Bali

Bali, island, southern Indonesia, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, in the Indian Ocean. It is situated between the island of Java to the west, from which it is separated by Bali Strait, and the island of Lombok to the east from which it is separated by Lombok Strait. Bali is 145 km (90 mi) long and 80 km (50 mi) wide. The principal cities are the northern port of Singaraja and Denpasar, the capital, near the southern coast. Mountain ranges cross the island from east to west. The highest point on the island is Mount Agung (3,142 m/10,308 ft), a volcano that erupted in March 1963. In the south the land descends to form an alluvial plain, watered by shallow rivers, dry in the dry season and overflowing whenever there are periods of heavy rains.

Economically and culturally, Bali is one of the most important islands of Indonesia. Rice is grown on irrigated, terraced hillsides; other crops include sugarcane, coffee, copra, tobacco, fruits, and vegetables. Cattle and hogs are also raised. The Balinese are skilled artisans, particularly in wood carving, and in fashioning objects of tortoiseshell and of gold, silver, and other metals. The women of Bali are noted for their traditional dancing (see Dance; Indonesian Dance) and for their skills in weaving cloth of gold and silver threads, as well as for embroidering silk and cotton clothing. The principal religion on the island of Bali is a variation of Hinduism that incorporates Polynesian religious rites.

Bali was first visited by the Dutch in 1597, but Dutch rule was not firmly established until 1908. In 1946, after the Japanese occupation of the island during World War II, Bali was included in the newly formed state of East Indonesia, becoming part of the United States of Indonesia in 1948. In 1950 Bali became part of the unified republic of Indonesia. Area, 5,623 sq km (2,171 sq mi); population (2003 estimate) 3,422,700.