Banyuwangi Regency
Banyuwangi Regency The Regency of Banyuwangi is located at the easternmost end of the Indonesian island of Java. It serves as a port between Java and the island of Bali. It is surrounded by mountains and forests to the west; by sea to the east and south. Banyuwangi is separated by Strait of Bali from Bali. The regency had a population of 1,488,791 according to the 2000 Census; by the 2010 Census it had risen to 1,554,997. The city of Banyuwangi is the administrative capital. The name Banyuwangi is Javanese for "fragrance water", connected to the Javanese folklore of Sri Tanjung. One Banyuwangi native group is the Osing community which has a Hindu culture although they can be considered as a Javanese sub-ethnic group. They live mainly in the central part of Banyuwangi and they sometimes consider themselves as Majapahit descendants. Other groups are Javanese, Madurese (mainly in the north and coastal area) and Balinese (scattered but more concentrated in the east). Other smal...