Bali is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighboring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nusa Ceningan. The provincial capital, Denpasar, is the most populous city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second-largest, after Makassar, in Eastern Indonesia. The upland town of Ubud is considered Bali's cultural center. The province is Indonesia's main tourist destination, with a significant rise in tourism since the 1980s. Tourism-related business makes up 80% of its economy.The Balinese of today adhere faithfully to the unique Balinese Hinduism of their island paradise and continue following traditions and art forms that were brought to its shores by their ancestor's thousands of years ago. In this book, you will discover the historical aspect of Bali, including: -How the island of Bali was home to paleolithic humankind-Why Bali's Asian biodiversity and rich, fertile soils are not found on the neighboring islands-What makes up the unique human heritage of indigenous Balinese-How the island retained its endemic Balinese Hinduism despite 1,300 years of Muslim influence-From where and from whom the Balinese learned their abundant skills in metalworking, crafting, sculpture, and art-How art and ritual offerings form the basis of Balinese life, from where the island draws its name-How it was that the island nation of Bali was not interested in seafaring and maritime trade-Insight into the Balinese pride in being the true ancestors of the collapsed Javanese Indianized Majapahit Empire-How this gentle, peaceful island consistently evaded total domination by foreign powers and curiously repelled colonialists for much of its history-And much more!