depok. These cities are part of the big Jakarta metropolitan area.

Lambang Kabupaten Bekasi
Lambang Kabupaten Bekasi

West Java has a very long and interesting history. Very old human findings were found in Anyer. People there used bronze and iron long ago. The Buni culture lived near Bekasi and made clay pottery. They used these items as gifts for burials. Later, the Tarumanagara kingdom ruled the region. They left behind seven stones with special writing. These stones tell us about their kings.

Portrait of Siliwangi
Portrait of Siliwangi

Many strong kingdoms ruled this land in the past. The Sunda Kingdom became a major power here. King Sri Baduga Maharaja ruled from 1482 to 1521. His time was known for peace and prosperity. Later, the Sultanate of Banten grew very strong. In the 1500s, the Sunda Kingdom signed a treaty with the Portuguese. This was their first international deal with Europeans. They even placed a stone monument by the Ciliwung River to mark it.

COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De weg van Buitenzorg naar de Preanger Regentschappen TMnr 3728-429c
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De weg van Buitenzorg naar de Preanger Regentschappen TMnr 3728-429c

Today, West Java is divided into many smaller parts. It has nine cities and eighteen regencies.

Gedung Sate Oktober 2024 - Rahmatdenas
Gedung Sate Oktober 2024 - Rahmatdenas

Bandung is the provincial capital. It is a very crowded city. Bekasi is the largest city in the province. Depok and Cimahi are also important cities. The province has many different districts and villages. There are 627 districts in total. This makes the province a very complex and lively place to live.

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🖼️ Images & Media (49)
File:Portrait of Siliwangi.jpg
Portrait of Siliwangi.jpg
File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De weg van Buitenzorg naar de Preanger Regentschappen TMnr 3728-429c.jpg
COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM De weg van...
File:Gedung Sate Oktober 2024 - Rahmatdenas.jpg
Gedung Sate Oktober 2024 - Rahmatdenas.jpg
File:West Java Province.png
West Java Province.png
File:Map of West Java with cities and regencies names.png
Map of West Java with cities and...
File:Lambang Kabupaten Bogor.svg
Lambang Kabupaten Bogor.svg
File:Lambang Kabupaten Bekasi.svg
Lambang Kabupaten Bekasi.svg
File:Emblem of Bogor.svg
Emblem of Bogor.svg
File:Coat of arms of Bekasi.png
Coat of arms of Bekasi.png
File:Coat_of_arms_of_Depok_City.svg
Coat_of_arms_of_Depok_City.svg
File:Lambang Kab Sukabumi.svg
Lambang Kab Sukabumi.svg
File:Lambang Kabupaten Cianjur.svg
Lambang Kabupaten Cianjur.svg

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