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87-549: Bali ( English: / ˈ b ɑː l i / ; ᬩᬮᬶ ) is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands . East of Java and west of Lombok , the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller offshore islands, notably Nusa Penida , Nusa Lembongan , and Nusa Ceningan to the southeast. The provincial capital, Denpasar , is the most populous city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and

174-514: A Balinese colony in 1343. The uncle of Hayam Wuruk is mentioned in the charters of 1384–86. Mass Javanese immigration to Bali occurred in the next century when the Majapahit Empire fell in 1520. Bali's government then became an independent collection of Hindu kingdoms which led to a Balinese national identity and major enhancements in culture, arts, and economy. The nation with various kingdoms became independent for up to 386 years until 1906 when

261-579: A Buddhist monastery named Srivijayasrama dedicated to his queen consort Dharmaprasadottungadewi. The monastery bearing the name of Srivijaya suggests that his queen consort was probably a Srivijayan princess, a close relative, probably the daughter, of the Srivijayan king Sangramavijayattungavarman. She had taken refuge in East Java after her father was taken prisoner and her kingdom was raided through series of Indian Chola raids. The king seems to be sympathetic to

348-594: A few places apart from the West Bali National Park . They are born an orange colour, though they would have already changed to a more blackish colouration by their first year. In Java, however, there is more of a tendency for this species to retain its juvenile orange colour into adulthood, and a mixture of black and orange monkeys can be seen together as a family. Other rarer mammals include the Sunda leopard cat , Sunda pangolin and black giant squirrel . Snakes include

435-400: A massive eruption within the next 100 years. In late 2017 Mount Agung started erupting and large numbers of people were evacuated, temporarily closing the island's airport. Mountains range from centre to the eastern side, with Mount Agung the easternmost peak. Bali's volcanic nature has contributed to its exceptional fertility and its tall mountain ranges provide the high rainfall that supports

522-600: A new kingdom, and made peace with Srivijaya. The new kingdom was called the Kingdom of Kahuripan, the location of his capital, and stretched from Pasuruan in the east to Madiun in the west. In 1025, Airlangga increased the power and influence of Kahuripan as the Srivijaya Empire began to decline. Airlangga was known for his religious tolerance and was a patron of both the Hindu and Buddhist religions. In 1035 Airlangga constructed

609-559: A result of the terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005 . The tourism industry has since recovered from these events. Although tourism produces the GDP's largest output, agriculture is still the island's biggest employer. Fishing also provides a significant number of jobs. Bali is also famous for its artisans who produce a vast array of handicrafts, including batik and ikat cloth and clothing , wooden carvings , stone carvings, painted art and silverware. Notably, individual villages typically adopt

696-543: A scandal or not even taken place. This suspicion was because although Airlangga was the eldest son of Mahendradatta, curiously he was not chosen as the crown prince of Bali, his younger brother Marakata and later Anak Wungçu rose to the Balinese throne instead. Moreover, Mahendradatta sent Airlangga back to Java during his teenage years. Mahendradatta was known to be promoting the cult of Durga in Bali, and curiously later associated with

783-413: A score of 99.65, which was the highest score of Indonesia's 33 provinces. The score considers the level of total suspended solids , dissolved oxygen , and chemical oxygen demand in water. Erosion at Lebih Beach has seen seven metres (23 feet) of land lost every year. Decades ago, this beach was used for holy pilgrimages with more than 10,000 people, but they have now moved to Masceti Beach . In 2017,

870-491: A single product, such as wind chimes or wooden furniture. The Arabica coffee production region is the highland region of Kintamani near Mount Batur . Generally, Balinese coffee is processed using the wet method. This results in a sweet, soft coffee with good consistency. Typical flavours include lemon and other citrus notes. Many coffee farmers in Kintamani are members of a traditional farming system called Subak Abian , which

957-465: A terrible calamity that befell the East Javanese kingdom of Ishana dynasty in the early years of the 11th century. In 1006, a rebellion incited by a vassal king Wurawari from Lwaram destroyed the capital of Watugaluh. The reigning king, Dharmawangsa, successor to Sri Makutawangsawardhana, was murdered along with his entire family and many of his subjects. Only the young Airlangga, who was aged about 16 at

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1044-425: A year when Bali received nearly 5.7 million tourists, government officials declared a "garbage emergency" in response to the covering of 3.6-mile stretch of coastline in plastic waste brought in by the tide, amid concerns that the pollution could dissuade visitors from returning. Indonesia is one of the world's worst plastic polluters, with some estimates suggesting the country is the source of around 10 per cent of

1131-539: Is about seven times as many as in the entire Caribbean . Bali is the home of the Subak irrigation system , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . It is also home to a unified confederation of kingdoms composed of 10 traditional royal Balinese houses, each house ruling a specific geographic area. The confederation is the successor of the Bali Kingdom . The royal houses, which originated before Dutch colonisation , are not recognised by

1218-505: Is based on the Hindu philosophy of " Tri Hita Karana ". According to this philosophy, the three causes of happiness are good relations with God , other people, and the environment. The Subak Abian system is ideally suited to the production of fair trade and organic coffee production. Arabica coffee from Kintamani is the first product in Indonesia to request a geographical indication . In 1963

1305-459: Is in place from approximately October to April, and this can bring significant rain, particularly from December to March. During the rainy season, there are comparatively fewer tourists seen in Bali. During the Easter and Christmas holidays, the weather is very unpredictable. Outside of the monsoon period, humidity is relatively low and any rain is unlikely in lowland areas. Bali lies just to the west of

1392-526: Is quite common around human settlements and temples, where it becomes accustomed to being fed by humans, particularly in any of the three "monkey forest" temples, such as the popular one in the Ubud area. They are also quite often kept as pets by locals. The second monkey, endemic to Java and some surrounding islands such as Bali, is far rarer and more elusive and is the Javan langur , locally known as "lutung". They occur in

1479-470: Is surrounded by coral reefs . Beaches in the south tend to have white sand while those in the north and west have black sand . Bali has no major waterways, although the Ho River is navigable by small sampan boats. Black sand beaches between Pasut and Klatingdukuh are being developed for tourism, but apart from the seaside temple of Tanah Lot , they are not yet used for significant tourism. The largest city

1566-639: Is the island's cultural centre. Three small islands lie to the immediate south-east and all are administratively part of the Klungkung regency of Bali: Nusa Penida , Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan . These islands are separated from Bali by the Badung Strait . To the east, the Lombok Strait separates Bali from Lombok and marks the biogeographical division between the fauna of the Indomalayan realm and

1653-415: Is the provincial capital, Denpasar , near the southern coast. Its population is around 748,400 (mid 2023). Bali's second-largest city is the old colonial capital, Singaraja , which is located on the north coast and is home to around 150,000 people in 2020. Other important cities include the beach resort, Kuta , which is practically part of Denpasar's urban area, and Ubud , situated at the north of Denpasar,

1740-772: The 2022 G20 Bali summit , the seventeenth meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) was held in Nusa Dua . The island of Bali lies 3.2 km (2.0 mi) east of Java , and is approximately 8 degrees south of the equator . Bali and Java are separated by the Bali Strait . East to west, the island is approximately 153 km (95 mi) wide and spans approximately 112 km (70 mi) north to south; administratively it covers 5,590.15 km (2,158.37 sq mi), or 5,387.31 km (2,080.05 sq mi) excluding offshore Nusa Penida District, which comprises three small islands off

1827-497: The Bali Strait to stay in Java and later ruled the kingdom in East Java. He belongs to both Ishana and Warmadewa lineages. Airlangga was born from a dynastic marriage between Ishana of Java and Warmadewa of Bali . His mother, queen Mahendradatta , was a princess of the Ishana dynasty , the sister of King Dharmawangsa of Mataram , while his father, King Udayana Warmadewa of Bali,

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1914-725: The Dutch intervention in Bali , a similar mass suicide occurred in the face of a Dutch assault in Klungkung . Afterwards, the Dutch governours exercised administrative control over the island, but local control over religion and culture generally remained intact. Dutch rule over Bali came later and was never as well established as in other parts of Indonesia such as Java and Maluku . In the 1930s, anthropologists Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson , artists Miguel Covarrubias and Walter Spies , and musicologist Colin McPhee all spent time here. Their accounts of

2001-477: The Lesser Sunda archipelago isolated. Being just 8 degrees south of the equator, Bali has a fairly even climate all year round. Average year-round temperature stands at around 30 °C (86 °F) with a humidity level of about 85%. Daytime temperatures at low elevations vary between 20 and 33 °C (68 and 91 °F), but the temperatures decrease significantly with increasing elevation. The west monsoon

2088-741: The Wallace Line ), and rhinoceros . Squirrels are quite commonly encountered, less often is the Asian palm civet , which is also kept in coffee farms to produce kopi luwak . Bats are well represented, perhaps the most famous place to encounter them remaining is the Goa Lawah (Temple of the Bats) where they are worshipped by the locals and also constitute a tourist attraction. They also occur in other cave temples, for instance at Gangga Beach. Two species of monkey occur. The crab-eating macaque , known locally as "kera",

2175-763: The Wallace Line , and thus has a fauna that is Asian in character, with very little Australasian influence, and has more in common with Java than with Lombok. An exception is the yellow-crested cockatoo , a member of a primarily Australasian family. There are around 280 species of birds, including the critically endangered Bali myna , which is endemic . Others include barn swallow , black-naped oriole , black racket-tailed treepie , crested serpent-eagle , crested treeswift , dollarbird , Java sparrow , lesser adjutant , long-tailed shrike , milky stork , Pacific swallow , red-rumped swallow , sacred kingfisher , sea eagle , woodswallow , savanna nightjar , stork-billed kingfisher , yellow-vented bulbul and great egret . Until

2262-435: The first free elections in 1999 . The province is divided into eight regencies ( kabupaten ) and one city ( kota ); all the regencies were originally inaugurated on 9 August 1958, while the city of Denpasar were created from part of Badung Regency on 15 January 1992. They are tabulated below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023 and

2349-569: The king cobra and reticulated python . The water monitor can grow to at least 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length and 50 kg (110 lb) and can move quickly. The rich coral reefs around the coast, particularly around popular diving spots such as Tulamben , Amed , Menjangan or neighbouring Nusa Penida , host a wide range of marine life, for instance hawksbill turtle , giant sunfish , giant manta ray , giant moray eel, bumphead parrotfish , hammerhead shark , reef shark , barracuda , and sea snakes . Dolphins are commonly encountered on

2436-524: The tourist industry has led to 200 out of 400 rivers on the island drying up. Research suggests that the southern part of Bali would face a water shortage. To ease the shortage, the central government plans to build a water catchment and processing facility at Petanu River in Gianyar. The 300 litres capacity of water per second will be channelled to Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar in 2013. A 2010 Environment Ministry report on its environmental quality index gave Bali

2523-709: The 2018 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group and the 2022 G20 summit . In March 2017, TripAdvisor named Bali as the world's top destination in its Traveller's Choice award, which it also earned in January 2021. Bali is part of the Coral Triangle , the area with the highest biodiversity of marine species, especially fish and turtles. In this area alone, over 500 reef-building coral species can be found. For comparison, this

2610-585: The Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur was built by Sukarno and boosted tourism in Bali. Before the Bali Beach Hotel construction, there were only three significant tourist-class hotels on the island. Construction of hotels and restaurants began to spread throughout Bali. Tourism further increased in Bali after the Ngurah Rai International Airport opened in 1970. The Buleleng regency government encouraged

2697-432: The Bali economy. Bali is the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia, with 86.9% of the population adhering to Balinese Hinduism . It is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. The Indonesian International Film Festival is held every year in Bali. Other international events that have been held in Bali include Miss World 2013 ,

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2784-430: The Bali king Udayana Warmadewa (Dharmodayanavarmadeva) around 989, giving birth to Airlangga around 1001. This marriage also brought more Hinduism and Javanese culture to Bali. Princess Sakalendukirana appeared in 1098. Suradhipa reigned from 1115 to 1119, and Jayasakti from 1146 until 1150. Jayapangus appears on inscriptions between 1178 and 1181, while Adikuntiketana and his son Paramesvara in 1204. Balinese culture

2871-532: The Balinese legend of the evil witch Rangda , which translates to "widow". Airlangga was born and grew up in Bali, groomed by his mother, queen Mahendradatta, to be a proper future ruler. In his teenage years, his mother sent him back to her parents' home in Java to be educated further in Watugaluh court, Mataram, East Java, under the patronage of his uncle, King Dharmawangsa . Airlangga was betrothed to his cousin, one of Dharmawangsa's daughters, thus arranged marriage

2958-462: The Dutch subjugated and repulsed the natives for economic control and took it over. The first known European contact with Bali is thought to have been made in 1512, when a Portuguese expedition led by Antonio Abreu and Francisco Serrão sighted its northern shores. It was the first expedition of a series of bi-annual fleets to the Moluccas, that throughout the 16th century travelled along the coasts of

3045-564: The Human Development Index for each regency and city. The province forms one of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to the People's Representative Council . The Bali Electoral District consists of all of the 8 regencies in the province, together with the city of Denpasar, and elects 9 members to the People's Representative Council. In the 1970s, the Balinese economy

3132-556: The Indonesian archipelago during the second half of the 19th century. Dutch political and economic control over Bali began in the 1840s on the island's north coast when the Dutch pitted various competing Balinese realms against each other. In the late 1890s, struggles between Balinese kingdoms on the island's south were exploited by the Dutch to increase their control. In June 1860, the famous Welsh naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace , travelled to Bali from Singapore , landing at Buleleng on

3219-565: The Kelagen inscription (dated 1037 CE), Airlangga also took a keen interest in agriculture development. He embarked on a grand irrigation project by constructing the Wringin Sapta dam (located in today's Jombang Regency). By building a dam on the Brantas River, he provided irrigation to surrounding paddy fields and maintained a hydraulic system in the area. Towards the end of his life, Airlangga

3306-556: The Maharaja of Srivijaya saw Javanese Mataram as a dangerous threat, thus arranged a stratagem to destroy Mataram by inciting a revolt. King Wurawari of Lwaram was probably an ally of Srivijaya in Java and also the vassal of Mataram. With Srivijaya's assistance, Wurawari managed to sack and burn Watugaluh Palace during Mataram's most unexpected time; the Airlangga's royal wedding. Airlangga, accompanied by his guard Narottama, escaped westward into

3393-507: The Selomangleng Cave beneath Mount Klothok, 5 kilometers to the west of the city of Kediri . Because the crown princess Sangramawijaya had renounced the throne, two of her younger half-brothers were next in line of succession. Both are equally rightful as the heirs and both contesting the throne. In 1045, Airlangga divided Kahuripan into two kingdoms which were inherited by his two sons; Janggala and Kediri . Airlangga himself abdicated

3480-584: The Sunda Islands. Bali was also mapped in 1512, in the chart of Francisco Rodrigues, aboard the expedition. In 1585, a ship foundered off the Bukit Peninsula and left a few Portuguese in the service of Dewa Agung . In 1597, the Dutch merchant-explorer Cornelis de Houtman arrived at Bali, and the Dutch East India Company was established in 1602. The Dutch government expanded its control across

3567-467: The authority of the Provincial Government includes: The authority of the provincial government are government affairs which are located across regencies/municipalities, government affairs whose users are across regencies/municipalities, government affairs whose benefits or negative impacts lie across regencies/municipalities, government affairs which use more resources. efficient if carried out by

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3654-455: The command of KNIL Lieutenant Colonel W.P. Roodenburg. On 19 February 1942, the Japanese forces landed near the town of Sanoer (Sanur). The island was quickly captured. During the Japanese occupation, a Balinese military officer, I Gusti Ngurah Rai , formed a Balinese 'freedom army'. The harshness of Japanese occupation forces made them more resented than the Dutch colonial rulers. In 1945, Bali

3741-472: The country. A bombing in 2002 by militant Islamists in the tourist area of Kuta killed 202 people, mostly foreigners. This attack, and another in 2005 , severely reduced tourism, producing much economic hardship on the island. On 27 November 2017, Mount Agung erupted five times, causing the evacuation of thousands, disrupting air travel and causing much environmental damage. Further eruptions also occurred between 2018 and 2019. On 15–16 November 2022,

3828-570: The country. Article 18 paragraph 1 of the 1945 Constitution states that "the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia is divided into provincial regions and those provincial regions are divided into regencies and city, whereby every one of those provinces, regencies, and municipalities has its regional government, which shall be regulated by laws." According to the Law on Regional Government (UU 23/2014)

3915-403: The creation of additional provinces (by the splitting of existing provinces) have been considered by the Indonesian government, but further action has been suspended since 2013 under a moratorium declared on any creations of further provinces, regencies or cities. However, in 2022, 9 years later, Central Papua , Highland Papua , South Papua , and Southwest Papua became the youngest provinces in

4002-547: The descendant of Mpu Sindok of the Ishana dynasty. However, there is speculation suggesting that Airlangga was not the biological son of King Udayana, Mahendradatta probably conceived Airlangga from her previous union to an unknown man, and after her separation (either because of death or divorce) Mahendradatta was betrothed to the Balinese king, thus she took the baby Airlangga to Bali. Historical sources seem to be silenced on Mahendradatta's suspected earlier marriage, that it might be

4089-591: The distinctly different fauna of Australasia . The transition is known as the Wallace Line , named after Alfred Russel Wallace , who first proposed a transition zone between these two major biomes . When sea levels dropped during the Pleistocene ice age , Bali was connected to Java and Sumatra and to the mainland of Asia and shared the Asian fauna, but the deep water of the Lombok Strait continued to keep Lombok Island and

4176-532: The early 20th century, Bali was possibly home to several large mammals : banteng , leopard and the endemic Bali tiger . The banteng still occurs in its domestic form, whereas leopards are found only in neighbouring Java, and the Bali tiger is extinct. The last definite record of a tiger on Bali dates from 1937 when one was shot, though the subspecies may have survived until the 1940s or 1950s. Pleistocene and Holocene megafaunas include banteng and giant tapir (based on speculations that they might have reached up to

4263-420: The extermination of PKI members. As a result of the 1965–66 upheavals, Suharto was able to manoeuvre Sukarno out of the presidency . His "New Order" government re-established relations with Western countries. The pre-War Bali as "paradise" was revived in a modern form. The resulting large growth in tourism has led to a dramatic increase in Balinese standards of living and significant foreign exchange earned for

4350-513: The first time became important centres of trade. Although there are few surviving archaeological remains dating from his time, Airlangga is known to have been a keen patron of the arts, notably literature. In 1035, the court poet Mpu Kanwa composed the Kakawin Arjunawiwaha , which was adapted from the Mahabharata epic. This text told the story of Arjuna , an incarnation of Indra , but

4437-535: The government of Indonesia. Bali was inhabited around 2000 BC by Austronesian people who migrated originally from the island of Taiwan to Southeast Asia and Oceania through Maritime Southeast Asia . Culturally and linguistically, the Balinese are closely related to the people of the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia , Brunei , the Philippines , and Oceania . Stone tools dating from this time have been found near

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4524-431: The highly productive agriculture sector. South of the mountains is a broad, steadily descending area where most of Bali's large rice crop is grown. The northern side of the mountains slopes more steeply to the sea and is the main coffee-producing area of the island, along with rice, vegetables, and cattle. The longest river, Ayung River , flows approximately 75 km (47 mi) (see List of rivers of Bali ). The island

4611-408: The independence of Indonesia, eight provinces were established. West Java , Central Java , East Java , and Maluku still exist as of today despite later divisions, while Sumatra , Kalimantan , Sulawesi , and Nusa Tenggara , formerly Lesser Sunda ( Sunda Kecil ) were fully liquidated by dividing them into new provinces. The province of Central Sumatra existed from 1948 to 1957, while East Timor

4698-507: The island and its peoples created a western image of Bali as "an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature". Western tourists began to visit the island. The sensuous image of Bali was enhanced in the West by a quasi-pornographic 1932 documentary Virgins of Bali about a day in the lives of two teenage Balinese girls whom the film's narrator Deane Dickason notes in the first scene "bathe their shamelessly nude bronze bodies". Under

4785-543: The jungle and retreated as a hermit in Vanagiri (today Wonogiri , Central Java). In 1019, after several years in self-imposed exile in a Mount Vanagiri hermitage, Airlangga rallied support from officials and regents that are loyal to the former Ishana dynasty and began to unite the areas that had formerly been ruled by the Mataram kingdom, which had disintegrated after Dharmawangsa's death. He consolidated his authority, established

4872-498: The kamal tree to be forever short, thus becoming the name of the village where this event took place; kamal pandak ("the short tamarind tree"). Airlangga died in 1049, and his ashes were probably scattered in Belahan tirtha (sacred bathing pool), on the eastern slopes of Mount Penanggungan , wherein one of the waterspout statues he was portrayed as Vishnu riding Garuda, flanked by statues of two goddesses; Shri and Lakshmi portrayed

4959-525: The looser version of the Hays code that existed up to 1934, nudity involving "civilised" (i.e. white) women was banned, but permitted with "uncivilised" (i.e. all non-white women), a loophole that was exploited by the producers of Virgins of Bali . The film, which mostly consisted of scenes of topless Balinese women was a great success in 1932, and almost single-handedly made Bali into a popular spot for tourists. Imperial Japan occupied Bali during World War II. It

5046-420: The north coast near Singaraja and Lovina . A team of scientists surveyed from 29 April 2011, to 11 May 2011, at 33 sea sites around Bali. They discovered 952 species of reef fish of which 8 were new discoveries at Pemuteran, Gilimanuk, Nusa Dua , Tulamben and Candidasa , and 393 coral species, including two new ones at Padangbai and between Padangbai and Amed . The average coverage level of healthy coral

5133-412: The north coast of the island. Wallace's trip to Bali was instrumental in helping him devise his Wallace Line theory. The Wallace Line is a faunal boundary that runs through the strait between Bali and Lombok . It is a boundary between species. In his travel memoir The Malay Archipelago , Wallace wrote of his experience in Bali, which has a strong mention of the unique Balinese irrigation methods : I

5220-443: The period following the fall of Suharto . Some provinces have been granted additional autonomy beyond this. The form this special autonomy takes is not standardized, with provinces gaining different formulations of specific autonomy based on particular political imperatives. The provinces are officially grouped into seven geographical units for statistical and national planning purposes, but without administrative function. Upon

5307-622: The plan, simultaneous partial local elections were held in February 2017 , June 2018 and December 2020 , culminating in simultaneous elections for all local executive posts in November 2024 and then every five years. The decentralization of some power and autonomy to provinces is called for by Article 18 of the Constitution of Indonesia , and this article was expanded through amendments in October 1999 in

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5394-637: The poor fate of the Srivijayan princess, having lost her family and her kingdom, and probably genuinely fell in love and devoted to her, thus promoting her as prameswari (the queen consort ). Airlangga went further, naming his daughter from queen Dharmaprasadottungadewi as heiress, the future queen regnant of Kahuripan. The decline of Srivijaya due to the Chola invasion gave Airlangga opportunity to consolidate his kingdom without foreign interference. Later, he extended his kingdom to Central Java and Bali . The north coast of Java, particularly Surabaya and Tuban , for

5481-495: The pride of the best-cultivated parts of Europe. The Dutch mounted large naval and ground assaults at the Sanur region in 1906 and were met by the thousands of members of the royal family and their followers who rather than yield to the superior Dutch force committed ritual suicide ( puputan ) to avoid the humiliation of surrender. Despite Dutch demands for surrender, an estimated 200 Balinese killed themselves rather than surrender. In

5568-601: The province. Each province has a local government , headed by a governor and a legislative body (DPRD). The governor and members of local representative bodies are elected by popular vote for five-year terms, but governors can only serve for two terms. The general election to elect members of the DPRDs is conducted simultaneously with the national general election. Previously, the general elections for Governor and Vice Governor were not held simultaneously. However, since 2015 regional head elections have been held simultaneously. Under

5655-542: The second-largest, after Makassar , in Eastern Indonesia . Denpasar metropolitan area is the extended metropolitan area around Denpasar . The upland town of Ubud in Greater Denpasar is considered Bali's cultural centre. The province is Indonesia's main tourist destination, with a significant rise in tourism since the 1980s, and becoming an Indonesian area of overtourism . Tourism-related business makes up 80% of

5742-424: The southeast coast of Bali. Its population density was roughly 788 people/km (2,040 people/sq mi) in mid 2023. Bali's central mountains include several peaks over 2,000 metres (6,600 feet) in elevation and active volcanoes such as Mount Batur . The highest is Mount Agung (3,031 m; 9,944 ft), known as the "mother mountain", which is an active volcano rated as one of the world's most likely sites for

5829-430: The throne in 1045 and returned to the hermit life by assuming a new name as Resi Aji Paduka Mpungku Sang Pinaka Catraning Bhuwana , bestowed by Mpu Bharada, a famous hermit. The reasons behind the partition of a kingdom that Airlangga himself painstakingly united during his younger years remain a puzzle for historians. Some suggested that it was meant to avoid civil war since both of Airlangga's sons were equally rightful to

5916-412: The throne. A local legend, mixed with fantastic fiction, mentioned the partition of the kingdom. It was said that Mpu Bharada was the one who conducted the partition; with his extraordinary skill, he flew and poured water from a jar that the water traces magically transformed into a river marking the boundary of the two new kingdoms. Accidentally he stuck on a kamal ( tamarind ) tree, feeling upset he cursed

6003-481: The time, managed to escape unharmed. According to tradition the calamity, dubbed as Pralaya (destruction) of Mataram, took place during Airlangga's wedding ceremony in Dharmawangsa palace. Today historians strongly suggest that the invasion was a Srivijayan retaliation against Mataram for the attacks upon the empire. After the failed Dharmawangsa's naval campaign against Palembang back in 990, Sri Culamanivarmadeva

6090-636: The tourism sector as one of the mainstays for economic progress and social welfare. Provinces of Indonesia Currently, Indonesia is divided into 38 provinces, nine of which have special autonomous status. The terminology for special status are " Istimewa " and " Khusus ", which translates to 'special' or 'designated' in English. Provinces are further divided into regencies and cities (formerly called second-level region regencies/cities or kabupaten/kotamadya daerah tingkat II ), which are in turn subdivided into districts ( kecamatan ). Proposals for

6177-611: The village of Cekik in the island's west. In ancient Bali, nine Hindu sects existed, the Pasupata , Bhairawa , Siwa Shidanta, Vaishnava , Bodha , Brahma , Resi, Sora and Ganapatya . Each sect revered a specific deity as its personal Godhead. Inscriptions from 896 and 911 do not mention a king, until 914, when Sri Kesarivarma is mentioned. They also reveal an independent Bali, with a distinct dialect, where Buddhism and Shaivism were practised simultaneously. Mpu Sindok 's great-granddaughter, Mahendradatta (Gunapriyadharmapatni), married

6264-687: The widening of social divisions across Indonesia in the 1950s and early 1960s, Bali saw conflict between supporters of the traditional caste system , and those rejecting this system. Politically, the opposition was represented by supporters of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) and the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI), with tensions and ill-feeling further increased by the PKI's land reform programmes. A purported coup attempt in Jakarta

6351-504: The world's plastic waste. In the national legislature , Bali is represented by nine members, with a single electoral district covering the whole province. The Bali Regional People's Representative Council, the provincial legislature, has 55 members. The province's politics has historically been dominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which has won by far the most votes in every election in Bali since

6438-499: Was annexed as a province from 1976 until its power transfer to UNTAET in 1999 prior to its independence as a country in 2002. Airlangga Airlangga (also spelled Erlangga ), regnal name Rakai Halu Sri Lokeswara Dharmawangsa Airlangga Anantawikramottunggadewa (born 1002 in Bali , Indonesia  – died 1049 in Java ), was the only king of the Kingdom of Kahuripan . The Kingdom

6525-1097: Was 36% (better than in Raja Ampat and Halmahera by 29% or in Fakfak and Kaimana by 25%) with the highest coverage found in Gili Selang and Gili Mimpang in Candidasa , Karangasem Regency . Among the larger trees the most common are: banyan trees, jackfruit , coconuts , bamboo species, acacia trees and also endless rows of coconuts and banana species. Numerous flowers can be seen: hibiscus , frangipani , bougainvillea , poinsettia , oleander , jasmine , water lily , lotus , roses , begonias , orchids and hydrangeas exist. On higher grounds that receive more moisture, for instance, around Kintamani , certain species of fern trees, mushrooms and even pine trees thrive well. Rice comes in many varieties. Other plants with agricultural value include: salak , mangosteen , corn , Kintamani orange, coffee and water spinach . Over-exploitation by

6612-560: Was a king of the Balinese Warmadewa Dynasty . Bali in the 11th century probably was an ally or vassal of Java, the marriage of Airlangga's parents was probably meant as a political means to seal Bali as part of Mataram's realm. Airlangga has two younger brothers, Marakata (who later became king of Bali after the death of their father) and Anak Wungçu (who ascended to Balinese throne after the death of Marakata). Later, in various inscriptions created by Airlangga, he claimed to be

6699-499: Was also an allegory for Airlangga's own life. The tale of Airlangga's life was illustrated in the Belahan Temple on the flanks of Mount Penanggungan, where he was portrayed in stone as Vishnu on Garuda. In 1037 the capital was moved from Watan Mas to Kahuripan, the king also reported to bestow titles for his loyal followers, such as Narottama promoted as Rakryan Kanuruhan (prime minister) and Niti as Rakryan Kuningan. According to

6786-575: Was astonished and delighted; as my visit to Java was some years later, I had never beheld so beautiful and well-cultivated a district out of Europe. A slightly undulating plain extends from the seacoast about ten or twelve miles (16 or 19 kilometres) inland, where it is bounded by a fine range of wooded and cultivated hills. Houses and villages, marked out by dense clumps of coconut palms , tamarind and other fruit trees, are dotted about in every direction; while between them extend luxurious rice grounds, watered by an elaborate system of irrigation that would be

6873-434: Was averted by forces led by General Suharto. The army became the dominant power as it instigated a violent anti-communist purge , in which the army blamed the PKI for the coup. Most estimates suggest that at least 500,000 people were killed across Indonesia, with an estimated 80,000 killed in Bali, equivalent to 5% of the island's population. With no Islamic forces involved as in Java and Sumatra, upper-caste PNI landlords led

6960-457: Was built from the territory of the Kingdom of Mataram after Mataram was sacked by King Wurawari of Lwaram. He gradually gained support, won back the kingdom once ruled by his uncle, and went on to become one of Java's most notable kings. Airlangga means "jumping water", thus his name means "he who crossed the water", described his life story; born in the court of Bali and during his youth crossed

7047-406: Was faced with the problem of succession. His heiress, the crown princess Sangramawijaya, decided to become a Bhikkuni Buddhist hermit rather than succeed Airlangga as queen regnant . Sangramawijaya is the daughter of the queen consort Dharmaprasadottunggadewi. The story of a crown princess who renounced the throne to become a hermit is linked with the popular legend of Dewi Kilisuci who resides in

7134-619: Was in place. At that time, Mataram had become a powerful kingdom, allied or probably subjugated Bali, and had established a colony in West Kalimantan . Dharmawangsa aspired to ascend Mataram as a regional power by challenging the Srivijaya Empire's domination. In 990 he launched a naval invasion against Srivijaya and unsuccessfully tried to capture Palembang. Srivijaya resiliently succeeds in repelling Javanese Mataram invaders. The Calcutta Stone inscription (dated from 1041 CE), describes

7221-488: Was largely agriculture-based in terms of both output and employment. Tourism is now the largest single industry in terms of income, and as a result, Bali is one of Indonesia's wealthiest regions. In 2003, around 80% of Bali's economy was tourism related. By the end of June 2011, the rate of non-performing loans of all banks in Bali were 2.23%, lower than the average of Indonesian banking industry non-performing loan rates (about 5%). The economy, however, suffered significantly as

7308-471: Was liberated by the British 5th infantry Division under the command of Major-General Robert Mansergh who took the Japanese surrender. Once Japanese forces had been repatriated the island was handed over to the Dutch the following year. In 1946, the Dutch constituted Bali as one of the 13 administrative districts of the newly proclaimed State of East Indonesia , a rival state to the Republic of Indonesia, which

7395-525: Was not originally a target in their Netherlands East Indies Campaign, but as the airfields on Borneo were inoperative due to heavy rains, the Imperial Japanese Army decided to occupy Bali, which did not suffer from comparable weather. The island had no regular Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) troops. There was only a Native Auxiliary Corps Prajoda (Korps Prajoda) consisting of about 600 native soldiers and several Dutch KNIL officers under

7482-613: Was proclaimed and headed by Sukarno and Hatta . Bali was included in the " Republic of the United States of Indonesia " when the Netherlands recognised Indonesian independence on 29 December 1949. The first governor of Bali, Anak Agung Bagus Suteja , was appointed by President Sukarno in 1958, when Bali became a province. The 1963 eruption of Mount Agung killed thousands, created economic havoc, and forced many displaced Balinese to be transmigrated to other parts of Indonesia. Mirroring

7569-669: Was strongly influenced by Indian, Chinese, and particularly Hindu culture, beginning around the 1st century AD. The name Bali dwipa ("Bali island") has been discovered from various inscriptions, including the Blanjong pillar inscription written by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 914 AD and mentioning Walidwipa . It was during this time that the people developed their complex irrigation system subak to grow rice in wet-field cultivation . Some religious and cultural traditions still practised today can be traced to this period. The Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit Empire (1293–1520 AD) on eastern Java founded

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