Which part of java? Banyumas

People

Like others area which become economic growing central, Banyumas is not only inhabited by native people of Javanese Banyumasan ethnic group. Concentrations in urban area are ethnic group of Tionghoa, Batak (Sumatera) and amount of others ethnic group in Indonesia also have been staying. Openness basic attitude makes cultural wealth from outside of Banyumas is easy to be received and become part of local uniqueness.

Religion

Banyumas population is only 1, 6 milion people which every 100 female and exist 99 male. 95 % is Javanese ethnic group; either native people (Banyumasan Javanese) or Javanese mixture with majority religion is Moslem. But minority adherent likes Christian, Hindu, Budha, and Kong Hu Cu to live in harmonious life. Some people still follow native religion Javanese, Kejawen which divided into various branches spiritualism

Population density in Banyumas is about 1.169/km in 2006 with household approximately are 4 members every family.

Language

Variety of people in Banyumas still uses Banyumasan Language. Cultural observer and historian deem that Banyumas language is purest relic old Javanese language or Kawi Javanese. Banyumasan Language does not happen stratification process like Kraton Javanese which nowadays becomes most dominant Javanese. Banyumasan Language was born and develops as posses of grass root society who’s expressive, free, frankly (blakasuta) and equal (egaliter) as reflection of people daily life.

Banyumasan language has many various pronunciation and vocabulary in local environment. It contains spelling variation and vocabulary from one district to others. Some experts give opinion that much variation are happened because there is not dominant power to arrange; which one is ‘formal or non formal words’. Nowadays those varieties exactly become a wealth.

Banyumas society commonly uses Indonesian as formal communication. There is something unique that adult people who still live in rural, they cannot speak fluently a language which comes from Melayu language family and has become formal language in Indonesia.