A huge island in Idonesia has a massive population over over 150 million, with over over 16,000 individuals per square kilometer in its capital as of 2022.
Java, an island between Sumatra and Bali, is the most populated in the world despite being the 13th biggest – home to more than half of Indonesia’s population.
The country’s 2020 census revealed the island has a population of 151.6million, or 56% of the population. Sumatra was a distant second at 21.68% (58.56 million), followed by Sulawesi 7.36% (19.9 million), Kalimantan 6.15% (16.6 million), Bali-West Nusa Tenggara 5.54% (15 million), and Maluku-Papua 3.17% (8.6 million).
It means the island alone has more people than some of the world’s most populated countries, including Russia (estimated to be 143.96 million as of 2022).
The population of Java’s capital Jarkarta, which is also the capital of Idonesia, is more than 30 million.
Java is known for its stunning and diverse landscape, which includes volcanic mountains, fertile plains and a vast coastline. It also has a number of active volcanoes, including Mount Bromo and Mount Merapi.
History lovers travel to see remains of ancient kingdoms on the including, including those of the Tarumanagara, Sailendra and Majapahit empires.
It also boasts numerous cultural and historical sites, Borobudur and Prambanan temples, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites and stunning natural beauty like the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, Dieng Plateau, and various gorgeous beaches.
But experts warn island faces serious challenges, and the capital could soon be at breaking point due to strains on its resources and vulnerabilities to elements.
Known for its high levels of pollution, Jarkarta is now struggling to sustain itself in the face of growing environmental and infrastructure issues and overpopulation – not to mention its vulnerability to earthquakes, Euronews reports.
Excessive levels of groundwater extraction for residents mean the city is also sinking six centimetres a year, according to a 2021 study by Indonesia’s Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, and scientists have warned the island could have a clean water crisis by widway through the decade.
In 2017 a study by Uber, in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group, revealed that drivers in Jakarta spend an average of 22 days a year in traffic, higher than many other major cities in Asia (which see drivers stuck in traffic for 19 days on average).
In response to the problems, Indonesia is building a new $35 billion (£27bn) capital called Nusantara in East Kalimantan province on Borneo Island, more than 1,000km from Jakarta.
Pitched as an eco-friendly forest city, it had been slated see an official inauguration this summer to coincide with the country’s Independence Day celebrations.
But the project has been hit by construction delays and funding problems and the festivities were scaled back.
Construction on the new metropolis – planned to be twice the size of New York – began on August 2022, and is not expected to be finished until 2045.
