Quick facts for kids
Republic of Indonesia
Republik Indonesia
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 National Emblem
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Anthem:
Indonesia Raya "Great Indonesia" |
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.svg) |
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| Capital and largest city
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Jakarta |
| Official languages | Indonesian |
| Ethnic groups
(2000)
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Javanese 40.6% Sundanese 15% Madurese 3.3% Minangkabau 2.7% Betawi 2.4% Bugis 2.4% Banten 2% Banjar 1.7% other or unspecified 29.9% |
| Demonym(s) | Indonesian |
| Government | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
| Joko Widodo | |
| Jusuf Kalla | |
| Legislature | People's Consultative Assembly |
| Regional Representative Council | |
| People's Representative Council | |
| Independence
from the Netherlands
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| Area | |
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• Land
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1,919,440 km2 (741,100 sq mi) (15th) |
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• Water (%)
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4.85 |
| Population | |
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• 2011 estimate
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237,424,363 (4th) |
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• 2011 census
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237,424,363 |
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• Density
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123.76/km2 (320.5/sq mi) (84th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |
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• Total
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$1.126 trillion (15th) |
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• Per capita
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$4,744 (122nd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate |
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• Total
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$834.331 billion (17th) |
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• Per capita
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$3,514 (107th) |
| Gini (2011) | 36.8 medium |
| HDI (2011) |  0.617medium · 124th |
| Currency | Rupiah (IDR) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 to +9 (various) |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +62 |
| ISO 3166 code | ID |
| Internet TLD | .id |
Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia and Australasia/Oceania. It is part of the Malay Archipelago. It has 18,108 islands. 6,000 of these islands are inhabited. The most important islands of Indonesia are Java, Bali, Borneo, Sulawesi, and Sumatra. The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta, on Java. The current president is Joko Widodo. Modern Indonesia began on the 17th of August 1945. At 10 o'clock on that Friday morning, Ir. Soekarno read Indonesia's Declaration of Independence. Indonesia's Independence Day is a national holiday.
Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world with a population of 238,452,952 (2004 est.) Half of the population lives in Java, There are 111 inhabitants per km² and the population of man and women is roughly equal. The land area is 1.904 million sq. km, or slightly smaller than Mexico. The official language of Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia, but a total of 737 languages are spoken throughout Indonesia mostly confined to remote tribal groups. Other languages widely spoken in Indonesia include Javanese, Balinese and Sundanese. The closest countries are Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, and East Timor which share land borders with Indonesia. Other neighbouring countries are Australia to the south, Singapore to the Northwest, and Philippines to the Northeast.
Indonesia has the most active volcanoes out of any country in the world, and its closeness to the fault lines make it vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis.
The religion that most people in Indonesia follow is Islam, although formally it is not an Islamic country. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population on earth. Other religions include Christianity (Protestant, and Roman Catholic), Hinduism, and Buddhism.
Contents
History
Pre World War II
Indonesia has a written history as far back as the 7th century. Before the colonial Dutch came in the 1596, Indonesia was made up of many kingdoms in constant warfare. Indonesia was ruled by the Netherlands from the 17th century until World War II. The country was then called the Dutch East Indies.
Modern Indonesia
During World War II, the Japanese drove out the Dutch and took control of Indonesia. After Japan surrendered in the war, Indonesia claimed its independence on the 17th of August 1945. The proclamation was read by Ir. Soekarno in Jakarta. Soekarno later became Indonesia's first President.
British troops came into Indonesia to restore peace and to rescue Europeans who had been prisoners of the Japanese. The British troops also had the job of shipping home 300,000 Japanese troops. The Indonesian Republicans fought the British troops, because it was expected that the British would give Indonesia back to the Dutch. The Indonesian Republicans killed many of the Japanese prisoners, before they could be sent home. They also began killing people from minority groups who might be against the new Republic. Many European and Indonesian European people were killed. Many Chinese business people and other minority groups were killed or made homeless. In Java there were many thousands of homeless people.
In 1946, the Dutch came back. When the British left in 1947, there were 55,000 Dutch soldiers in Indonesia. The Dutch action was called "Operatie Product" or "Politionele Acties". The Indonesian Republicans fought the Dutch until 1949. But the Indonesian Republicans were badly organised and often fought among themselves. As the Dutch forced the Republican soldiers out of different areas, they moved in more troops until there was 100,000 Dutch troops. The Dutch refused to obey the United Nations who said they should stop the fighting in Indonesia. The United States of America organised for meetings between Dutch and Indonesian leaders. The Dutch finally agreed to recognise Indonesia's independence in November 1949.
Because of the fighting and the bad organisation, it took a long time for the country to become peaceful, and for the economy to get better. Many Indonesian soldiers had died, between 45,000 and 100,000. Also, a very large number of civilian (people not in the army), Indonesians, Europeans and Chinese, had died; perhaps as many as 200,000.
Provinces
Administratively, Indonesia has 34 provinces, five of which have special status. Each province has its own political legislature and governor. The provinces are divided into regencies (kabupaten) and cities (kota). These are further divided into districts (kecamatan), and again into village groupings (either desa or kelurahan).
Indonesian provinces and their capitals – listed by region
(Indonesian name in parentheses if different from English)
* are provinces with Special Status
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Kalimantan
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People and culture
There are people of many different cultural groups living in Indonesia, has more than 700 ethnic groups. It is affected by Indians, Chinese people, Arabs, Malays and Europeans. The Javan hawk-eagle is the national bird.
Album
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National Museum of Indonesia in Central Jakarta
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The National Monument
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Wisma 46, Indonesia's tallest office building, in the middle of Jakarta skyscraper.
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Jalan Thamrin, the main avenue in Central Jakarta
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A train at Gambir station in Central Jakarta
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The Bung Karno Stadium is capable of hosting more than 80,000 spectators
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Map of Indonesia
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Provinces of Indonesia
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Malioboro, the most famous street in Yogyakarta city
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Trans Jogja Bus. A bus rapid transit system in Yogyakarta city
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A selection of Indonesian food, including Soto Ayam (chicken soup), sate kerang (shellfish kebabs), telor pindang (preserved eggs), perkedel (fritter), and es teh manis (sweet iced tea)
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An Indonesian Army infantryman participating in the U.N.'s Global Peacekeeping Operation Initiative
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Pindad Panser "Anoa" shown during Indo Defense and Aerospace Expo 2008
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Indonesian Naval vessels
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B-25 Mitchell bombers of the AURI in the 1950s
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A Javanese engineer closes one of the gun bay doors on a Dutch Buffalo, January 1942.
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Mazda6 used by the Jakarta Metro Highway Patrol (Ditlantas Polda Metro Jaya) as a patrol car
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Mitsubishi Lancer used by Vital Object Protection of Indonesian National Police
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GE U20C in Indonesia, #CC201-05
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GE U20C "Full-Width Cabin" in Indonesia, #CC203-22
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GE U20C full computer control locomotive in Indonesia, #CC204-06
Images for kids
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Austronesian peoples, migrated from Taiwan to Southeast Asia, form the majority of Indonesian population.
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The submission of Prince Diponegoro to General De Kock at the end of the Java War in 1830
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Sukarno, the founding father and first President of Indonesia
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Puncak Jaya in Papua, the highest summit in Indonesia and Oceania.
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Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo in East Java. Indonesia contains the most volcanoes in the world.
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Typical Indonesian rainforest, mostly found in Kalimantan and Sumatra.
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Rinca, Lesser Sunda Islands. The islands closest to Australia, including Nusa Tenggara and the eastern tip of Java tend to be dry.
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Major volcanoes in Indonesia. Indonesia is in the Pacific Ring of Fire area.
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An inauguration of the Indonesian President by the People's Consultative Assembly in the Parliament Complex Jakarta, 2014.
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Tanjung Pinang
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Bengkulu City
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Serang
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Palangkaraya
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Banjarmasin
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Tanjung Selor
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Gorontalo City
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Palu
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Mamuju
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Ambon
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Sofifi
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Former President of Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with former US President Barack Obama, in ceremony at the Merdeka Palace in 2010.
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Jakarta, the capital city and the nation's commercial centre.
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A proportional representation of Indonesia's exports.
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Vast palm oil plantation in Indonesia. Currently, Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil.
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Traditional wooden pinisi ship used in inter-Indonesian islands freight service.
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Garuda Indonesia was ranked one as World's Best Cabin Crew and World's Top Ten Best Airlines in 2016.
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A manuscript from the early 1800s from central Sumatra, in Batak Toba language, one of many languages from Indonesia.
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Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta and Jakarta Cathedral in the background. Indonesia is also the most populous Muslim country in the world.
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Bandung Institute of Technology is considered as one of the most prestigious universities in Indonesia, together with University of Indonesia, and Gadjah Mada University.
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Palapa satellite was first launched in July 1976, making Indonesia the first developing country to operate its own satellite system.
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Borobudur is the single most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia.
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Raja Ampat Islands, one of the world's richest marine biodiversity.
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Surfer in Padang Padang beach, Bali
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Dancers in Watublapi, Flores, in traditional costume
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An avenue of Tongkonan houses in a Torajan village
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An Asmat woodcarver
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An elderly Sundanese woman wearing batik, sarong, and headdress
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Gamelan, one of the most elaborate metallophone orchestra of Indonesia.
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Minangkabau Tari Piring (plate dance)
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Nasi Padang with rendang, gulai and vegetables.
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Pandava and Krishna in an act of the wayang wong performance
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A demonstration of Pencak Silat, a form of martial arts
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Advertisement for Loetoeng Kasaroeng (1926), the first fiction film produced in Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia).
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An Indonesian TV channel at Jakarta Stadium, reporting a football match
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Buddhist Waisak ceremony at Borobudur temple, Central Java
