Balinese people

The Balinese (Balinese: ᬳᬦᬓ᭄‌ᬩᬮᬶ, romanized: Anak Bali (in the ketah register), ᬯᭀᬂᬩᬮᬶ, Wong Bali (in the madia register), ᬓ᭄ᬭᬫᬩᬮᬶ, Krama Bali (in the singgih register); Indonesian: Orang Bali) are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Indonesian island of Bali and the surrounding islands. The Balinese population of 4.2 million (1.7% of Indonesia's population) live mostly on the island of Bali, making up 85% of the island's population. The Balinese are distinctive amongst the ethnic groups of Indonesia for their adherence to Balinese Hinduism rather than Abrahamic religions such as Islam or Christianity. There are also significant populations on the island of Lombok and in the easternmost regions of Java (e.g. Banyuwangi Regency), most of them are descendants of Balinese since the kingdoms era who once controlled the region. Some Balinese can also be found in Balinese migrant areas such as Lampung and Sulawesi regions, mainly due to the migration following the eruption of Mount Agung in 1963 as well as the transmigration program enacted by the Indonesian government. The Balinese stand out within modern-day Indonesia because they continue to follow Balinese Hinduism rather than the Abrahamic religions that predominate elsewhere in the country. This situation emerged in part because the Dutch colonial administration restricted both Islamisation and Christian missionary activity on the island in order to preserve the already present religious traditions, and in part because the Balinese themselves maintained a strong commitment to their inherited cultural and religious practices. Earlier Hindu–Buddhist traditions had long been predominant in the region. The Orientalist colonial policy that sought to protect and codify Balinese customs later became known as Baliseering (Balinization).

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