Bojonegoro Regency
Across the eastern border of Bojonegoro is the Lamongan Regency, to the north is Tuban while to the south is Ngawi, Madiun, Nganjuk and Jombang. Blora is located to the west, in Central Java.
Climate in Bojonegoro is tropical with six months of rainy and dry seasons. Seasonal conditions are often very contrasting. In the rainy season, rain will fall almost daily while in dry season, rain will not come for months, causing widespread drought and water shortages. This problems have been compounded with the lost of forest and other green areas. Teak forest was once covering much of Bojonegoro but has since considerably reduced due to over exploitation.
The area near the Solo River is fertile and has been settled since early history by the Javanese. However, these settlements never developed into a major urban center, except for several coastal cities. Rather, villages are dependent on a weekly market which rotates among them and bakul who collect and distribute agricultural and manufactured products among the villages.
The Bengawan Solo river played a major role in the development of these settlements. It acted as source of water and fertile soil, and a means of transportation. A set of copper plates of the Ferry Charter lists over twenty ferry crossing on the lower stretch of the Bengawan Solo river, downstream from Bojonegoro. Inland settlements would trade agricultural products via trading centres in the coastal cities, like neighbouring Tuban, for spices from Spice Islands, ceramics from China and other commodities.
The authority over these settlements, including the territory of modern-day Bojonegoro, was held by the dominant power in central Java, and later east Java, the kingdoms of Mataram, Kediri, Singhasari and Majapahit.
As a territory in northern Java, the area of modern-day Bojonegoro was one of the 1st to accept Islam. The Bengawan Solo river area and most of Java would became part of the Sultanate of Demak and its successor the Sultanate of Mataram.
The modern regency was founded on October 20, 1677 with Mas Toemapel as the 1st Regent (Bupati), with capital in Jipang village (currently around Padangan subdistrict in the westernmost part of Bojonegoro). It was founded as a response to the loss of Mataram's coastal area to the Dutch East India Company. Bojonegoro than became important border town. In 1725 the capital was moved to its current location.
After the Dutch took over Java in the 18th and 19th centuries, Bojonegoro and the neighbouring regencies of Tuban and Lamongan were administered under Bojonegoro Residency, with a Dutch Resident in Bojonegoro town. The resident acted as an advisor and supervisor to the regents, positions which were held by native Javanese nobility.
During Dutch rule, tobacco and maize was introduced from the Americas, which would later became major commodities in Bojonegoro.
In 1894, the trans-Java railroad, which linked Batavia and Surabaya and passed through Bojonegoro, was finished, increasing transportation and improving the teak industry. Urbanisation also progressed under Dutch rule.
Since the Indonesian National Revolution, Bojonegoro regency has been administered as part of East Java province, with RMT Suryo, the grandson of the former Bojonegoro regent as its 1st governor. in 1968 the 1st non-nobility Regent was elected. The current regent is Santoso, a former army officer. In 2008, Bojonegoro people elected its 1st directly-elected Regent, following an amendment in the constitution. Suyoto of National Mandate Party was elected as regent.
Bojonegoro has 27 subdistricts. These 27 subdistricts are further divided into 430 administrative villages.
Bojonegoro regency has a population of 1,156,652 people. Most of the population work as farmers or foresters. Many still live in poverty, especially in the southern part of the regency, where the soil is less fertile. The major population centre is Bojonegoro town, located on the southern bank of Bengawan Solo river.
The racial makeup of this regency is mainly Javanese, with a minority of Chinese, Madurese, Balinese, Batak people, and other Indonesian ethnic groups.
| Most local residents Javanese. | speak Indonesian and - |
Agriculture has been the regency's main industry. The Bengawan Solo river provides fertile farming area for rice. The main crops are rice and tobacco, as well as maize. In 1984, the area of maize harvested reached 67,000 hectares with yields ranging from 1 to 1.28 t/ha. A typical farmer grows rice in the rainy season, when water is abundant, and tobacco or maize in dry season. There is a high risk in agriculture because of seasonal uncertainty. Rice growing will fail if the rainy season ends before its time, and tobacco growing will fail if rain comes early.
Bojonegoro is one of the biggest producers of tobacco in Indonesia, with a total value of Rp 1,2 trillion and employing 57 percent of workforce. The majority of tobacco planted is Virginia varieties. However, Bojonegoro tobacco suffers from a high proportion of chlorine, and uncertain rainfall. Most tobacco is used to make clove cigarettes (kretek).
Bojonegoro is also known for its hardwood tree production. There is an annual Bojonegoro Teak Fair in late January to early February where local craftsmen display their products. Teak is mainly used in shipbuilding and furniture making. A teak cutter is called blandong in the local dialect.
Teak forestry faces a major problem in illegal logging, as with other parts of Indonesia. In 2001 alone, the area looted covered 3,000 ha; looters stole an estimated 27,000 trees. The regional police reported impounding 550 large trucks of stolen timber, approximately 2,000 mx, with an estimated local market value of US $1,000,000. Several riots have happened when tension arise from teak claims and when police tried to enforce the law on local thieves.
These riots were the worst during the period of turmoil between president Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri in 2001. However, after that situation calmed, enforcement became better, but illegal logging is still a significant problem, with police and bureaucratic officials often accused of cooperating with timber thieves.
| The recent discovery of area is providing new | oil and gas fields in the economic opportunities. |
Related Sites for Bojonegoro Regency
- Pemerintah Kabupaten Bojonegoro read Bojonegoro Regency
- Welcome to Bojonegoro Regency - Visit East Java : is The Real ... read Bojonegoro Regency
- About Bojonegoro Regency - The Rich Nature Area read Bojonegoro Regency
