Balinese

Balinese is the term for the indigenous people of the island of Bali, one of the islands of Indonesia, as well as the language they speak and the culture they maintain. Bali is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and is one of Indonesia's provinces.

Bali is distinguished from much of the rest of Indonesia by the fact that most of its people follow Hinduism in a local form, whereas the rest of the country is predominantly Muslim. This has shaped its temples, annual festivals, and the way society is organized.

Language

Balinese belongs to the family of Austronesian languages, which encompasses many languages spoken in Indonesia, the Philippines, and the Pacific islands. It has different registers of speech, meaning that words are chosen based on the social relationship between speakers. Most people also speak Indonesian, the official language of the country.

Culture and art

Bali is known for gamelan music—an ensemble of bronze instruments and percussion—and for wayang kulit, a form of shadow puppet theatre that tells stories from Hindu epics and local legends. There are also crafts such as wood carving, textile art, and painting. The subak system of irrigating rice fields exemplifies how society cooperates in managing water.

Economy and change

Rice farming and tourism are the two pillars of the island's economy. The arrival of international tourism since the late twentieth century has created new livelihoods, but has also increased pressure on land, water, and the environment. Local organizations and the government debate policies that balance development with cultural preservation.