Arab Indonesians
Arab Indonesians (Arabic: عربٌ إندونيسيون) or, colloquially known as Jama'ah, and until the 20th century was also called Codjas or Kodjas, are Indonesian citizens of mixed Arab – mainly Hadhrami – and Indonesian descent. The ethnic group generally also includes those of Arab descent from other Middle Eastern Arabic speaking nations. Restricted under Dutch East Indies law until 1919, the community elites later gained economic power through real estate investment and trading. Currently found mainly in Java, especially West Java and East Java, they are almost all Muslims.
Orang Arab Indonesia عرب إندونيسيا | |
|---|---|
Arab Indonesians from Surabaya's Arabic Quarter, Ampel | |
| Total population | |
| |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Indonesia Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Maluku Islands | |
| Languages | |
| Indonesian, Arabic, Various Indonesian regional languages | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Hadhramis, Arab Malaysians, Arab Singaporeans, Arab diaspora |
The official number of Arab and part-Arab descent in Indonesia was recorded since 19th century. The census of 1870 recorded a total of 12,412 Arab Indonesians (7,495 living in Java and Madura and the rest in other islands). By 1900, the total number of Arabs citizens increased to 27,399, then 44,902 by 1920, and 71,335 by 1930.