Bali Island
Bali lies between Java and Lombok. Denpasar is the capital of the province which is located in the southern part of the island. The majority of the population of Bali is Hindu. In the world famous Bali as a tourist destination with a unique variety of art-culture, especially for the Japanese and Australian. Bali is also known as the Island of Gods and Island of Thousand Temples. Bali is mostly famous for it's beautiful scenery and the amazing culture of their people.
Bali's Geographic
Mount Agung is the highest point in Bali as high as 3,148 m. The volcano last erupted in March 1963. Gunung Batur is also one mountain in Bali. Around 30,000 years ago, Mount Batur erupted and produced a terrible disaster on earth. Unlike in the north, the southern part of Bali is irrigated lowland rivers.
Based on the relief and topography, in the middle of the island of Bali lies the mountains that extends from west to east and in between the mountains which are clusters of volcanic Mount Batur and Mount Agung and the mountains are not volcanoes, namely Mount Merbuk, Mount Patas, and Gunung Seraya. The existence of these mountains cause by Geographic Area Bali is divided into 2 (two) parts are not the same, namely North Bali with a narrow lowland and less sloping, and South Bali with a broad lowland and sloping. Bali slope consists of flat land (0-2%) covering an area of 122 652 hectares, undulating land (2-15%) covering an area of 118 339 ha, steep land (15-40%) and an area of 190 486 ha of land is very steep (40%) an area of 132 189 ha. Province of Bali has 4 (four) lakes located in mountainous areas, namely or Bedugul Lake Beratan, Buyan, Tamblingan, and Batur. Natural beautiful Balinese make the island famous as a tourist area.
The capital of Bali is Denpasar. Places Ubud Other important as the art center and resort, located in Gianyar regency. Nusa Lembongan is as one of the dive (diving), located in Klungkung regency. While Kuta, Seminyak, Jimbaran and Nusa Dua are some places that become major tourist destination, both tourist and beach resort, spa, etc., is located in Badung regency.
The total area of Bali Province is 5636.66 km2 or 0.29% of the territory of the Republic of Indonesia. Administratively, the Province of Bali is divided into 8 districts, 1 municipality, 55 districts, and 701 villages / wards.
Bali's History
Culture of Bali later gained strong influence of Indian culture that the process is getting faster after the 1st century AD. Name Balidwipa (island) began to be found in various inscriptions, including the inscription Blanjong issued by Sri Kesari Warmadewa in 913 AD and mentioning the word Walidwipa. It is estimated that around this time that Subak irrigation system for rice cultivation began to be developed. Some religious and cultural traditions also began to develop at that time. Majapahit Empire (1293-1500 AD) who are Hindus and centered on the island of Java, had founded the kingdom of subordinates in Bali around the year 1343 AD It was almost across the country are Hindus, but with the coming of Islam stood Islamic kingdoms in the archipelago which, among other cause the collapse of Majapahit. Many nobles, clergy, artists and other Hindu community when it withdrew from Java to Bali.
The Europeans who first discovered Bali is Cornelis de Houtman from the Netherlands in 1597, though a Portuguese ship had previously been stranded near the Bukit peninsula, Jimbaran, in 1585. Netherlands through the VOC also began to implement the occupation of the land of Bali, but continue to get resistance, so until end of the power of their position in Bali is not as solid as their position in the Java or the Moluccas. Starting from the northern region of Bali, since the 1840s the Netherlands has become a permanent presence which was originally done by pit-sheep of various rulers of Bali that mutual trust each other. Dutch major attack by sea and land against the Sanur area and was followed by the Denpasar area. Bali party who lost in numbers and armaments do not want to experience shame for surrender, thus causing the war to the death titk bellows or war involving all the people both men and women including the king. An estimated 4,000 people were killed in the incident, although the Netherlands has ordered them to surrender. Furthermore, the Dutch governors who ruled only a few gave its influence on the island, so that local control of religion and culture generally does not change.
Japan occupied Bali during World War II and then a military officer named I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali forming forces 'freedom fighters'. Following the Japanese surrender in the Pacific in August 1945, the Dutch promptly returned to Indonesia (including Bali) to re-establish its colonial rule as a state before the war. This was opposed by the forces of resistance Bali who was using Japanese weapons.
On 20 November 1945, Bellows Margarana battles broke out happened in the village of Marga, Tabanan, Bali middle. Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai aged 29, led his troops from the eastern region of Bali to carry out attacks to death on the Dutch armed forces. All members of the battalion Bali killed everything and make it as a last Balinese military resistance.
In 1946 the Dutch made Bali as one of the 13 areas part of the State of East Indonesia was proclaimed, named as one of the rival state to the Republic of Indonesia which was proclaimed and headed by Sukarno and Hatta. Bali then also incorporated into the United States of Indonesia when the Netherlands recognized Indonesian independence on December 29, 1949. Years 1950, Bali officially leave the company with Dutch and legally became a province of the Republic of Indonesia.
Mount Agung eruption that occurred in 1963, had shaken the people's economy and led to many of the Balinese transmigrated to other areas in Indonesia.
In 1965, along with the failure by the G30S coup against the national government in Jakarta, Bali and many other areas there was a crackdown against members and sympathizers of the Indonesian Communist Party. In Bali, it is estimated that more than 100,000 people were killed or missing. Nevertheless, the events of the early days of the New Order until now has not succeeded disclosed by law.
Terrorist attacks have occurred on October 12, 2002, a bomb attack in the 2002 Bali Kuta Beach tourist area, causing as many as 202 people were killed and 209 others injured. Bali bomb attacks in 2005 also occurred three years later in Kuta and Jimbaran beach. These incidents received extensive international coverage because most of the victims were foreign tourists and causing Bali's tourism industry faces severe challenges in recent years.
