Sundanese culture, at a glance

Sundanese culture, including one of cultural tribes in Indonesia who are older. In fact, compared to the culture even Java, Sundanese culture, including cultural fact that relatively older age, at least in the introduction to the culture of writing. "Triumph" Sundanese culture in the past, especially during Tarumanegara Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sunda, in its development and is often used as a reference map in what is called the Sunda culture.

Sundanese culture is an ideal and often associated as a cultural Sunda kings or leaders said that with the king of Sunda. In this regard, the figures Prabu Siliwangi serve as leaders and role models because of pride urang Sunda Sunda told the king that succeeded, at the same time able to give welfare to the people.

In its development the most contemporary, cultural Sunda now get a lot of criticism back. Questions about the existence of Sundanese culture is often mencuat to the surface. What Sundanese culture still exists? If there is, who is the owner? Questions about the existence of Sundanese culture which seem provocative, when examined with a quiet question actually is a reasonable-reasonable time. Why? The answer simple, because the culture of Sunda, in reality, at this time was like losing ruh or at least it is not clear direction and purpose. How brought to the Sundanese culture is?

There are at least four resources that need to be living in the Sundanese culture, namely, the ability adaptability, mobility, ability to grow and develop, and the regeneration ability. Adapting ability Sundanese culture, especially in responding to various challenges that arise, both from within and from outside, it can be said to show the view that less so brisk. In fact, such as Sundanese culture does not have power of life when faced with challenges from the outside.

As a result, it is not surprising when the many elements of the old Sundanese culture tergilas by a foreign culture. As the most obvious example, which is a Sundanese language Sundanese community urang appear more rarely explicitly used by the owners themselves, especially the young generation of Sunda. More concern, the use of communication in the Sundanese language daily said, sometimes with the "backwardness", not to say primitive. As a result, the sense of relief in the odor urang Sunda Sundanese language to use in day-to-day world. In fact, feeling "prestige" is sometimes also found in the fact that they are experts in the field of Sundanese, including simply to acknowledge that is a specialist background or expertise in the field of Sundanese.

(source:de-kill.blogspot.com)

Papua (Irian Jaya)

Papua is the largest province of Indonesia, comprising a majority part of the western half of the island of New Guinea and nearby islands (see also Western New Guinea). The province originally covered the entire western half of New Guinea, but in 2003, the western portion of the province, on the Bird's Head Peninsula, was declared by the Indonesian Government as a separate province named West Irian Jaya (now West Papua). The legality of this separation has been disputed as it appears to conflict with the conditions of the Special Autonomy status awarded to Papua in the year 2000, but it has already resolved as of early 2007.

The Papua Conflict takes place there.
"Papua" is the official Indonesian and internationally recognised name for the province. During the Dutch colonial era the region was known as part of "Dutch New Guinea" or "Netherlands New Guinea". Since its annexation in 1969, it became known as "West Irian" or "Irian Barat" until 1973, and thereafter renamed "Irian Jaya" (roughly translated, "Glorious Irian") by the Suhartoa dministration. This was the official name until "Papua" was adopted in 2002. Today, natives of this province prefer to call themselves Papuans rather than Irianese. This may be due to etymology (variously identified as a real etymology or a folk etymology) of the name Irian which stems from the acronym Ikut Republik Indonesia, Anti Nederland (join/follow the Republic of Indonesia, rejecting The Netherlands).

The name "West Papua" was adopted in 1961 by the New Guinea Council until the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority (UNTEA) transferred administration to the Republic of Indonesia in 1963. "West Papua" has since been used among Papuan separatists and usually refers to the whole of the Indonesian portion of New Guinea. The other Indonesian province that shares New Guinea, West Irian Jaya, has been officially renamed as "West Papua".

Regions

Indonesia structures regions by regencies and subdistricts within those. Though names and areas of control of these regional structures can vary over time in accord with changing political and other requirements, in 2005 Papua province consisted of 19 regencies (kabupaten).
The regencies ("kabupaten") are: Asmat; Biak-Numfor; Boven Digoel; Jayapura; Jayawijaya; Keerom; Mappi; Merauke; Mimika; Nabire; Paniai; Pegunungan Bintang; Puncak Jaya; Sarmi; Supiori; Tolikara; Waropen; Yahukimo and Yapen Waropen. In addition to these, the city of Jayapura also has the status of a regency.

Jayapura, founded on 7 March 1910 as Hollandia, had by 1962 developed into a city with modern civil, educational, and medical services. Since Indonesian administration these services have been replaced by Indonesian equivalents such as the TNI (the army) replacing the Papua Battalion. The name of the city has been changed to Kotabaru, then to Sukarnopura and finally to its current official name. Among ethnic Papuans, it is also known as Port Numbai, the former name before the arrival of immigrants.

Jayapura is the largest city, boasting a small but active tourism industry, it is built on a slope overlooking the bay. Cenderawasih University (UNCEN) campus at Abepura houses the University Museum. Both Tanjung Ria beach, near the market at Hamadi — site of the 22 April 1944 Allied invasion during World War II — and the site of General Douglas MacArthur's World War II headquarters at Ifar Gunung have monuments commemorating the events.

Geography

A central east-west mountain range dominates the geography of New Guinea, over 1600 km in total length. The western section is around 600 km long and 100 km across. The province contains the highest mountains between the Himalayas and the Andes, rising up to 4884 m high, and ensuring a steady supply of rain from the tropical atmosphere. The tree line is around 4000 m elevation and the tallest peaks contain permanent equatorial glaciers, increasingly melting due to a changing climate. Various other smaller mountain ranges occur both north and west of the central ranges. Except in high elevations, most areas possess a warm humid climate throughout the year, with some seasonal variation associated with the northeast monsoon season.
The third major habitat feature are the vast southern and northern lowlands. Stretching for hundreds of kilometers, these include lowland rainforests, extensive wetlands, savanna grasslands, and some of the largest expanses of mangrove forest in the world. The southern lowlands are the site of Lorentz National Park, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Mamberamo river, sometimes referred to as the "Amazon of Papua" is the province's largest river which winds through the northern part of the province. The result is a large area of lakes and rivers known as the Lakes Plains region. The famous Baliem Valley, home of the Dani people is a tableland 1600 m above sea level in the midst of the central mountain range; Puncak Jaya, sometimes known by its former Dutch name Carstensz Pyramid, is a mist covered limestone mountain peak 4884 m above sea level.

Ecology

A vital tropical rainforest with the tallest tropical trees and vast biodiversity, Papua's known forest fauna includes marsupials (including possums, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, cuscuses), other mammals (including the endangered Long-beaked Echidna), many bird species (including birds of paradise, cassowaries, parrots, cockatoos), the world's longest lizards (Papua monitor) and the world's largest butterflies.

The island has an estimated 16,000 species of plant, 124 genera of which are endemic.
The extensive waterways and wetlands of Papua are also home to salt and freshwater crocodile, tree monitors, flying foxes, osprey, bats and other animals; while the equatorial glacier fields remain largely unexplored.

In February 2006, a team of scientists exploring the Foja Mountains, Sarmi, discovered numerous new species of birds, butterflies, amphibians, and plants, including a species of rhododendron which may have the largest bloom of the genus.

Ecological threats include logging-induced deforestation, forest conversion for plantation agriculture (especially oil palm), smallholder agricultural conversion, the introduction and potential spread of non-native alien species such as the Crab-eating Macaque which preys on and competes with indigenous species, the illegal species trade, and water pollution from oil and mining operations.

Papua's ancient rain forests have recently come under an even greater threat of deforestation after the Chinese government has placed an order of 1 billion US dollar or 800,000 cubic meters of the threatened merbau (intsia spp) rainforest timbers, to be used in constructions for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

In remote forested valleys, several thousand small-holder farmers are growing Arabica coffee in the shade of Kaliandara, Erytrhina and Abizia trees. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are not available in these valleys. Since there are no roads, the coffee is being flown out and then exported from the port of Jayapura.

(source: wikipedia.com)