[Java's large population: two centuries of explanations]

"Explanation of demographic imbalance between Java and the socalled 'Outer-Islands' has been numerous for almost two centuries. Authors generally considered that the great density of population was a direct consequence of the high fertility of Javanese soils. Some of them, however, connected it with an early economical 'take-off'. But none of these analyses can explain why marginally suitable regions from an agricultural point of view were overcrowded especially when their economical development was low. We propose another explanation scheme on an historical basis." (SUMMARY IN ENG)