Indonesia
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| National motto: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Old Javanese: Unity in Diversity) | |||||
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| Official language | Bahasa Indonesia | ||||
| Capital | Jakarta | ||||
| President | Megawati Sukarnoputri | ||||
| Area - Total: - % water: | Ranked 15th 1,919,440 kmÃÂò 4.85% | ||||
| Population
- Total (2003): - Density: | Ranked 4th
234,893,453 119/km² | ||||
| Independence
- Declared: - Recognised: | From the Netherlands
August 17, 1945 December 27, 1949 | ||||
| Currency: | Rupiah | ||||
| Time zone: | UTC +7 to UTC +9 | ||||
| National anthem: | Indonesia Raya | ||||
| Internet TLD: | .ID | ||||
| Calling Code | 62 | ||||
| Table of contents |
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2 Politics 3 Provinces 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 Further reading 10 External links |
Under influence of Buddhism, several kingdoms formed on the islands of Sumatra and Java from the 7th to 14th century. The arrival of Arab traders later brought Islam, which became the dominant religion.
When the Europeans came in the early 16th century, they found a multitude of small states. These were vulnerable to the Europeans, who were in pursuit of dominating the spice trade. In the 17th century, the Dutch emerged as the most powerful of the Europeans, ousting the British and Portuguese (except for Timor).
After the Dutch East India Company was liquidated, its possesions in Indonesia were taken over by the Dutch government.
In 1940 during World War II, Japan had been denied vital aviation fuel by the Dutch Indies government, unable to negotiate for the fuel Japan begins its invasion of Malaya in December. Capturing Indonesia in 1942, Japan found the Indonesian elite to be cooperative trade partners and willing to marshal troops as needed. Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, and Kyai were decorated by the Emperor of Japan in 1943.
In March 1945 Japan organized a committee for Indonesian independance; after the Pacific war ended in 1945, this group led by Sukarno declared Indonesian independence. The Dutch finally accepted in 1949, and Sukarno became the country's first president.
After Sukarno's autocratic rule was almost overthrown, army leader Suharto became president in 1968. Suharto enriched himself, but the nation grew poorer, and he was forced to step down after massive demonstrations in 1998.
In the period of 1998 to 2001, the country had four presidents.
The country currently suffers from internal economic, political, and religious struggles, and several regions are striving for independence (Aceh, Irian Jaya).
Executive power lies with the President and his/her advisers. The highest legislative body is the Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat (MPR) or 'People's Consultative Assembly', consisting of the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) or House of Representatives, elected for a five-year term, and delegates from each province's assembly Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah (DPRD). The MPR meets ever five years to elect the President. Following elections in 2004, the MPR will become a bicameral parliament, with the creation of a new second chamber, the Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (DPD) or Senate.
Currently, Indonesia has 30 provinces, 2 special territories and 1 capital city territory. The provinces are subdivided in districts, which are in turn split up in sub-districts and municipalities. The provinces are:
Bali,
Bangka-Belitung,
Banten,
Bengkulu,
Central Java,
Central Kalimantan,
Central Sulawesi,
East Java,
East Kalimantan,
East Nusa Tenggara,
North Sumatra,
Gorontalo,
Jambi,
Lampung,
Maluku,
North Maluku,
North Sulawesi,
North Sumatra,
Papua (Irian Jaya),
Riau,
South East Sulawesi,
South Kalimantan,
South Sulawesi,
West Irian Jaya,
West Java,
West Kalimantan,
West Nusa Tenggara,
West Sumatra
The special territories (daerah istimewa) are Aceh (or Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam) and Yogyakarta. The capital city territory is Jakarta.
Riau Kepulauan is expected to be soon split off as a separate province from Riau.
Map of Indonesia
Indonesia's 17,000 islands (ca. 6,000 are inhabited) are scattered around the equator, giving the country a tropical climate. The largest islands are Java, where about half of the population lives, Sumatra, Borneo (partially Malaysian), Irian Jaya (western half of New Guinea) and Sulawesi.
Its location on the edges of tectonic plates means Indonesia is frequently hit by earthquakes and the resulting tsunamis. Indonesia is also rich in volcanoes, the most famous being the now disappeared Krakatau (Krakatoa).
See also: Map of Asia
Indonesia suffered of major economic problems in the late 1990s, but economy has recently stabilised.
The country has extensive natural resources like oil and natural gas, tin, copper and gold. Agriculture mainly produces rice, tea, coffee, spices and rubber.
Indonesia's major trading partners are Japan, the United States and the surrounding nations of Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.
The Indonesian population can be roughly divided into two groups. In the west of the country, the people are mostly Malay, while the people of the east are Papuan. However, the ethnic structure is rather diverse, with several traditional tribes still living in the inlands of Borneo and Irian Jaya. The Chinese form a large ethnic minority (2 to 3 million). Although important to Indonesian economy, they are generally disliked by indigenous Indonesians.
Islam is Indonesia's main religion, with almost 87% of the people adhering to it. The remainder of the population is Christian (9%), Buddhist (2%), and Hindu (1%), the latter mainly on the island of Bali. Religious conflicts have been numerous in recent years, especially in the Moluccas.
The official language, Bahasa Indonesia - a dialect of Malay - is spoken by almost everybody, although local dialects are usually the primary language.
Art forms in Indonesia have been influenced by several cultures. The famous Javanese and Balinese dances, for example, contain aspects of Hindu culture and mythology.
Also well-known are the Javanese wayang kulit shadow theatre shows, displaying several mythological events.
In the book Max Havelaar, Dutch author Multatuli criticised the Dutch treatment of the Indonesians, which gained him international attention.
History
Main article: History of IndonesiaPolitics
Main article: Politics of IndonesiaProvinces
Main article: Provinces of IndonesiaGeography
Main article: Geography of Indonesia
Economy
Main article: Economy of IndonesiaDemographics
Main article: Demographics of IndonesiaCulture
Main article: Culture of IndonesiaMiscellaneous topics
Further reading
External links
Note: Indonesian governemnt sites excepting those seeking aid are traditionaly in Indonesian, a Malay language of the Austronesian group.
Southeast Asia
Brunei | Cambodia | East Timor | Indonesia | Laos | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Brunei | Cambodia | Indonesia | Laos | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | Vietnam
Observer status
Papua New Guinea
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Australia | Brunei Darussalam | Canada | Chile | People's Republic of China | Hong Kong, China | Indonesia | Japan | Malaysia | Mexico | New Zealand | Papua New Guinea | Peru | Philippines | Russia | Singapore | Republic of Korea | Chinese Taipei | Thailand | United States | Vietnam
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Algeria | Indonesia | Iran | Iraq | Kuwait | Libya | Nigeria | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | United Arab Emirates | Venezuela