General facts about Yogyakarta, Java

Population:
3.2 million

Area:
3186 sq km

The five districts:
Sleman
Bantul
Kulon Progo
Gunung Kidul
Yogyakarta city

The special province of Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta has been a sultanate since 1755. For a long time the Sultan has been looked upon by the Javanese as a God who rules over everything from the weather to earthquakes.This mentality is still remaining within parts of the population.

Yogyakarta is now the site of an uneasy truce between the old ways of life and the modernity that have swept across the island in recent decades. The province has been and remains Java’s premier tourist city, with countless hotels, restaurants and attractions; such as the Prambanan and Borobudur temples..

The City of Yogyakarta

The Sultan`s Water Castle

The city of Yogyakarta, also called Yogya, is known as a centre of classic Javanese culture and arts. The University of Gadjah Mada is the leading Indonesian higher education institution.

Yogya is a symbol of resistance against the Dutch colonial rule. In 1948 when the Dutch occupied Yogya, the Sultan hid the rebels in his palace. The Dutch did not dare trying to get to the Sultan because of the Javanese people who held their Sultan close to their heart.

Gunung Kidul

Gunung Kidul is the district where we stayed for five days to do our research. It is the largest district in size, but is the most sparsely populated. The landscape in Gunung Kidul has a special kind of mountains. A process of disintegration of the mountains makes a special topography in this area. The mystic cave, Goa Langse, is made of this type of rock.

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