The Indonesian island of Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin, and contains numerous volcanoes, 45 of which are considered active volcanoes. As is the case for many other Indonesian islands, volcanoes have played a vital role in the geological and human history of Java. Indeed, land is created on Java as a result of lava flows, ash deposits, and mud flows (lahars). Volcanoes are a major contributor to the immense fertility of Java, as natural erosion transports volcanic material as alluvium to the island's plains, forming thick layers of fertile sediment. The benefit is not just in the immediate vicinity of the volcano, with fine ash emitted from eruptions being dispersed over wide areas.
Central Java is a province of Indonesia, located in the middle of the island of Java. Its administrative capital is Semarang. It is bordered by West Java in the west, the Indian Ocean and the Special Region of Yogyakarta in the south, East Java in the east, and the Java Sea in the north. It has a total area of 33,750.37 km2, with a population of 36,516,035 at the 2020 Census making it the third-most populous province in both Java and Indonesia after West Java and East Java. The official population estimate in mid-2023 was 37,608,336 The province also includes a number of offshore islands, including the island of Nusakambangan in the south, and the Karimun Jawa Islands in the Java Sea.
Magelang is one of six cities in the Central Java Province of Indonesia that are administratively independent of the regencies in which they lie geographically. Each of these cities is governed by a mayor rather than a bupati. Magelang City covers an area of 18.56 km2 and had a population of 118,227 at the 2010 census and 121,526 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid-2023 was 122,150. It is geographically located in the middle of the Magelang Regency, between Mount Merbabu and Mount Sumbing in the south of the province, and lies 43 km north of Yogyakarta, 15 km north of Mungkid and 75 km south of Semarang, the capital of Central Java.
Magelang is a regency in Central Java, Indonesia, famous for its 9th century Buddhist temple of Borobudur. Its capital is Mungkid. It covers an area of 1,085.73 km2 and had a population of 1,181,723 at the 2010 Census and 1,299,859 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 1,330,656. These figures exclude the autonomous city of Magelang, which is separately administered but is geographically enclaved within the regency, which borders Temanggung Regency to the north, Semarang Regency to the northeast, Boyolali Regency to the east, the Special Region of Yogyakarta to the south and southeast, Purworejo Regency to the southwest, and Wonosobo Regency to the west.
Dieng Plateau is a plateau in Central Java, Indonesia that forms the floor of the caldera complex on the Dieng Volcanic Complex. Administratively, this plateau is included in the territory of Banjarnegara Regency and Wonosobo Regency. It covers agricultural areas that have a subtropical climate with high levels of rainfall.
Kedu Plain, also known as Progo River Valley, is the fertile volcanic plain that lies between the volcanoes Mount Sumbing and Mount Sundoro to the west, and Mount Merbabu and Mount Merapi to the east. It roughly corresponds to the present-day Magelang and Temanggung Regency of Central Java, Indonesia.
Mount Sumbing is an active stratovolcano in Central Java, Indonesia. This volcano is symmetrical like its neighbor, Mount Sindoro which lies to its northwest. Administratively, The volcano is divided between 3 regencies: Temanggung, Wonosobo, and Magelang. The only report of historical eruptions is from 1730. It has created a small phreatic crater at the summit.
Mount Salak is an eroded volcano in West Java, Indonesia. It has several satellite cones on its southeast flank and the northern foot, along with two additional craters at the summit. Mount Salak has been evaluated for geothermal power development. According to a popular belief, the name "Salak" is derived from salak, a tropical fruit with scaly skin; however, according to Sundanese tradition, the name was derived from the Sanskrit word Salaka which means "silver". Mount Salak can be translated to "Silver Mountain" or "Mount Silver".
Wayang-Windu is a twin volcano that consists of Mount Wayang and Mount Windu. They are located just to the east of the town of Pangalengan in the Bandung Regency in West Java, Indonesia, about 40 km (25 mi) south of the city of Bandung. The area has been an active geothermal project. Mount Wayang has a 750 m (2,500 ft) wide crescentic crater which holds four groups of fumaroles. Mount Windu has a 350 m (1,100 ft) wide crater.
Mount Penanggungan is a small stratovolcano, immediately north of Arjuno-Welirang volcanic complex in East Java province, Java island, Indonesia. Mount Penanggungan is about 40 kilometers (24.8 mi) south of Surabaya, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Several Hindu-Buddhist sanctuaries, sacred places and monuments are on the western slope of the mountain dating from AD 977–1511. Lava flows and pyroclastic deposits are around the volcano.
Temanggung Regency is an inland regency in the Central Java Province of Indonesia. It covers a land area of 870.65 km2 and had a population of 708,546 at the 2010 Census and 790,174 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid-2023 was 808,446, comprising 406,100 males and 402,346 females. Its capital is the town of Temanggung.
The Brantas is the longest river in East Java, Indonesia. It has a length of 320 km, and drains an area of over 11,000 km2 from the southern slope of Mount Kawi-Kelud-Butak, Mount Wilis, and the northern slopes of Mount Liman-Limas, Mount Welirang, and Mount Anjasmoro. Its course is semi-circular or spiral in shape: at its source, the river heads southeast, but gradually curves south, then southwest, west, then north, and finally it flows generally eastward at the point where it branches off to become the Kalimas and Porong River.
Mount Pangrango is a dormant stratovolcano located in the Sunda Arc of West Java, Indonesia. The mountain is formed by a subduction zone on the southern coast of Java as part of the Sunda Plate facing the Australian Plate which contains the Indian Ocean. It is located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
The Bodri River is a river in Kendal Regency, northern Central Java, Indonesia. The Bodri River flows from the south to north into the Java Sea.
The Serayu River is a river in Central Java, Indonesia, about 300 km southeast of the capital Jakarta.
The Progo River is a river in southern central Java, Indonesia. The river passes through two provinces; Central Java and Yogyakarta Special Region. The source of the river is on the slopes of Mount Sindoro, Central Java.
Moung Andong is a mountain in Magelang Regency, Central Java in Indonesia. Andong mountain is located between Ngablak and Tlogorjo, Grabag and has an altitude of around 1,463 meters. Andong Mountain is one of several mountains that encircle Magelang, adjacent to Mount Telomoyo. The mountain is on the border of the Salatiga, Semarang and Magelang regions.
Wonosobo is a small town in Wonosobo Regency Central Java, Indonesia. Wonosobo lies between mountains, Mount Sundoro and Mount Sumbing. Wonosobo City itself is 772 meters above sea level.
The Western Java montane rain forests ecoregion covers the montane rain forest above 1,000 meters in the volcanic mountain ridges in the west of the island of Java in Indonesia. Several mammals and bird species are found only in this ecoregion, including the Javan mastiff bat (Otomops formosus) and the Volcano mouse (Mus vulcani). Only about one-fifth of the original rainforest remains in its original state, as human pressures are encroaching on the mountain slopes.
