JAVA

[s. 367] : An island of the Indian Archipelago, situated in latitude 5° 2’ to 8° 50’ south, and longitude 105° 12’ to 114° 39’ east, is one of the richest colonial po e ions of the Netherlands, and in respect to its population, its natural beauty, the mildne of its climate, and the industry of its people, is the most important of all the The area of the islands of the archipelago. Its greatest length island is 50,260 square miles. is from east to west, 666 miles, with a breadth varying from 56 to 136 miles. With Madura included in the official Java, its area is 50,554 The mountain range which square miles. forms the central ridge is of volcanic nature, and The high there are still many active volcanoes. The climate of Java, est is Semeru, 12,238 feet. with the exception of some marshy districts in the northern plains, is healthful and very salubriThe heat is not intense, but the long conous. tinuance of it proves trying to European cons time dans. cal Mi ion, In tutions, which at first are not affected by it. the interior tablelands the climate is colder and more bracing. Java is under the government of the Nether- The East India Company, created by the Dutch in 1602, gradually conquered the Dutch East Indies, and when the Company was di olved in 1798 the mother country took over the control of all its Dutch po e ions, and since lands. 1830 the Netherlands has been undisturbed in The island is divided into residencies, each governed by a resident, who, with his a istants, exercises almost absolute control by means of a vast hierarchy of native officials. There are 22 of these residencies, including Madura. The population is very dense, number Of these, over 50,000 ing in 1900 28,745,698. are Europe ans, 225,500 Chinese, 15,000 Arabs, and the remainder natives. The natives belong to the Malay race, and are divided into the Javanese proper, the Sundanese, and the MadurThe Malay type is best retained in the Sunese. danese, while the Javanese are the most civilized. In early times a warlike, ferocious spirit must\ have characterized the Javanese, but now they its supremacy. ’^ Java Comity Jews, the peaceable, docile, sober and industrious. Under Dutch rule the condition of the people has been most prosperous, and is improving rapidly are under their wise and judicious administration. Religion: Nominally the natives are Mohammedans, since the Hindu dynasty was overthrown in the 15th century by the Mohammedans; in former times they were Buddhists and Brahmans, as Hindu civilization was introduced The result has been early in the Christian era. that fragments from all these religious systems are interwoven with their original spirit-worship, and the latter has absorbed the foreign element and still remains the dominant faith of the people. Language: Javanese is the prevailing speech, and is found in two distinct styles the court speech and the plain talk among the people. The three principal towns of Java are Batavia (115,887), Samarang (89,286), and Surabaya — (146,944). Mi ion work is carried on by the Netherlands Mi ionary Society in East Java, where the Dutch The NethBaptist Society has also one station. erlands Mi ionary Union has stations in West Besides these there are the following Java. societies: The Protestant Church in Netherlands East Indies, Java Comity, Men no nite Mi ionary Society, Ermelo Mi ionary Society, Christian Reformed Church, and the Dutch Mi ionary Society. The Netherlands Mi ionary Union has at this date (1902) 13 mi ionaries employed on the island, and a church membership of 25,000. The chief station of all mi ions on the island is Mod jowar no, but in connection with this center of mi ionary activity there are a number of churches, a seminary for native preachers, several The (jhristian commuschools and a hospital. nity under the care of these mi ionaries outnumber 4,000. JAVA COMITE. See Netherlands; sionary Societies op the. 368