The Population of Yogyakarta

Quite apart from the historical and cultural assets, the life of the city as a whole is colorful and appealing to the foreign visitors. The pace is slow in the vehicular traffic less bothersome and there is a new sight to be seen from every corner. 

The population of Yogyakarta is composed nominally of people of Javanese descent. Of all the many ethnic groups in Indonesia, the Javanese are the largest with more than 50 million in the number. Like other main ethnic groups, the Javanese save their own language and customs. 

Yogyakarta, is also the home for many persons of Chinese descent whose ancestors came to Central Java as merchants hundreds of years ago under the sanction of the Dutch. For the visitor, this can still be seen as many of the businesses and restaurants on the main avenues are largely Chinese owned and operated. 

Another interesting factor in the population of Yogyakarta is the immense student population the city hosts. This creates special characters of the city in that many of the students are from other parts of Indonesia, such as Sumatra, Bali, Sulawesi and Kalimantan. This unique mixture gives Yogya a truly Indonesian character, while at the same time retaining its strong central Javanese feeling. Yogyakarta is very densely populated. Quite apart from the scenery, the villages and small towns are full of activity that is new and interesting to the visitors.