Kala™

Bali is an island and province of Indonesia, located east of Java and west of Lombok. It is part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, but it lies west of the Wallace Line and belongs to the Sunda Shelf rather than Wallacea. The province includes the main island of Bali and several smaller islands nearby, including Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan. Its provincial capital is Denpasar, a city in the south of the island.

The province covers 5,780.06 km², with a 2020 census population of 4,317,404. Bali is divided into 8 regencies & 1 city; below them are districts, urban villages, and rural villages. A basic administrative line may read: province → regency/city → district → village. Another line may read: Denpasar; Badung; Gianyar; Tabanan; Buleleng; Bangli; Klungkung; Karangasem; Jembrana.

Bali’s geography includes coastal plains, volcanic mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches, cliffs, rice terraces, and offshore islands. Mount Agung is the highest point of the island; Mount Batur and Lake Batur are also prominent features. The island lies between Java and Lombok, with the Bali Strait to the west and the Lombok Strait to the east. A journey may cross by ferry, road, bridge, boat, or plane—Java → Bali → Lombok; coast → village → temple → mountain.

Denpasar has served as the seat of government for Bali Province since 1958. It became an autonomous city in 1992. The wider Denpasar metropolitan area includes nearby urban districts, while Ubud, in Greater Denpasar, is often described as a cultural centre. Ngurah Rai International Airport, located near Denpasar, is Bali’s main airport and the island’s only airport handling scheduled commercial flights.

Bali is the only Hindu-majority province in Indonesia. Wikipedia gives 86.40% of the population as adhering to Balinese Hinduism; other religions include Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. Balinese Hinduism combines local beliefs with Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Religious life is closely connected with temples, ritual calendars, offerings, music, dance, and community organisation.

Balinese culture is widely associated with dance, drama, sculpture, painting, leatherwork, metalwork, music, and wayang kulit. Gamelan is used in many traditional events. Temples, offerings, palm-leaf materials, masks, textiles, carvings, and ceremonial objects form part of daily and ritual life. Names such as Ubud, Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Seminyak, Canggu, Buleleng, Karangasem, and Klungkung often appear in accounts of the island.

The history of Bali includes prehistoric settlement, Hindu-Buddhist influence, contacts with Java, European arrival in the 16ᵗʰ century, Dutch colonial intervention, Japanese occupation during World War II, and incorporation into the Republic of Indonesia. Denpasar’s former name was Badung; its royal palace was looted and razed during the Dutch intervention in 1906. In the same year, the Puputan of 1906 took place in Denpasar.

Tourism has become a major part of Bali’s economy. Wikipedia states that tourism-related business makes up about 80% of the Bali economy. The island is a major destination for domestic and international visitors, with hotels, beaches, restaurants, markets, museums, galleries, festivals, temples, workshops, diving sites, surf spots, and rice-field landscapes. Prices may be listed in rupiah, but signs, menus, and guidebooks may also show £, €, $, or “++” service charges.