Sea · Indonesia
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a warm, shallow sea in Indonesia, surrounded by the big islands of Borneo, Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi. At the end of the last ice age, rising water flooded dry land here.
Picture credit: FarisJamal (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Vebra (CC BY 3.0) · Marwan Mohamad (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Java Sea?
Part of: Pacific Ocean.
Countries on its coasts: Indonesia.
The story behind it
Thousands of years ago, during the ice age, the sea level was much lower, and where the Java Sea is today there was dry land. Animals from mainland Asia could walk across it to the islands of western Indonesia. When the ice melted, the sea rose and flooded the land. That is why the Java Sea is so shallow today: on average only about 46 metres deep. Borneo lies to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west and Sulawesi to the east. North of Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, lie the Thousand Islands, and the Karimunjawa Islands are a national park. More than 3 000 kinds of sea creatures live in the sea, and fishing boats bring in large catches. Monsoon winds change the currents with the seasons. Its size depends on where its edges are drawn, so books give between about 320 000 and 430 000 km².
Find it on the globe
Java Sea is there as a name written across its water — tap the water and its card opens. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
Questions children ask
How big is the Java Sea?
The Java Sea covers about 320 000 km², a little less than Germany. Other measurements draw its edges more widely and give up to about 430 000 km².
Why is the Java Sea so shallow?
It lies on a wide, flat shelf that was dry land during the last ice age. When the ice melted and the sea level rose, the water flooded this land, but it never became very deep.
Which cities lie on the Java Sea?
Big cities on its shore include Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, as well as Semarang and Surabaya on the island of Java. Around them, fishing and shipping are important.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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