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Banten ( id, Banten;
Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
: , romanized ''Banten'') is the westernmost province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Its capital city is Serang. The province borders West Java and the Special Capital Region of Jakarta on the east, the
Java Sea The Java Sea ( id, Laut Jawa, jv, Segara Jawa) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its nort ...
on the north, the Indian Ocean on the south, and the
Sunda Strait The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. Etymology The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
(which separates Java from the neighbouring island of
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
) on the west. The province covers an area of . It had a population of over 11.9 million in the 2020 census, up from about 10.6 million in
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. The estimated mid-2021 population was 12.06 million.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2022. Formerly part of the province of West Java, Banten was declared a separate province in 2000. The region is the homeland of the Bantenese people, whose culture differs slightly from that of West Java's Sundanese people. The northern half (particularly the areas near Jakarta and the Java Sea coast) has recently experienced rapid rises in population and urbanization, and the southern half (especially the region facing the Indian Ocean) has a more traditional character. Present-day Banten was part of the Sundanese Tarumanagara kingdom from the fourth to the seventh centuries AD. After the fall of Tarumanegara, it was controlled by
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
- Buddhist kingdoms such as the
Srivijaya Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...
Empire and the Sunda Kingdom. The spread of Islam in the region began in the 15th century; by the late 16th century,
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
had replaced Hinduism and Buddhism as the dominant religion in the province, with the establishment of the Banten Sultanate. European traders began arriving in the regionfirst the Portuguese, followed by the British and the Dutch. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) finally controlled the regional economy, gradually weakening the Banten Sultanate. On 22 November 1808, Dutch
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Herman Willem Daendels Herman Willem Daendels (21 October 1762 – 2 May 1818) was a Dutch revolutionary, general and politician who served as the 36th Governor General of the Dutch East Indies between 1808 and 1811. Early life Born in Hattem, Netherlands, on 21 Octob ...
declared that the Sultanate of Banten had been absorbed into the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
. This began the Bantam Residency, 150 years of direct Dutch rule. In March 1942, the Japanese invaded the Indies and occupied the region for three years before their August 1945 surrender. The region was returned to Dutch control for the next five years before the Dutch left and it was ruled by the Indonesian government. Banten then became part of the province of West Java, and separatist efforts led to the creation of the province of Banten in 2000. Banten is diverse, inhabited by many ethnic groups; the most dominant is the Bantenese people. The
Sundanese language Sundanese (: , ; Sundanese script: ) is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by the Sundanese. It has approximately 40 million native speakers in the western third of Java; they represent about 15% of Indonesia's total population. Classifica ...
is the province's
lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
, although Indonesian is the official language. Javanese is also spoken by many Javanese migrants from
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and East Java. The semi-isolated Baduy people, who speak the Baduy language (an archaic form of Sundanese), live in the Lebak Regency. Most of the population is fluent in Indonesian as a second language.


Etymology

The name "Banten" has several possible origins. The first is from the
Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
phrase ''katiban inten,'' which means "struck down by diamonds". The phrase comes from the history of the Bantenese people, who were animists before adopting Buddhism and Hinduism. After
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
began to spread in Banten, the community began to recognize and embrace Islam. The spread of Islam in Banten is described as being "struck down by diamonds". Another origin story is that the Indonesian Hindu god Batara Guru traveled from east to west, arriving at Surasowan (present-day Serang). When he arrived, Batara Guru sat on a stone which became known as ''watu gilang''. The stone glowed, and was presented to the king of Surasowan. Surasowan was reportedly surrounded by a clear, star-like river, and was described as a ring covered with diamonds (
Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
: ''ban inten''). This evolved into "banten". Another possibility is that "Banten" comes from the Indonesian word ''bantahan'' (rebuttal), because the local Bantenese people resisted the Dutch colonial government. The word "Banten" appeared before the establishment of the Banten Sultanate as the name of a river. The high plains on its banks were called ''Cibanten Girang'', shortened to ''Banten Girang'' (Upper Banten). Based on research in Banten Girang, the area has been settled since the 11th and 12th centuries. During the 16th century, the region developed rapidly towards Serang and the northern coast. The coastal area later became the Sultanate of Banten, founded by Sunan Gunung Jati, which controlled almost all of the former Sunda Kingdom in West Java. Sunda Kelapa ( Batavia) was captured by the Dutch, and Cirebon and the Parahiyangan region were captured by the
Mataram Sultanate The Sultanate of Mataram () was the last major independent Javanese kingdom on the island of Java before it was colonised by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force radiating from the interior of Central Java from the late 16th centu ...
. The Banten Sultanate was later converted into a residency by the Dutch.


History


Early history

During the fifth century, Banten was part of the kingdom of Tarumanagara. The fourth-century Lebak inscription, discovered in 1947 in a lowland village on the Cidanghiyang River in , contains two lines of Sanskrit poetry in
Pallawa script The Pallava script or Pallava Grantha, is a Brahmic script, named after the Pallava dynasty of South India, attested since the 4th century AD. As epigrapher Arlo Griffiths makes clear, however, the term is misleading as not all of the relevant sc ...
which describe life in the kingdom under the reign of Purnawarman. The kingdom collapsed after an attack by
Srivijaya Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...
, and western Java became part of the Kingdom of Sunda. In the Chinese '' Chu-fan-chi'', written , Chou Ju-kua wrote that
Srivijaya Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...
still ruled Sumatra, the Malay peninsula, and western Java during the early 13th century. ''Chu-fan-chi'' identifies the port of Sunda as strategic and thriving, with
pepper Pepper or peppers may refer to: Food and spice * Piperaceae or the pepper family, a large family of flowering plant ** Black pepper * ''Capsicum'' or pepper, a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae ** Bell pepper ** Chili ...
from Sunda among the highest in quality. The population were farmers, and their houses were built on wooden poles (''rumah panggung''). Robbery, however, was common. According to Portuguese explorer Tome Pires, Bantam (Banten) was an important early-16th-century port in the Kingdom of Sunda along with the ports of
Pontang Pontang is a district in the Banten province on the island of Java, Indonesia. Location The Ciujung, a river, enters the sea at Pontang. The Ciujung discharges into the Banten Bay. Historical Pontang port and the Ciujung river used to be impor ...
, Cheguide (Cigede), Tangaram ( Tangerang), Calapa ( Sunda Kelapa) and Chimanuk (on the
Cimanuk river The Manuk River (, means: ''Bird River'' in Sundanese) is a river in West Java, Indonesia, about 170 km east of the capital Jakarta. Hydrology The whole parts of this river is located within West Java province. The river runs from south to ...
estuary). In 1527, as the Portuguese fleet arrived off the coast, newly-converted Javanese Muslims under Sunan Gunungjati captured the port of Banten and the surrounding area from the Sundanese and established the Sultanate of Banten. According to Portuguese historian
João de Barros João de Barros () (1496 – 20 October 1570), called the ''Portuguese Livy'', is one of the first great Portuguese historians, most famous for his ''Décadas da Ásia'' ("Decades of Asia"), a history of the Portuguese in India, Asia, and southea ...
, Banten was the center of the sultanate and a major Southeast Asian port (rivaling
Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
and
Makassar Makassar (, mak, ᨆᨀᨔᨑ, Mangkasara’, ) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, Med ...
). The town of Banten was in the middle of the bay, which is about across. It was 850
fathom A fathom is a unit of length in the imperial and the U.S. customary systems equal to , used especially for measuring the depth of water. The fathom is neither an International Standard (SI) unit, nor an internationally-accepted non-SI unit. Hi ...
s in length. A river, navigable by
junks A junk (Chinese: 船, ''chuán'') is a type of Chinese sailing ship with fully battened sails. There are two types of junk in China: northern junk, which developed from Chinese river boats, and southern junk, which developed from Austronesian ...
, flowed through the center of the town; a small tributary extended to the town's edge. The present-day river is smaller, and only navigable by small boats. A fortress near the town had brick walls seven palms thick. Armed, wooden defence buildings were two stories high. The town square was used for military activities and folk art, with a market in the morning. The palace was on the south side of the square. Next to the palace is a tall, flat-roofed building known as Srimanganti, which was used by the king to meet his subjects. West of the square is the
Great Mosque of Banten Great Mosque of Banten ( id, Masjid Agung Banten) is a historic mosque in Old Banten, 10 km north of Serang, Indonesia. The 16th-century mosque was one of the few surviving remnants of what used to be the port city of Banten, the most prosper ...
.


Colonial era

When the Dutch arrived in Indonesia, the Portuguese had long been in Banten. The English established a factory in Banten, and were followed by the Dutch. The
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and the Danish also came to trade in Banten. In the competition among European traders, the Dutch emerged as the winners. The Portuguese fled Banten in 1601 after their fleet was destroyed by the Dutch off the coast during the
Dutch–Portuguese War The Dutch–Portuguese War (; ) was a global armed conflict involving Dutch Republic, Dutch forces, in the form of the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, as well as their allies against the Iberian Union, and after 1640, t ...
. Although the Dutch won the war, they preserved the Banten Sultanate. The maritime sultanate relied on trade, and the pepper monopoly in Lampung made the Banten authorities intermediaries. The sultanate grew rapidly, becoming a commercial center. As sea trade increased throughout the archipelago, Banten became a multi-ethnic region. Assisted by the British, Danish and Chinese people, Banten traded with Persia, India, Siam, Vietnam, the Philippines,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. The reign of Sultan
Ageng Tirtayasa Tirtayasa (1631–1695), complete stylized name Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, also known as Ageng and Abulfatah Agung, was the sixth sultan of Banten (on Java in modern Indonesia) and reigned during the kingdom's golden age. Overview Ageng built a str ...
(1651–1682) was the sultanate's golden era. Under his reign, Banten had one of the strongest navies in the region (built to European standards with help from European shipbuilders) and attracted Europeans to the sultanate.Hasan Muarif Ambary, Jacques Dumarçay, (1990), ''The Sultanate of Banten'', Gramedia Book Pub. Division, . To secure its shipping lanes, Banten sent its fleet to Sukadana (the present-day Ketapang Regency in West Kalimantan) and conquered it in 1661.Atsushi Ota, ''Banten Rebellion, 1750–1752: Factors behind the Mass Participation'', Modern Asian Studies (2003), 37: 613-651, DOI: 10.1017/S0026749X03003044. Banten also tried to escape the pressure of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), which had blockaded incoming merchant ships. A power struggle for power developed around 1680 between
Ageng Tirtayasa Tirtayasa (1631–1695), complete stylized name Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa, also known as Ageng and Abulfatah Agung, was the sixth sultan of Banten (on Java in modern Indonesia) and reigned during the kingdom's golden age. Overview Ageng built a str ...
and his son, Abu Nashar Abdul Qahar (also known as Sultan Haji). The disagreement was exploited by the VOC, who supported Haji and made civil war inevitable. Strengthening his position, Haji sent two envoys to meet King
Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...
in London in 1682 to obtain support and weapons.Titik Pudjiastuti, (2007), ''Perang, dagang, persahabatan: surat-surat Sultan Banten'', Yayasan Obor Indonesia, . In the ensuing war, Ageng withdrew from his palace to Tirtayasa (present-day Tangerang); on 28 December 1682, the region was seized by Haji with Dutch assistance. Ageng and his other sons, Pangeran Purbaya and Syekh Yusuf from
Makassar Makassar (, mak, ᨆᨀᨔᨑ, Mangkasara’, ) is the capital of the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, Surabaya, Med ...
, retreated to the southern Sunda interior. On 14 March 1683, Sultan Ageng was captured and imprisoned in Batavia. The VOC continued to pursue and suppress Sultan Ageng's followers, led by Prince Purbaya and Sheikh Yusuf. On 5 May 1683, the VOC sent Lieutenant Untung Surapati and his Balinese troops (joining forces led by VOC Lieutenant Johannes Maurits van Happel) to subdue the and
Dayeuhluhur Dayeuhluhur is a district within the Cilacap Regency of Central Java. History Dayeuhluhur began as a '' Kadipaten'' or Duchy of Daya Luhur under Gagak Ngampar. Dayeuhluhur is place the popular Sondanese epic of Ciung Wanara in Cijolang River a ...
regions; on 14 December 1683, they captured Sheikh Yusuf. Heavily outnumbered, Prince Purbaya surrendered. Surapati was ordered by Captain Johan Ruisj to pick up Purbaya and bring him to Batavia. They met with VOC forces led by Willem Kuffeler, but a dispute between them destroyed Kuffeler's forces; Surapati and his followers became fugitives from the VOC. Lampung was given to the VOC on 12 March 1682 by Sultan Haji as compensation for the company's support, and a 22 August 1682 letter gave the VOC the province's pepper monopoly. The sultanate also had to reimburse the VOC for losses caused by the war. After Sultan Haji's death in 1687, the VOC's influence in the sultanate began to increase; the appointment of a new sultan required the approval of the governor-general in Batavia. Sultan Abu Fadhl Muhammad Yahya ruled for about three years before he was replaced by his brother, Pangeran Adipati (Sultan Abul Mahasin Muhammad Zainul Abidin). The civil war in Banten left instability for the next government, due to dissatisfaction with the VOC's interference in local affairs. Popular resistance peaked again at the end of the reign of Sultan Abul Fathi Muhammad Syifa Zainul Arifin. The sultan again sought VOC assistance against the resistance, and Banten became a
vassal state A vassal state is any state that has a mutual obligation to a superior state or empire, in a status similar to that of a vassal in the feudal system in medieval Europe. Vassal states were common among the empires of the Near East, dating back to ...
of the company in 1752.Atsushi Ota, (2006), ''Changes of the regime and social dynamics in West Java: society, state, and the outer world of Banten, 1750–1830'', BRILL, . In 1808, at the peak of the Napoleonic Wars, Governor-general
Herman Willem Daendels Herman Willem Daendels (21 October 1762 – 2 May 1818) was a Dutch revolutionary, general and politician who served as the 36th Governor General of the Dutch East Indies between 1808 and 1811. Early life Born in Hattem, Netherlands, on 21 Octob ...
ordered the construction of the Great Post Road to defend Java from British attack. Daendels ordered the sultan of Banten to move his capital to Anyer and provide labor to build a port in Ujung Kulon. The sultan defied Daendels' order, and Daendels ordered an attack on Banten and the destruction of Surosowan Palace. The sultan and his family were held in the palace before their imprisonment in Fort Speelwijk. Sultan Abul Nashar Muhammad Ishaq Zainulmutaqin was then exiled to Batavia. On 22 November 1808, Daendels announced from his Serang headquarters in that the sultanate had been absorbed by the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
. The sultanate was abolished in 1813 by the British government after the invasion of Java. That year, Sultan Muhammad bin Muhammad Muhyiddin Zainussalihin was disarmed and forced to abdicate by Thomas Stamford Raffles; this ended the sultanate. After the British returned Java to the Dutch in 1814 as part of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814, Banten became a ''residentie'' (residency) of the Dutch East Indies.


Japanese occupation and independence

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
invaded the East Indies, expelled the Dutch, and occupied Banten in March 1942. During their three years of occupation, the Japanese built the
Saketi–Bayah railway The Saketi–Bayah railway was a single track and gauge railway, located in the west of Java, Indonesia. It branched off the Rangkasbitung-Labuan railway, going from Saketi in central Banten to Bayah on the southern Bantenese coast. The railway ...
in southern Lebak to transport brown coal from the Bayah mines. The project involved a workforce of about 1,000
rōmusha is a Japanese language word for Corvée. The U.S. Library of Congress estimates that in Java (island), Java, between 4 and 10 million ''rōmusha'' were forced to work by the Japanese military during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia in World Wa ...
(local forced labourers) and a few engineers and technicians (mainly Dutch), supervised by a Japanese. The rōmusha working in the mines were imported from
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and East Java, the railway rōmusha were primarily from Banten. The construction took 12 million person-days over 14 months. Working conditions were harsh due to food shortages, lack of medical care, and the tropical climate. Casualties are estimated at 20,000 to 60,000, not including mine workers. After the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, the Dutch East Indies declared independence as the Republic of Indonesia. This was opposed by the returning Dutch, resulting in the
Indonesian war of independence The Indonesian National Revolution, or the Indonesian War of Independence, was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between the Republic of Indonesia and the Dutch Empire and an internal social revolution during postwar and postcolonia ...
. During the war, Banten remained under Indonesian control. On 26 February 1948, the State of West Java ( id, Negara Jawa Barat, su, Negara Jawa Kulon) was established; on 24 April 1948, it was renamed Pasundan. Pasundan became a federal state of the United States of Indonesia in 1949, and was incorporated into the
Republic of Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. Ind ...
(part of the USI) on 11 March 1950. After Indonesian independence, Banten became part of the province of West Java. Separatist sentiment led to the creation of the province of Banten in 2000.


Geography

Banten lies between 5°7'50" and 7°1'11" south latitude and 105°1'11" and 106°7'12" east longitude. The province has an area of . It is near the
Sunda Strait The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. Etymology The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
's sea lanes, which link
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and New Zealand with Southeast Asia. Banten also links Java and Sumatra. The region has a number of industries; its seaports handle overflow cargo from the seaport in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
, and are intended to be an alternative to the
Port of Singapore The Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade and handles Singapore's harbours and shipping. It has been ranked as the top maritime capital of the world since 2015. Currently the world's se ...
. Its location on the western tip of Java makes Banten the gateway to Java,
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
and the adjacent areas of Jakarta, Indonesia's capital. Bordering the
Java Sea The Java Sea ( id, Laut Jawa, jv, Segara Jawa) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its nort ...
on the north, the
Sunda Strait The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. Etymology The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...
on the west and the Indian Ocean on the south, the province has abundant marine resources.


Topography

The province ranges in altitude from sea level to . Banten is primarily lowland (below 50 metres above sea level) in Cilegon, Tangerang, Pandeglang Regency, and most of Serang Regency. The central Lebak and Pandeglang Regencies range from , and the eastern Lebak Regency ranges in altitude from at the summit of Mount Halimun. Banten's
geomorphology Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or n ...
generally consists of lowlands and sloping and steep hills. The lowlands are generally in the north and south. The sloping hills have a minimum height of above sea level. Mount Gede, north of Cilegon, has an altitude of above sea level; there are also hills in the southern Serang Regency, in the Mancak and Waringin Kurung Districts. The southern Pandeglang Regency is also hilly. In eastern Lebak Regency, bordering Bogor Regency and
Sukabumi Regency Sukabumi Regency ( id, Kabupaten Sukabumi; Sundanese: ) is a regency ''(kabupaten)'' in southwestern Java, as part of West Java province of Indonesia. The regency seat is located in Palabuhan Ratu, a coastal district facing the Indian Ocean. The ...
in West Java, most of the region consists of steep hills of old sedimentary rock interspersed with igneous rocks such as granite, granodiorite, diorite and andesite. It also contains valuable tin and copper deposits.


Climate

Banten's climate is influenced by the
South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
and
East Asian Monsoon The East Asian Monsoon is a monsoonal flow that carries moist air from the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to East Asia. It affects approximately one-third of the global population, influencing the climate of Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, Ch ...
s and the alternating La Niña or El Niño. During the rainy season, the weather is dominated by a west wind (from
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
and the Indian Ocean south of the Indian subcontinent) joined by winds from
Northern Asia North Asia or Northern Asia, also referred to as Siberia, is the northern region of Asia, which is defined in geographical terms and is coextensive with the Asian part of Russia, and consists of three Russian regions east of the Ural Mountains: ...
crossing the South China Sea. The dry season is dominated by an east wind which gives Banten severe droughts, especially on the northern coast during El Niño. Temperatures on the coast and in the hills range from , and temperatures in the mountains from above sea level range from . The heaviest rainfall ranges from during the rainy season from September to May, covering half of the western Pandeglang Regency. Rainfall from covers half of Tangerang Regency, the northern Serang Regency, and the cities of Cilegon and Tangerang. In the dry season (from April to December), the peak rainfall of covers half of the northern Serang and Tangerang Regencies and the cities of Cilegon and Tangerang. The lowest dry-season rainfall, from June to September, covers half of the southern Tangerang Regency and 15 percent of southeastern Serang Regency.


Administrative divisions

Banten consists of four
regencies A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
(''kabupaten'') and four autonomous cities (''kota''), listed below with their populations in the 2010 and 2020 censuses and in official mid-2021 estimates.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2022. The cities and regencies are subdivided into 140 districts, 262 urban villages and 1,242 villages. Tangerang was incorporated as a city on 27 February 1993 from the Tangerang Regency, where it was the administrative capital. It was replaced by Cipasera. Cilegon was incorporated as a city on 10 April 1999 from the Serang Regency, where it was the administrative capital. It was replaced by Serang. Serang was incorporated as a city in November 2007 from the Serang Regency, where it was the administrative capital. It was replaced by Ciruas. South Tangerang (formerly Cipasera) was incorporated as a city on 29 October 2008 from the Tangerang Regency. Where it was the administrative capital. It was replaced by Tigaraksa.


Demographics

The 2006 population of Banten was 9,351,470, with 3,370,182 children (36.04 percent), 240,742 elderly people (2.57 percent), and the remaining 5,740,546 people aged between 15 and 64. It was Indonesia's fifth-most-populous province, after West Java, East Java,
Central Java Central Java ( id, Jawa 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 t ...
and
North Sumatra North Sumatra ( id, Sumatra Utara) is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java and ...
. By mid-2021, the estimated total had risen to 12,061,475.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2022.


Ethnic groups

The Bantenese people are the largest group in the province, forming 47% of the total population. They mostly inhabit the central and southern part of the province. The origins of the Bantenese people; which are closely related to the Banten Sultanate, are different from the Cirebonese people whom are not part of the Sundanese people nor the
Javanese people The Javanese ( id, Orang Jawa; jv, ꦮꦺꦴꦁꦗꦮ, ''Wong Jawa'' ; , ''Tiyang Jawi'' ) are an ethnic group native to the central and eastern part of the Indonesian island of Java. With approximately 100 million people, Javanese people ...
(unless it is from the result of a mixture of two major cultures, namely Sundanese and Javanese). The Bantenese people along with the Baduy people (Kanekes) are essentially sub-ethnics of the Sundanese people that occupies the former region of the Banten Sultanate (region of Bantam Residency after the abolishment and annexation by the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
). After the formation of the Banten Province only did people began to regard the Bantenese as a group of people with a culture and language of their own. Most of the north Banten population is Javanese. Most of the Javanese are migrants from central and eastern Java. The Betawi people live in greater Jakarta, including Tangerang. Chinese Indonesians may also be found in urban areas, also primarily in the greater Jakarta area. The Benteng Chinese (a subgroup of Chinese Indonesians) lives in Tangerang and the surrounding area, and are distinct from other Chinese Indonesians.


Languages

The province's dominant language is
Sundanese Sundanese may refer to: * Sundanese people * Sundanese language * Sundanese script Standard Sundanese script (''Aksara Sunda Baku'', ) is a writing system which is used by the Sundanese people. It is built based on Old Sundanese script (' ...
.Language maps of Indonesia (Java and Bali)
/ref> Its indigenous people speak a dialect derived from archaic Sundanese, classified as informal in modern Sundanese. The
Mataram Sultanate The Sultanate of Mataram () was the last major independent Javanese kingdom on the island of Java before it was colonised by the Dutch. It was the dominant political force radiating from the interior of Central Java from the late 16th centu ...
tried to control West Java, including Banten; the Sultanate of Banten defended its territory except for Banten. In the mountains and most of present-day Banten, the "loma" version of the Sundanese language is dominant; this version is considered "harsh" by people from Parahyangan. Bantenese is commonly spoken, especially in the southern Pandeglang and Lebak Regencies. Near Serang and Cilegon, the Javanese Banyumasan dialect is spoken by about 500,000 people. In northern Tangerang, Betawi is spoken by Betawi immigrants. Indonesian is also widely spoken, especially by urban migrants from other parts of Indonesia. The Baduy people speak the Baduy language, also an archaic form of Sundanese.


Religion

Most residents are Muslims, and the Banten Sultanate was one of the largest Islamic kingdoms on the island of Java. The province also has other ethnicities and religions, including the Benteng Chinese community in Tangerang and the Baduy people who practice Sunda Wiwitan in Kanekes, Leuwidamar, Lebak Regency. Based on archaeological data, early Banten society was influenced by the
Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
- Buddhist Tarumanagara, Sriwijaya and Sunda Kingdoms. According to the ''Babad Banten'', Sunan Gunung Jati and Maulana Hasanuddin spread Islam extensively in the region.
Maulana Yusuf Maulana Yusuf (also spelled Molana Yusup) was the second sultan of Banten, and reigned from c. 1570 to 1580. About 1579, he conquered Pajajaran, which was the last significant Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist kingdom on Java. With this conquest ...
reportedly engaged in '' da'wah'' in the interior, and conquered Pakuan Pajajaran. The sultan of Banten's genealogy reportedly traced back to Muhammad, and the '' ulamas'' were influential. Tariqa
Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
developed in the region.


Culture

Banten's culture is based on Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. It includes the pencak silat martial arts, the Saman dance, and . Religious sites include the
Great Mosque of Banten Great Mosque of Banten ( id, Masjid Agung Banten) is a historic mosque in Old Banten, 10 km north of Serang, Indonesia. The 16th-century mosque was one of the few surviving remnants of what used to be the port city of Banten, the most prosper ...
and the Keramat Panjang Tomb. The Baduy people live in central and southern Banten. The Inner Baduy tribes are native Sundanese who are opposed to modernization in dress and lifestyle, and the Outer Baduy tribes are more open to modernization. The Baduy-Rawayan tribe lives in the Kendeng Cultural Heritage Mountains, an area of spanning the Kanekes area, Leuwidamar District, Lebak Regency. Baduy villages are generally located on the Ciujung River in the Kendeng Mountains.


Weapons

The golok, similar to a machete, is Banten's traditional weapon. Formerly a self-defence weapon, it is now a martial-arts tool. The Baduy people use goloks for farming and forest hunting. Other traditional weapons include the kujang,
kris The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its disti ...
, spear, sledgehammer, machete, sword and bow and arrow.


Traditional housing

Traditional housing in Banten has thatched roofing, with floors made of split and pounded bamboo. This type of traditional house is still widely found in areas inhabited by the Kanekes and Baduy peoples.


Clothing

Bantenese men traditionally wear closed-neck shirts and trousers belted with batik, perhaps with a golok tucked into the belt. Bantenese women traditionally wear a kebaya, decorated with a hand-crafted brooch at the waist. Hair is tied into a bun, and decorated with a flower.


Islamic architecture

Three-level mosque architecture is symbolic of tariqa ''
ihsan Ihsan ( ar, إحسان , also romanized ''ehsan''), is an Arabic term meaning "to do beautiful things", "beautification", "perfection", or "excellence" (Arabic: , ). Ihsan is a matter of taking one's inner faith ('' iman'') and showing it in b ...
'' (beauty) and
sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
(law).


Pencak silat

Pencak silat is a group of martial arts, rooted in Indonesian culture, which reportedly existed throughout the archipelago since the seventh century. It began to be recorded when it was influenced by the '' ulamas'' during the spread of Islam in the 15th century. At that time, martial arts were taught with religious studies in ''
pesantren ''Pesantren'', or ''pondok pesantren'', are Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. They consist of pondok, mosque, santri, teaching of classical Islamic texts and Kyai.Zamakhsyari Dhofie''The Pesantren Tradition: A Study of the Role of the Kyai ...
'' (Islamic boarding schools). Religion and pencak silat became intertwined. Silat evolved from folk dancing, becoming part of the region's defense against invaders. Banten is known for its warriors, who are proficient in the martial arts. ''Debus'' (from ar, دَبُّوس, dabbūs) is a Bantenese martial art which was developed during the 16th century.


Transport

Banten is in western Java. In 2006, of its national roads were in good condition; were in fair condition, and were in poor condition. At the end of that year, of Banten's provincial road network were in good condition; were in fair condition, and were in poor condition. The province's national roads are congested; provincial roads have less traffic, and congestion is generally localized. Rail transport is declining; 48 percent of Banten's rail network was operational in 2005, with an average of 22 passenger trains and 16 freight trains per day. Most lines were single-track, and the main line was the Merak- Tanah Abang, Tangerang-Duri and Cilegon-Cigading line. Soekarno–Hatta International Airport is Indonesia's main national airport. Other airports include the general-aviation Pondok Cabe Airport in South Tangerang, Budiarto Airport in Tangerang (for training), and
Gorda Airport Gorda may refer to: * Gorda, California, United States, a small town on the Pacific Ocean * Gorda Plate, a tectonic plate located beneath the Pacific Ocean near northern California * Cayo Gorda Cayo Gorda is a cay that is 66 nautical miles off ...
in Serang (used by the Indonesian Air Force). File:Soekarno-Hatta Airport aerial view.jpg, Soekarno–Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, gateway to Jakarta and Indonesia, alt=Aerial view of Soekarno–Hatta International Airport File:Tokyo Metro 7000 series at Tangerang Station.jpg, KRL Commuterline train at the Tangerang railway station, alt=Red electric train at an outdoor station File:ALS Di Poris.jpg, Bus at Poris terminal in Tangerang, alt=Large green bus File:Pelabuhan Merak Port of Merak.JPG, The Port of Merak has ferry service to
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
., alt=A large boat at a dock


Economy

Banten's 2006 population totaled 9,351,470, with 36.04 percent children, 2.57 percent elderly, and the remainder 15 to 64 years old. The province's 2005 Gross Regional Domestic Product (GDP) was primarily from the manufacturing industry sector (49.75 percent), followed by the trade, hotel and restaurant sector (17.13 percent), transportation and communication (8.58 percent), and agriculture (8.53 percent). Industry had 23.11 percent of jobs, followed by agriculture (21.14 percent), trade (20.84 percent) and transportation and communication (9.5 percent). The northern part of the province is more economically developed than the southern part. It is strategically located between Java and
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
. Most investment is in Tangerang, South Tangerang and the rest of the north because of their infrastructure and proximity to
Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...
. Infrastructure in southern Banten lags behind that of the north, and Banten's development policies have prioritised growth over equality in Pandeglang and Lebak regencies; investors choose areas with existing infrastructure to ensure competitiveness.


Tourism

Ujung Kulon National Park is a national park and nature preserve which includes the island of Panaitan. Its highest point is Mount Honje. Species protected in the park include the Javan rhino, deer, antelope, buffalo, several primate species, wild boar, jungle cat, sloth, and several species of birds. It can be reached via Labuan in Pandeglang Regency or by boat. The park has telecommunications networks, electricity, clean water, accommodations, information centers, travel guides, and transportation facilities. In 1991, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pulau Dua, covering about near Serang, is known for its ocean coral, fish and of birds. Between April and August each year, it is visited by about 40,000 birds from 60 species from Australia, Asia and Africa. Originally an island, sedimentation has joined it to mainland Java. Tanjung Lesung Beach, in the Panimbang district of western Pandeglang Regency, covers about . A proposed special economic zone in 2012, the Tanjung Lesung SEZ became operational on 23 February 2015.


Cuisine

' is a Bantenese food similar to goat or curried
rawon Rawon ( Javanese: ) is an Indonesian beef soup. Originating from East Java, rawon utilizes the black keluak nut as the main seasoning, which gives a dark color and nutty flavor to the soup. Ingredients The soup is composed of a ground mix ...
. Found in Serang Regency, it is believed to have originated in the
Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
and was brought by Arab traders during the spread of Islam in Indonesia. Other Bantenese foods include ''nasi sumsum'' (from Serang Regency, made of white rice and buffalo-bone marrow), mahbub, shark fin soup, milkfish and duck satays, duck soup, laksa Tangerang, rice vermicelli, beef jerky and
emping Emping (also known as arifin) are a type of Indonesian chips, a bite-size snack kripik cracker, made of ''melinjo'' or ''belinjo'' (''Gnetum gnemon'') nuts (which are seeds). Emping crackers have a slightly bitter taste. Emping snacks are availa ...
.


Sports


Football

Persita Tangerang (with its home ground at Benteng Taruna Stadium), Cilegon United (with its home ground at Krakatau Steel Stadium) and Perserang Serang (with its home ground at Maulana Yusuf Stadium) represent Banten in Liga 2.


Motorsports

In 2009, the Lippo Village International Formula Circuit was built in a bid to host the A1 Grand Prix. The series was removed from the schedule, and the track was used for local motorsports before it was dismantled for the Lippo Village expansion; the paddock area was reclaimed by Pelita Harapan University. A replacement street circuit, BSD City Grand Prix, was built in
BSD City BSD City, formerly referred to Bumi Serpong Damai is a planned community located within Greater Jakarta in Indonesia. The project was initiated in 1984 by a group of private developers and started in 1989. The town is currently managed by the ho ...
for local motorsports.


References


Further reading


Dinar Boontharm. "The Sultanate of Banten AD 1750-1808: A Social and Cultural History." PhD thesis, University of Hull, 2003.


External links


Sekolah dan Daycare Alam Sutera

Official website

Research and Development Agency

Informasi Tempat Wisata Di Banten
{{Authority control States and territories established in 2000 2000 establishments in Indonesia Provinces of Indonesia 2000 establishments in Southeast Asia