sundaneses

The Sundanese, or Sundaneses, are an ethnic group native to the western part of the Indonesian island of Java. They are the largest ethnic group in West Java and among the most populous in Indonesia, with tens of millions of people. In addition to West Java, significant Sundanese communities are found in Banten and the Jakarta metropolitan area, as well as in other parts of the country and abroad.

Most Sundanese speak the Sundanese language (Basa Sunda), part of the Austronesian language family. It has several regional dialects and is written traditionally in the Sundanese script; today it is typically written with the Latin alphabet. Indonesian is widely used as a lingua franca, especially in education and media. The majority of Sundanese are adherents of Islam, with small communities practicing Sunda Wiwitan, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Culture encompasses music, dance, and cuisine. Traditional music such as degung and jaipongan dance are notable, along with crafts and visual arts. Sundanese houses often use stilted architecture, and the region is known for its culinary emphasis on fresh vegetables, rice, and mild flavors, with popular dishes including nasi timbel, lalap, karedok, lotek, tahu gejrot, and sambal terasi.

Historically, the Sundanese trace roots to the Sunda Kingdom (Pajajaran) in the western Java region; later influences from Hindu-Buddhist era, and later Islamization. In the colonial era, the Sundanese region became part of the Dutch East Indies, and after Indonesian independence, West Java became a separate province. The Sundanese identity remains a central aspect of regional culture and Indonesian diversity.