Java Sea
Map: world
Current
relevance:
An Indonesian passenger vessel
carrying 243 people reportedly sank in the Java Sea during bad
weather; rescuers were searching for 140 people after 103 were evacuated,
with one reported death, according to the report provided.
Continent: 
The
Java Sea is located in Asia, within Southeast Asia, and forms
part of the Indonesian Archipelago.
Bordering Countries:
The
Java Sea lies within the Indonesian archipelago and does not
directly border another sovereign country. For regional mapping, however,
locate nearby Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Timor-Leste along with
Indonesia.
Rivers Flowing into the Java Sea:
Several rivers from Java and
Kalimantan drain into the Java Sea. The important Java-side systems
include the Citarum, Ciliwung and Solo/Bengawan Solo rivers.
Important Places:
§ Java Island — Forms the
principal southern boundary of the Java Sea and contains major population and
economic centres.
§ Kalimantan
(Borneo) — Lies to the north of the Java Sea.
§ Sumatra — Lies toward
its western side.
§ Sunda Strait — Connects
waters around the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean between Java and
Sumatra.
§ Karimata Strait — Connects the
Java Sea northwestward toward the South China Sea.
§ Makassar Strait — Lies east of
the Java Sea, between Kalimantan and Sulawesi. Indonesia's Badan
Informasi Geospasial (BIG) specifically identifies these geographic boundaries.
Significance:
§ Inter-island
connectivity: The Java Sea occupies a central position among some of Indonesia's
largest islands and is therefore important for domestic maritime transport
and passenger movement.
§ Maritime
crossroads: It connects with the Sunda, Karimata and Makassar straits,
linking different parts of the Indonesian archipelago and surrounding seas.
§ Shallow shelf
sea: With average depths of about 40–50 m, it forms part of the
shallow Sunda Shelf, making it geographically distinctive.
§ Monsoon
influence: Indonesia's official geospatial research records strong seasonal
changes in Java Sea surface-water movement associated with the northwest and
southeast monsoons.
§ Strategic
Indonesian geography: Its position between Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and
Sulawesi makes it an important component of Indonesia's wider archipelagic
maritime geography.
Source: THE HINDU