Editing Java (section)

===Ethnicity and culture===
{{See also|Culture of Indonesia|Music of Java|Music of Sunda}}
[[File:Three Betawi Dancers 20240622 115231.jpg|thumb|[[Betawi people|Betawi]] girl dancers]]
[[File:SambaSunda Quintett in Cologne (0244).jpg|thumb|[[SambaSunda]] music performance, featuring traditional [[Sundanese music]] instruments]]
[[File:Ramayana Java.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lakshmana]], [[Rama]] and [[Sita|Shinta]] in [[Ramayana]] ballet at [[Prambanan]], Java]]

Despite its large population and in contrast to the other larger islands of Indonesia, Java is comparatively homogeneous in ethnic composition. Only two ethnic groups are native to the island—the [[Javanese people|Javanese]] and [[Sundanese people|Sundanese]]. A third group is the [[Madurese people|Madurese]], who inhabit the island of [[Madura Island|Madura]] off the northeast coast of Java, and have immigrated to [[East Java]] in large numbers since the 18th century.<ref name=Periplus58>{{cite book |last=Hefner |first=Robert |title=Java |publisher=Periplus Editions |year=1997 |location=Singapore |page=58 |isbn=978-962-593-244-6}}</ref> The Javanese comprise about two-thirds of the island's population, while the Sundanese and Madurese account for 38% and 10% respectively.<ref name=Periplus58/> The fourth group is the [[Betawi people]] that speak a dialect of [[Malay language|Malay]], they are the descendants of the people living around [[Jakarta|Batavia]] from around the 17th century. Betawis are [[creole people]], mostly descended from various Indonesian archipelago ethnic groups such as [[Ethnic Malay|Malay]], [[Sundanese people|Sundanese]], [[Javanese people|Javanese]], [[Balinese people|Balinese]], [[Minangkabau people|Minang]], [[Bugis people|Bugis]], [[Makassar people|Makassar]], [[Ambonese people|Ambonese]], mixed with foreign ethnic groups such as [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]], [[Dutch people|Dutch]], [[Arab]], [[Chinese people|Chinese]] and [[Indian people|Indian]] brought to or attracted to Batavia to meet labour needs. They have a culture and language distinct from the surrounding [[Sundanese people|Sundanese]] and [[Javanese people|Javanese]].{{cn|date=December 2023}}

The Javanese prose text [[Tantu Pagelaran]] ({{circa|15th century}}) explained the mythical origin of the island and its volcanic nature.{{cn|date=December 2023}}

Four major cultural areas exist on the island: the central part of Java or [[Yogyakarta]] is the Javanese people heartland and the north coast of the ''pasisir'' region, the [[Sundanese people|Sunda]] lands ([[Sundanese language|Sundanese]]: {{Sund|ᮒᮒᮁ ᮞᮥᮔ᮪ᮓ}}, ''Tatar'' ''Sunda'') in the western part of Java and [[Parahyangan]] as the heartland, the [[eastern salient of Java]] also known as [[Banyuwangi|Blambangan]]. Madura makes up a fifth area having close cultural ties with coastal eastern Java.<ref name="Periplus58" /> The ''kejawen of Javanese'' culture is the island's most dominant. Java's remaining aristocracy is based here, and it is the region from where the majority of Indonesia's army, business, and political elite originate. Its language, arts, and etiquette are regarded as the island's most refined and exemplary.<ref name="Periplus58" /> The territory from [[Banyumas Regency|Banyumas]] in the west through to [[Blitar]] in the east and encompasses Indonesia's most fertile and densely populated agricultural land.''<ref name="Periplus58" />''

In the southwestern part of Central Java, which is usually named the [[Banyumas Regency|Banyumasan]] region, a cultural mingling occurred; bringing together Javanese culture and Sundanese culture to create the [[Banyumasan language|Banyumasan]] culture.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Java and Cambodia {{!}} Boundless Art History|url=https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-arthistory/chapter/java-and-cambodia/|access-date=2020-10-21|website=courses.lumenlearning.com}}</ref> In the central Javanese court cities of [[Yogyakarta (city)|Yogyakarta]] and [[Surakarta]], contemporary kings trace their lineages back to the pre-colonial Islamic kingdoms that ruled the region, making those places especially strong repositories of classical Javanese culture. Classic arts of Java include [[gamelan]] music and [[wayang]] puppet shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Indonesia/Theatre-and-dance|title=Theatre and dance|publisher=[[Britannica]]|access-date=27 June 2024}}</ref>

Java was the site of many influential kingdoms in the Southeast Asian region,<ref>See Wallace Stevens's poem "[[Tea (poem)|Tea]]" for an appreciative allusion to Javanese culture.</ref> and as a result, many literary works have been written by Javanese authors. These include ''[[Ken Arok]] and [[Ken Dedes]]'', the story of the orphan who usurped his king, and married the queen of the ancient Javanese kingdom; and translations of ''[[Ramayana]]'' and ''[[Mahabharata]]''. [[Pramoedya Ananta Toer]] is a famous contemporary Indonesian author, who has written many stories based on his own experiences of having grown up in Java, and takes many elements from Javanese folklore and historical legends.