Bali is an island and a province of Indonesia.
The province covers a few small neighbouring islands as well as the
island of Bali itself. It is located at the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. One of the country's 34 provinces, Bali has its capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island.
With a population recorded as 3,890,757 in the 2010 census,[5] and currently 4.22 million,[6] the island is home to most of Indonesia's Hindu minority. According to the 2010 Census, 84.5% of Bali's population adhered to Balinese Hinduism[4] while most of the remainder followed Islam. Bali is also the largest tourist destination in the country and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking, and music. A tourist haven for decades, the province has seen a further surge in tourist numbers in recent years.
History
Bali was inhabited by around 2000 BC by Austronesian people who migrated originally from Southeast Asia and Oceania through Maritime Southeast Asia.[7][8]
Culturally and linguistically, the Balinese are thus closely related to
the people of the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia, the Philippines,
and Oceania.[8] Stone tools dating from this time have been found near the village of Cekik in the island's west.[9][10]
In ancient Bali, nine Hindu sects existed, namely Pasupata, Bhairawa,
Siwa Shidanta, Waisnawa, Bodha, Brahma, Resi, Sora and Ganapatya. Each
sect revered a specific deity as its personal Godhead.[11]
Balinese culture 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 complex irrigation system subak
was developed to grow rice. Some religious and cultural traditions
still in existence today can be traced back to this period. The Hindu Majapahit Empire (1293–1520 AD) on eastern Java
founded a Balinese colony in 1343. When the empire declined, there was
an exodus of intellectuals, artists, priests, and musicians from Java to
Bali in the 15th century.
The first European contact with Bali is thought to have been made in 1585 when a Portuguese ship foundered off the Bukit Peninsula and left a few Portuguese in the service of Dewa Agung.[12] In 1597 the Dutch explorer Cornelis de Houtman arrived at Bali and, with the establishment of the Dutch East India Company
in 1602, the stage was set for colonial control two and a half
centuries later when Dutch control expanded across the Indonesian
archipelago throughout the second half of the 19th century (see Dutch East Indies).
Dutch political and economic control over Bali began in the 1840s on
the island's north coast, when the Dutch pitted various distrustful
Balinese realms against each other.[13]
In the late 1890s, struggles between Balinese kingdoms in the island's
south were exploited by the Dutch to increase their control.
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 fought against the superior Dutch force in a
suicidal puputan defensive assault rather than face the humiliation of surrender.[13] Despite Dutch demands for surrender, an estimated 200 Balinese marched to their death against the invaders.[14] In the Dutch intervention in Bali (1908), a similar massacre occurred in the face of a Dutch assault in Klungkung.
Afterwards the Dutch governors were able to exercise 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, and artists Miguel Covarrubias and Walter Spies, and musicologist Colin McPhee created a western image of Bali as "an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature", and western tourism first developed on the island.[15]
Imperial Japan
occupied Bali during World War II. Bali Island 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 command of KNIL Lieutenant Colonel W.P.
Roodenburg. On 19 February 1942 the Japanese forces landed near the town
of Senoer [Senur]. The island was quickly captured.[16]
During the Japanese occupation a Balinese military officer, Gusti Ngurah Rai,
formed a Balinese 'freedom army'. The lack of institutional changes
from the time of Dutch rule however, and the harshness of war
requisitions made Japanese rule worse than the Dutch one.[17]
Following Japan's Pacific surrender in August 1945, the Dutch promptly
returned to Indonesia, including Bali, immediately to reinstate their
pre-war colonial administration. This was resisted by the Balinese
rebels now using Japanese weapons. On 20 November 1946, the Battle of Marga
was fought in Tabanan in central Bali. Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai, by
then 29 years old, finally rallied his forces in east Bali at Marga
Rana, where they made a suicide attack
on the heavily armed Dutch. The Balinese battalion was entirely wiped
out, breaking the last thread of Balinese military resistance. 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 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 1963 eruption of Mount Agung killed thousands, created economic havoc and forced many displaced Balinese to be transmigrated
to other parts of Indonesia. Mirroring 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 these traditional values. 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 programs.[13] An attempted coup in Jakarta was put down 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.[13][15][18] With no Islamic forces involved as in Java and Sumatra, upper-caste PNI landlords led the extermination of PKI members.[18]
As a result of the 1965/66 upheavals, Suharto was able to manoeuvre Sukarno out of the presidency, and his "New Order"
government reestablished relations with western countries. The pre-War
Bali as "paradise" was revived in a modern form, and the resulting large
growth in tourism has led to a dramatic increase in Balinese standards
of living and significant foreign exchange earned for the country.[13] 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 affected tourism, bringing much economic hardship to the island.
Geography
The island of Bali lies 3.2 km (2 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 (69 mi) north to south; administratively it covers
5,780 km2, or 5,577 km2 without Nusa Penida District,[19] its population density is roughly 750 people/km2.
Bali's central mountains include several peaks over 3,000 metres in elevation. The highest is Mount Agung (3,031 m), known as the "mother mountain" which is an active volcano.
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 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.
The island 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 is the provincial capital, Denpasar, near the southern coast. Its population is around 491,500 (2002). Bali's second-largest city is the old colonial capital, Singaraja, which is located on the north coast and is home to around 100,000 people. 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, 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 ecozone and 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 the Lesser Sunda archipelago isolated.
Tourism
The tourism industry is primarily focused in the south, while
significant in the other parts of the island as well. The main tourist
locations are the town of Kuta (with its beach), and its outer suburbs of Legian and Seminyak (which were once independent townships), the east coast town of Sanur (once the only tourist hub), in the center of the island Ubud, to the south of the Ngurah Rai International Airport, Jimbaran, and the newer development of Nusa Dua and Pecatu.
The American government lifted its travel warnings in 2008. The
Australian government last issued an advice on Friday, 4 May 2012. The
overall level of the advice was lowered to 'Exercise a high degree of
caution'. The Swedish government issued a new warning on Sunday, 10 June
2012 due to one more tourist who has been killed by methanol poisoning.[33]
An offshoot of tourism is the growing real estate industry. Bali real
estate has been rapidly developing in the main tourist areas of Kuta,
Legian, Seminyak and Oberoi. Most recently, high-end 5 star projects are
under development on the Bukit peninsula, on the south side of the
island. Million dollar villas are being developed along the cliff sides
of south Bali, commanding panoramic ocean views. Foreign and domestic
(many Jakarta individuals and companies are fairly active) investment
into other areas of the island also continues to grow. Land prices,
despite the worldwide economic crisis, have remained stable.
In the last half of 2008, Indonesia's currency had dropped
approximately 30% against the US dollar, providing many overseas
visitors value for their currencies. Visitor arrivals for 2009 were
forecast to drop 8% (which would be higher than 2007 levels), due to the
worldwide economic crisis which has also affected the global tourist
industry, but not due to any travel warnings.
Bali's tourism economy survived the terrorist bombings of 2002 and
2005, and the tourism industry has in fact slowly recovered and
surpassed its pre-terrorist bombing levels; the longterm trend has been a
steady increase of visitor arrivals. In 2010, Bali received 2.57
million foreign tourists, which surpassed the target of 2.0–2.3 million
tourists. The average occupancy of starred hotels achieved 65%, so the
island is still able to accommodate tourists for some years without any
addition of new rooms/hotels,[34] although at the peak season some of them are fully booked.
Bali received the Best Island award from Travel and Leisure in 2010.[35]
The island of Bali won because of its attractive surroundings (both
mountain and coastal areas), diverse tourist attractions, excellent
international and local restaurants, and the friendliness of the local
people. According to BBC Travel released in 2011, Bali is one of the
World's Best Islands, rank in second after Greece.[36]
In August 2010, the film version of Eat, Pray, Love (EPL) was released in theaters. The movie was based on Elizabeth Gilbert's
best-selling memoir of the same name. It took place at Ubud and
Padang-Padang Beach at Bali. The 2006 book, which spent 57 weeks at the
No. 1 spot on the New York Times paperback nonfiction best-seller list,
had already fueled a boom in EPL tourism in Ubud, the hill town and
cultural and tourist center that was the focus of Gilbert's quest for
balance through traditional spirituality and healing that leads to love.[37]
Since 2011, China has displaced Japan as the second-largest supplier
of tourists to Bali, while Australia still tops the list. Chinese
tourists increased by 17% from last year due to the impact of ACFTA and new direct flights to Bali.[38]
In January 2012, Chinese tourists year on year (yoy) increased by
222.18% compared to January 2011, while Japanese tourists declined by
23.54% yoy.[39]
Bali reported that it has 2.88 million foreign tourists and 5 million
domestic tourists in 2012, marginally surpassing the expectations of
2.8 million foreign tourists. Forecasts for 2013 are at 3.1 million.[40]
Based on Bank Indonesia
survey in May 2013, 34.39 percent of tourists are upper-middle class
with spending between $1,286 to $5,592 and dominated by Australia,
France, China, Germany and the US with some China tourists move from low
spending before to higher spending currently. While 30.26 percent are
middle class with spending between $662 to $1,285.[41]
Culture
A Kecak dance being performed at Uluwatu, in Bali.
Bali is renowned for its diverse and sophisticated art forms, such as
painting, sculpture, woodcarving, handcrafts, and performing arts. Balinese cuisine is also distinctive. Balinese percussion orchestra music, known as gamelan, is highly developed and varied. Balinese performing arts often portray stories from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana but with heavy Balinese influence. Famous Balinese dances include pendet, legong, baris, topeng, barong, gong keybar, and kecak
(the monkey dance). Bali boasts one of the most diverse and innovative
performing arts cultures in the world, with paid performances at
thousands of temple festivals, private ceremonies, or public shows.[64]
The Hindu New Year, Nyepi,
is celebrated in the spring by a day of silence. On this day everyone
stays at home and tourists are encouraged to remain in their hotels. On
the day before New Year, large and colourful sculptures of ogoh-ogoh
monsters are paraded and finally burned in the evening to drive away
evil spirits. Other festivals throughout the year are specified by the
Balinese pawukon calendrical system.
Celebrations are held for many occasions such as a tooth-filing (coming-of-age ritual), cremation or odalan (temple festival). One of the most important concepts that Balinese ceremonies have in common is that of désa kala patra, which refers to how ritual performances must be appropriate in both the specific and general social context.[65] Many of the ceremonial art forms such as wayang kulit and topeng are highly improvisatory, providing flexibility for the performer to adapt the performance to the current situation.[66] Many celebrations call for a loud, boisterous atmosphere with lots of activity and the resulting aesthetic, ramé, is distinctively Balinese. Often two or more gamelan
ensembles will be performing well within earshot, and sometimes compete
with each other in order to be heard. Likewise, the audience members
talk amongst themselves, get up and walk around, or even cheer on the
performance, which adds to the many layers of activity and the
liveliness typical of ramé.[67]
Kaja and kelod are the Balinese equivalents of North
and South, which refer to ones orientation between the island's largest
mountain Gunung Agung (kaja), and the sea (kelod). In addition to spatial orientation, kaja and kelod
have the connotation of good and evil; gods and ancestors are believed
to live on the mountain whereas demons live in the sea. Buildings such
as temples and residential homes are spatially oriented by having the
most sacred spaces closest to the mountain and the unclean places
nearest to the sea.[65][68]
Most temples have an inner courtyard and an outer courtyard which are arranged with the inner courtyard furthest kaja.
These spaces serve as performance venues since most Balinese rituals
are accompanied by any combination of music, dance and drama. The
performances that take place in the inner courtyard are classified as wali, the most sacred rituals which are offerings exclusively for the gods, while the outer courtyard is where bebali
ceremonies are held, which are intended for gods and people. Lastly,
performances meant solely for the entertainment of humans take place
outside the walls of the temple and are called bali-balihan. This
three-tiered system of classification was standardized in 1971 by a
committee of Balinese officials and artists in order to better protect
the sanctity of the oldest and most sacred Balinese rituals from being
performed for a paying audience.[69]
Tourism, Bali's chief industry, has provided the island with a
foreign audience that is eager to pay for entertainment, thus creating
new performance opportunities and more demand for performers. The impact
of tourism
is controversial since before it became integrated into the economy,
the Balinese performing arts did not exist as a capitalist venture, and
were not performed for entertainment outside of their respective ritual
context. Since the 1930s sacred rituals such as the barong dance
have been performed both in their original contexts, as well as
exclusively for paying tourists. This has led to new versions of many of
these performances which have developed according to the preferences of
foreign audiences; some villages have a barong mask specifically for non-ritual performances as well as an older mask which is only used for sacred performances.[70]
Balinese society continues to revolve around each family's ancestral
village, to which the cycle of life and religion is closely tied.[71] Coercive aspects of traditional society, such as customary law sanctions imposed by traditional authorities such as village councils (including "kasepekang", or shunning) have risen in importance as a consequence of the democratization and decentralization of Indonesia since 1998.[71]
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