The shallow Java Sea is between the islands of Java and what?
Java Sea Java Sea The Java Sea () is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South China Sea. The Java Sea covers the southern section of the Sunda Shelf. A shallow sea, it has a mean depth of . It measures about east-west by north-south and occupies a total surface area of . It formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age.
Java Sea oil fields occur and extend under the sea. Prospects are also favourable for oil fields in the waters off southeast Kalimantan. As the site of successful exploration for petroleum and natural gas, the Java Sea has become the basis of Indonesia’s export program. Fishing is an important economic activity in the Java Sea. Over 3,000 species of marine life are found in the area. A number of national parks exist in the area such as Karimunjawa. The Thousand Islands are located north of the national capital Jakarta, and are the city's only regency. The area around the Java Sea is