 Geography of Bali
Bali coastline at Uluwatu (20 June, 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Bali is an island covering 5,632 sq km (2,174 sq miles). It is just 3.2 km (2 miles) to the east of Java, separated by the Bali Strait. East to west, The island measures approximately 153 km (95 mi) east to west and 112 km (69 miles) north to south.
The highest point in Bali is Mount Agung, which stands at a height of 3,142 m (9,426 feet) high. It is an active volcano which last erupted in March 1963. It is also the easternmost peak of the central mountains that run from central Bali to the eastern part of the island.
Another volcano in Bali, Mount Batur (1,717 m) is also very much active today. Its eruption 30,000 years ago was one of the biggest known volcanic events on Earth. The southern part of Bali is an alluvial plain. Here the rivers flow from north to south. The longest river in Bali is Ayung River, approximately 75 km in length.
Denpasar is the biggest city as well as capital of Bali. It has a population of around 491,500(2002). Singaraja is Bali's second-largest city as well as its old colonial capital. It is located on the north coast of the island, and has a population of around 100,000 people. Other cities in Bali includes the beach resorts of Kuta and Nusa Dua, and the island's cultural centre, Ubud.
To the southeast of Bali are three small islands: Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. They are separated from Bali by the Badung Strait.
On the east side of Bali, across the Lombok Strait, is the island of Lombok. The strait marks the biogeographical division between the fauna of the Indomalayan ecozone and that of Australasia. This separation is known as the Wallace Line. It was named after Alfred Russel Wallace, the naturalist who founded the Sarawak Museum.
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