Central Java is located at the middle of Java Island and is bordered by the West Java at the western end and the East Java at the eastern end. Due to active volcanic history and therefore volcanic ash, Central Java is a very fertile region for agriculture. Sight of extensive paddy fields is common, except in the southeastern — Gunung Kidul region — partly due to the high concentration of limestone and its location in a rain shadow from the prevailing weather.

Central Java is considered to be the heart of the Javanese culture, descending from a powerful Hindu and Buddhist past, and more recent Islamic influences. Under the Saliendra and Old Mataram kings in the 8th and 10th centuries the Hindu-Javanese culture flourished, and it was during this period that Java’s most remarkable religious monuments were built. Borobudur - the most magnificent monument of Mahayana Buddhism in the world, the enormous Hindu temple complex of Prambanan and the ancient site of the oldest Hindu temples in Java on the Dieng Plateau. All of these are testimony to the ancient power and influence of the region, and should be included in your travel plans.

The first Islamic kingdom in Java was established in 1511 in Demak, about 40 km from the Provincial capital of Semarang. One of the province’s greatest Islamic structures is the Grand Mosque of Demak. Symbolic of the way the new faith was introduced, the mosque displays a curious combination of Islamic and Hindu architectural influences and is still revered and worshipped by Javanese pilgrims.

An extensive network of good roads and railway links major cities and villages in Central Java. With airports in both Semarang and Yogyakarta it is one of the most accessible provinces in the country. Two major seaports, Tanjung Emas on the Java Sea, and Cilacap, a natural ocean port in the Indian Ocean provide national and international outlets for the province’s agricultural and industrial products.