Blog - Page 12 of 13 - Praying for Indonesia

Who are the North Sumatra Malay?

North Sumatra is the homeland of both the Batak ethnic group who live in the mountains and the Melayu (Malay) people who live on the eastern coast. Other people groups also live there, including the Jawa, Nias, and Mandailing. The Malay people in North Sumatra are not actually an ethnic… Read more

Who are the Jawa Pesisir Lor?

The “Jawa Pesisir Lor” people are a distinctive Muslim Javanese sub-ethnic group. They inhabit the villages, small towns, and cities which stretch south from the North Java Sea to the hills and mountains that span two-thirds of the length of the island of Java. This sub-ethnic group has more in… Read more

Who are the Loloan?

The Loloan (also known as the Melayu Bali) people are located in the district of Negara on the western end of Bali. The word Loloan is derived from the word liloan (“wrapped around” or “winding”), which refers to the first settler’s description of the River Ijogading, with its turbulent, changing… Read more

“Mudik” is a Unique Phenomenon in Indonesia

Ramadan is almost over, and the celebration at the end of Ramadan, Idul Fitri is the biggest holiday in Indonesia. Right before this holiday, there is a mass exodus out of big cities in Indonesia as Indonesians go home. Indonesians actually have a special word for this, called “mudik.”… Read more

A House of Prayer Closed

Protestant Christians in Bogor, West Java have seen much persecution recently. Now Catholics are the brunt of persecution. A “house of prayer” was recently closed for a week. The congregation was told that if they try to use building for prayer during this time, authorities would demolish the building. Pray… Read more

Who are the Banjar?

The southern and eastern coast of Kalimantan is home to the Banjar people, who live along the rivers from the interior rainforest to the coastal cities. Most Banjar live in Southern Kalimantan, but there are also significant Banjar populations in East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Riau Province, and Malaysia. The Banjar… Read more

Who are the Betawi?

The Betawi people are the original inhabitants of Jakarta. They are often called “people of Jakarta,” “people of Batavia,” or “Betawi.” They are descendents of the people who came to Batavia, (the historical name for Jakarta) in the 15th century. Today, the original Betawi community can be found in areas… Read more

Who are the Bangka?

The Bangka live on the island of Bangka in the South China Sea, off the east coast of Sumatra in Bangka-Belitung Province. Other Indonesians often visit this island because it has beautiful beaches. Inhabitants of the island are composed of two groups: those descended from the Malay and those descended… Read more

Who are the Bakumpai?

The Bakumpai are a group of Dayak people who speak the Bakumpai language and call themselves the Bakumpai. However, there are many similarities between the Bakumpai and the Dayak ethnic groups around them. In spite of this, they choose to identify themselves as different from the Dayak groups mainly because… Read more

Who are The Balinese?

The island of Bali is probably better known than the country of Indonesia. The word “Bali” brings to mind visions of a tropical paradise. Its beauty, friendly people, exquisite art and unique dance have made Bali a favorite destination for millions of tourists from around the world. On this “Island… Read more

Sulawesi

Sulawesi is the most uniquely shaped island in the Indonesian archipelago, with four large, narrow peninsulas. Many people describe the island as either crab-shaped or orchid-shaped. Sulawesi is between Borneo and the Maluku Islands, with the Philippines to the north and Java to the south. Sulawesi has six provinces: North… Read more

Who are the Aji?

The Aji are a small community who live in a mountainous area of South Sumatra. They are often called the Haji people because according to a folktale they are descendants of a “Haji” (a person who has completed the Hajj). The Aji live in 14 villages. Eleven of the villages… Read more

Who are the Jawa Banyumasan?

The Jawa Banyumasan live in the southwest part of the province of Central Java, specifically in the regencies of Cilacap, Kebumen, Purworejo, Purbalingga, Banjarnegara, and Banyumas. The Jawa Banyumasan is one of the subgroups of the Jawa people groups, but they have their own cultural variations which differ from other… Read more

Who are the Banten?

When Indonesians hear “Banten”, they often think of the mystical arts. The Banten are basically Sunda who have had a different identity since the time of the establishment of the Banten Kingdom, which broke off from the Padjajaran Kingdom of West Java. The Banten live in Banten Province in the… Read more

Who are the Riau Malay?

The Riau Province of Sumatra is in Central Sumatra. While most Melayu Riau (Riau Malays) live on the mainland of Sumatra, other Riau peoples live on the 3,214 small islands that comprise the province of Riau Islands, just east of the Riau province. The two most developed islands in that… Read more

Who Are the Sundanese?

The Sundanese are the largest unreached people group in Indonesia; their homeland is in the province of West Java. The area inhabited by the Sunda is called “Sunda Land.” The Sunda live near the Javanese, Banten, Betawi, and the coastal Javanese of Kulon. The Sunda are also called Priangan or… Read more

Who Are the Madurese?

The Madurese people are the third largest people group in Indonesia. Most Madurese live on the island of Madura and in the eastern part of the island of Java. Other major pockets of Madurese people can be found in Jakarta, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and even Singapore. “E tembang pote matah, angok… Read more

Who Are The Jambi?

The Jambi people also known as the Jambi Malay or Melayu Jambi, primarily live in central Sumatra. They occupy the regencies of Batanghari, Bungo-Tebo, Sarolangun, Muaro Jambi, Merangin and the capital city of Jambi Province. The Jambi language is part of the Malay language cluster. Their culture has been heavily… Read more

Who Are The Acehnese?

The Acehnese people live on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Aceh province. Their provincial capital of Banda Aceh used to be a stopover for Southeast Asian Muslims traveling by ship to Mecca. For this reason the city is sometimes known as “The Veranda of Mecca.” The… Read more

Bali

Bali is the center of tourism for Indonesia. Java is to the west and Lombok to the east. To the south is the Indian Ocean, and to the north is the Java Sea. Bali has world famous beaches, including Kuta Beach, Nusa Dua, and Sanur. In addition to the beaches,… Read more