Geographical Names as Indicators of the Environment: Case Study in Bandung Basin, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia is a vast country with 17,000 (thousand) islands covering three time zones and has a cultural diversity with 718 languages. One of the interesting areas to be discussed from a hydronymy point of view is (in the area of) the Bandung Basin. It is home to the Sundanese ethnic group (. The Bandung Basin) and is the base of the Ancient Bandung Lake which was formed due to the eruption of Mount Sunda 105,000 years ago. The Ancient Lake collapsed around 16,000 years ago, gradually receding, leaving behind a vast lake and wetlands. Archaeological findings around the lake suggest (ing) that the surrounding area once supported early human habitation that provided water and food. The Sundanese have a legend called Sangkuriang that mentions the existence of the lake, as well as the mythical origin on the lake’s creation. This might suggest the collective memories about the lake’s existence (,) was transmitted by oral tradition through the ages. In this Bandung Basin, we found an abundance variety of generic terms for hydronyms. Business and tourism interests appear to be less compliant with the UNGEGN resolution to use local names. Changing geographical names actually eliminates knowledge about natural conditions including earthquake mitigation.