Sea on the north, Jawa Timur (East Java) province on the east, the Indian Ocean on the south, and Yogyakarta daerah istimewa (specialdistrict) on the southeast. Jawa Tengah covers an area of 13,207 square miles (34,206 square km) and includes the Karimunjawa Islands in the Java Sea.
A chain of volcanic mountains runs west to east through the central part of the province and is surmounted by volcanic peaks including Mounts Slamat (11,247 feet [3,428 m]), Sundoro (10,285 feet), Sumbing (11,060 feet), and Merbabu (10,335 feet). A discontinuous series of plateaus flanks the widely spaced volcanic peaks and merges with the foothills and coastal lowlands (the latter as much as 20 miles [30 km] wide) to thenorth and south. The major streams include the Bodri, Serang, and Luri, flowing northward into theJava Sea, and the Seraju, Bogowonto, Elo, and Progo, flowing southward into the Indian Ocean. Thehilly region has a luxuriant growth of casuarina, teak, pine, oak, maple, and ironwood. The broad valleys are covered with tropical rain forests of palm, sal (Shorea), and pandanus, together with orchids, mosses, and ferns.
The principal means of livelihood in Jawa Tengah is agriculture; rice, tobacco, sugarcane, corn (maize), rubber, tea, coffee, cinchona bark, sweet potatoes, and fruits and vegetables are grown orcollected. Industries produce textiles, ceramics, footwear, tires, electric bulbs, processed food, beverages, nonmetallic mineral products, transport equipment, and paper. There are also printing,shipbuilding, and car-assembly plants. Roads and railways run parallel to the northern and southern seacoasts and connect Semarang, the provincial capital, with Tegal, Pekalongan, Magelang, Cilacap, and Surakarta. Muslim Javanese and Sundanese are the principal ethnic groups, and there also are many Indians and Chinese. Archaeological and historical remains, including temples, stupas, monasteries, and sanctuaries of the early Buddhist and Hindu periods, are located at Kalasan, Dieng, Borabu?ur, Sewu, Sukuh, Sari, Plaosan, Pawon, and Mendut. Pop. (1990) 28,520,643.