Bawean
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bawean is an island of Indonesia located approximately 200 km north of Surabaya in the Java Sea. The name comes from Sanskrit which means "there is sunlight". It is approximately 15 km in diameter and is circumnavigated by a single narrow road. Bawean is dominated by an extinct volcano at its center that rises over 650 m above sea level. The islands population is around 65,000. Approximately 40,000 live in the capital of Sangkapura and the rest live in small villages scattered around the island.
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[edit] Topography
Topographically, the island rises to a point at the volcano near the center and descends through lush jungle to white-sand beaches, tidepools, and mangrove stands. Like many islands in Southeast Asia, Bawean is surrounded by several coral reefs and multiple sand-islands (noko).
[edit] Language and culture
The language of Bawean is officially Indonesian, though being as remote as it is many still speak the original dialect, similar to Madurese. The culture is also similar (at least to an outsider) to Madurese though Bawean has had even less exposure to outside influences and contact with the West. However, the people are friendly and polite to outsiders.
Bawean is also called "The Island of Women" because of the large number of men that become merchant sailors. There is a saying on Bawean to the effect of "You are not really a man until you have spent several years abroad." It is not uncommon to find Baweanese who have been to Europe, China, Japan, and even North America and South America.
Bawean is entirely Muslim, though this is heavily blended with shamanism and folk animism. For instance, the prevailing belief on the island is that if you swim in Teraga Kastoba, the crater lake, you will become cursed and die.
[edit] Economy
The men not working the freighters are almost exclusively either fishermen or farmers, otherwise they go to Java to study and work. The dominant crop is rice, and the island lends itself to rice production due to its gentle sloping towards the ocean with a large water reservoir and river at [relatively] high altitude.
Bawean is extremely undeveloped by Western standards. Some houses in Sangkapura have electricity and the city has a few telephone centers where anyone may pay to make calls, and there are mobile phone capabilities. Some buildings may have running water. There is only one net cafe on the island and the dial-up connection to its two computers is spotty at best. The rest of the island is almost entirely without electricity or running water. There are few motorized vehicles, and most travel is done by bicycle, horse and cart, or becak.
[edit] Flora & fauna
- The island produces, though does not export, many kinds of fruit including Mangosteen, Durian, Merah Mudah (lit, Red Fruit), Snakefruit, and many varieties of bananas.
- Bawean is home to Bawean Deer (Axis Kuhlii), a species unique to the island.
- Thousands of species of fish inhabit the reefs around the island.
