Region The Province of Yogyakarta Special Region with the total area 3,185.80 square kilometers consists of four regencies and one municipality namely: Yogya Municipality: 32,50 square kilometers Sleman Regency: 574,82 square kilometers Bantul Regency: 506,86 square kilometers Kulon Progo Regency: 586,27 square kilometers Gunung Kidul Regency: 1,485.36 square kilometers.

Based on its land area, the Yogyakarta Special Region is the second smallest province in Indonesia after DKI Jakarta Province. Morphologically the condition of each district sand municipality is as follows: The Municipality of Yogyakarta is located in the central of the Provincial Territory with its average height is 114 m above the sea level. There are three rivers flowing through the city namely Code River, Winongo River and Gajah Wong River. The Bantul Regency, which has the average height of 100 m above the sea level, is lowland with its steep southern seashore. The hilly part comprises only 10% of the whole area. The regency is therefore a fertile area with its large rice and sugar cane fields. The Kulon Progo regency mostly is a hilly area. The Menoreh hill resort lies on the northern part with its average height 573m above the sea level and will be lower and lower to the South. Close to the Southern seashore the height is about 160 m above of the sea level. The area is quite fertile and suitable of commercial plants. The Gunung Kidul regency consists of some hilly area spreads from North to south called Pegunungan Seribu (one thousands mountain) which ends on the steep south beach.

The soil mostly contains of limestone and therefore in unfertile. The northern part has the average height between 200 and 700 meters above the sea level land the weather is not so dry. The water resource is still easy to find because the river is flowing there. The central zone, which consists of the wide plateau lies on the

average height between 150 and 300 m above the sea level, gets its water resource only from underground rivers. The Southern part is fallow land it has rivers deep under the ground and it is rocky, dry and bare. There are many limestone caves and stagnant ponds, which can keep rain water but usually become dry before the end of the dry seasons. The Sleman Regency lies on the Northern part Yogyakarta Special Region, on the foot of Merapi Volcano. The average height is from 140m to 600m above the sea level and it goes higher to the North. Even there are villages seated 1,200 above the sea level. The territory of the Sleman Regency is mostly fertile and gets enough water because of the conservation forest on the slope of Mount Merapi and the irrigation canal called Selokan Mataram with its water flows from Ponorogo to Opak River across this territory. The area of district is given over the farming and the main food crops are rice, soybean and peanut on the black volcanic soils of the lowlands, cassava and maize are grown in the limestone hills.

Culture Culture The province of Yogyakarta with its status as a special region lies in the Southern part of Central Java, in the heartland of Javanese culture. As the former capital and the center of several kingdoms in the past, this region and its

people are very rich in a variety of cultures. It is widely known from to historical records that the civilization, art and culture had developed well in the center of those kingdoms respectively in the era of the Ancient Mataram Kingdom (8th - 10th Century) the second Mataram Kingdom (17th - 18th Century) and Sultanate Ngayogyokarto from the mid of 18th Century up today. It can be mentioned here that the cultural heritage in the past are the magnificent temples, the ruins of palaces and monasteries, the various kind of traditions cultural events, traditional folk performing arts, traditional ritual ceremonies, customs, traditional handicrafts, traditional architecture and other traditional activities. Most of them still exist and are coloring the daily activities of life and behavior of the local inhabitants, particularly the Javanese community with its traditional way of life and customs. Because of its richness in culture therefore Yogyakarta has been known for long as the cradle of the Javanese culture.

The Kraton Ngayogyokarto Hadiningrat (the Sultan's Palace) at the present being is known as a center of Javanese art and culture activities. Generally the community of Javanese people still respect their Sultan and are proud of the aristocratic influence of the Sultanate

court. The name of the Sultan holds a special significance for all Yogyanese evoking the traditional Javanese aristocrat. As a cradle of the Javanese culture, various art activities still flourish here. There are many traditional events and ceremonies that have been hold regularly such as Sekaten, Grebegan, Labuhan and others. A lot of traditional art and performances can be found with its daily program of cultural presentations, such as The Ramayana Ballet, Javanese Classical Dance, The Wayang Kulit (shadow puppet play), the Ketoprak (folk drama) and others. Not less interesting are also the old traditional rites of the esoteric custom kept alive by the people, particularly by village inhabitants. In respect of modern art. Yogyakarta excels with a dozen of art galleries and studios of Indonesia's prominent painters, sculptors, modern batik designers and choreographers. The educational institutions of art and craft both provided by state or private are available here, such as Indonesia Institute of Art, the Conservatorium of Classical Javanese Music and Dance, some of art foundations, art exercise and rehearsals etc. The richness in variations are that this city has in store is one of many aspects that makes Yogyakarta is a city of endless wonder and fascination.

The History of Yogyakarta

People have lived in Central Java and the Yogyakarta area since time immemorial as over the centuries they have been attracted by the rich soil caused by the numerous volcanic eruptions. Earliest recorded history dares from the 9th century and was dominated by Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms that gave rise to the magnificent temples such as Prambanan, Ratu Boko, Kalasan, Sambisari and Borobudur found in this area.

Yogyakarta itself dates back to the 18th century. In the early 18th century, the Muslim Mataram Kingdom of the time was ruled by Pakubuwono II. After he passed away, there was a conflict between his son and his brother which was encouraged by the Dutch who were trying to colonize the region on a 'divide and rule' basis.

The Kingdom was divided into two regions namely Surakarta Hadiningrat kingdom under the rule of Sunan Pakubuwono III, and Nyayogyakarta Hadiningrat kingdom under the rule of Sultan Hamengku Buwono I. He was the founder of the present line of Sultans who still live in the Kraton and play important role in Javanese culture. The second kingdom was later called Yogyakarta, now better known as Yogyakarta.

After the independence of the Republic of Indonesia was proclaimed, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX and Sri Paku Alam VIII launched a statement that the Kasultanan and Kadipaten (the two royal regions), belonged to the Republic of Indonesia as a part of the whole area of the Indonesia Republic. Since then, it has been known as Yogyakarta Special Region and was given provincial status in 1950 in recognition of its important role in the fight for independence.