Yeah, Madura is a separate island, but it is very, very close to the North Coast of Jawa, just opposite Surabaya --- some kids live in Madura, go to school in Surabaya. There is a bridge that crosses from Surabaya to Madura. There are Madurese people all over East Jawa.
There is a different perception of the sea and the land amongst Indonesians than there is amongst people from Western cultures:- we look at water and we regard it as a barrier, Indonesians look at water and they regard it as a highway.
Back in pre-colonial times, and even through well into colonial times, the major means of transport was by river and sea, Jawa was covered with jungle, it was only after the Dutch began building roads that land transport over the island became feasible. This same situation applied in many other parts of Indonesia until fairly recent times.
The way Indonesians refer to their country is :- "Tanah Air Kita" = "Our Land and Water". The sea spaces between the islands of Indonesia are regarded equally with the land as a part of the country.
Yes, there are some different socio-cultural practices in Madura than on Jawa, yes, Madura people have a totally different character to that of the normal run of Javanese people. However, the same thing can apply in Jawa itself on a city by city basis. For example, the differences between Surakarta people and Ngayogyakarta people. The same society, the same culture, but noticeable differences.
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