Indonesia - Etymology, History, Government and politics, Administrative divisions, Geography, Ecology, Economy, Demographics, Culture

Official name Republic of Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia Republik Indonesia, formerly Netherlands Indies, Dutch East Indies, Netherlands East Indies, United States of Indonesia

Local name Indonesia Timezone GMT +7 to +9 Area 1 906 200 km²/735 800 sq mi population total (2002e) 211 023 000 Status Republic Date of independence 1945 Capital Jakarta Languages Bahasa Indonesia (official), English, Dutch, and Javanese widely spoken Ethnic groups Madurese (40%), Javanese (33%), Sudanese (15%), Bahasa Indonesian (12%) Religions Muslim (88%), Christian (9%) (Roman Catholic 6%, Protestant 2%), Hindu (2%), Buddhist (1%) Physical features World's largest island group of 13 677 islands and islets, of which c.6000 are inhabited; five main islands: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan (two-thirds of Borneo I), Sulawesi, Irian Jaya (W half of New Guinea I); characterized by mountainous volcanic landscape and equatorial rainforest; many volcanic peaks - over 100 on Java, 15 active. Climate Hot and humid equatorial climate; dry season (Jun–Sep), rainy season (Dec–Mar); average annual temperature 26°C (Jan), 27°C (Jul) in Jakarta; average annual rainfall 1775 mm/69 in;. Currency 1 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) = 100 sen Economy Mainly agrarian, notably rice; oil, natural gas, and petroleum products from Borneo and Sumatra account for nearly 60% of national income; small manufacturing industry. GDP (2002e) $714·2 bn, per capita $3100 Human Development Index (2002) 0·684 History Settled in early times by Hindus and Buddhists, whose power lasted until the 14th-c; Islam introduced, 14th–15th-c; Portuguese settlers, early 16th-c; Dutch East India Company established, 1602; Japanese occupation in World War 2; independence proclaimed with Sukarno as President, 1945; changed name from Netherlands East Indies to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia, 1949; federal system replaced by unified control, 1950, and the unitary Republic of Indonesia proclaimed (W New Guinea remained under Dutch control until 1963 and is now called Irian Jaya); military coup, 1966; governed by a President elected by a 700-member People's Consultative Assembly, and advised by a Cabinet and several advisory agencies; separatist movements in Irian Jaya, East Timor, and Aceh; referendum in East Timor in favour of independence (Sep 1999), with subsequent violence by anti-independence militias, and arrival of a UN-sponsored force, independence achieved, May 2002; terrorist bomb in Kuta, Bali, killed 202 people (Oct 2002); military offensive launched in Aceh after failed peace talks with rebel Free Aceh Movement (GAM), May 2003; truce signed (Aug 2005) between GAM (to disarm) and government (to withdraw troops); earthquake off NW coast of Sumatra caused devastating tsunami, 2004; earthquake hit Java with over 6000 deaths, 2006.

Republik Indonesia Republic of Indonesia
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Old Javanese: Unity in Diversity) National ideology: Pancasila
Anthem: Indonesia Raya
Capital (largest city)	Jakarta 6°08′S 106°45′E
Official language(s)	Indonesian
Government	Republic
- President	Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
- Vice President	Jusuf Kalla
Independence	former Netherlands colony
Area
- Total	1,904,569 km² (16th) 735,355 sq mi
- Water (%)	4.85
Population
- 2005 estimate	222,781,000 (4th)
- 2000 census	206,264,595
- Density	117/km² (84th) 303/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$977.4 billion (15th)
- Per capita	$4,458 (110th)
HDI  (2003)	0.697 (medium) (110th)
Currency	Rupiah (IDR)
Time zone	various (UTC+7 to +9)
- Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+7 to +9)
Internet TLD	.id
Calling code	+62

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a nation of 18,110 islands in the South East Asian Archipelago, making it the world's largest archipelagic state. Indonesia is bordered by the nations of Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia.

The Indonesian Archipelago, home of the Spice Islands, has been an important trade destination since early Chinese sailors began to find profit in the spice trade during ancient times. Much of Indonesia's history has been influenced by the many foreign powers that have been drawn to the archipelago by its wealth of natural resources. Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch for over three centuries;

Indonesia is a unitary state consisting of numerous distinct ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups spread across its numerous islands. The modern borders of Indonesia are based upon those of the Dutch East Indies colony, rather than on any preconceived notion of unity. However, a shared history of colonialism, rebellion against it, a national Indonesian language, and a religious majority of Islam help to define Indonesia as a state. Indonesia's national motto, Bhinneka tunggal ika (derived from Old Javanese for unity in diversity), reflects the amalgamation of the country's myriad cultures, languages, and ethnic groups.

Etymology

The name Indonesia was derived the from Greek indus, meaning India, and nesos, meaning islands.

History

Fossil evidence suggests the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by Homo erectus, popularly termed the Java Man. The Hindu Majapahit kingdom was founded in eastern Java in 1294, and under its military commander Gajah Mada stretched over much of modern day Indonesia.

Arab traders first brought Islam to Indonesia in the late 12th century, establishing settlements in the Aceh region. Rather than a violent conquest, it was, for the most part, peacefully laid over and mixed with existing cultural (and even religious) influences to form what is still the predominant form of Islam in Indonesia today, particularly in Java. In 1506 the Portuguese, led by Ferdinand Magellan, were the first Europeans to arrive in Indonesia; The Dutch became the dominant traders in Indonesia, establishing the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602.

The Dutch colonial presence in Indonesia existed in various forms for over 300 years until the Japanese occupation in the second World War. Over the next four years, the Netherlands mounted military campaigns to reoccupy Indonesia, but in the face of international pressure acknowledged Indonesian independence in 1949.

Increasing tensions between the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and the Indonesian military culminated in an abortive coup on 30 September 1965 which saw six top-ranking generals murdered in circumstances that remain contentious even today. Commonly referred to as the New Order, Suharto's administration encouraged major foreign investment in Indonesia, which was to become a major factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic growth.

From 1997 to 1998, however, Indonesia became the country hardest hit by the East Asian Financial Crisis, aggravating popular discontent with Suharto, who already faced accusations of corruption, and further inflaming popular protests in early 1998. On 21 May 1998, President Suharto announced his resignation, ushering in the Reformasi era in Indonesia. A wide range of reforms have been introduced since then, including Indonesia's first direct presidential election in 2004, but progress has been slowed by political and economic instability, social unrest, terrorism and recent natural disasters. Political settlements relating to separatism issues have been achieved in Aceh and East Timor, the latter having seceded from Indonesia in 1999.

Government and politics

Structure and affiliations

Indonesia is a republic and a unitary state with a presidential system and power concentrated with the national government. The President of Indonesia is directly elected for a term of five years, and is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the Indonesian armed forces, and responsible for domestic governance, policy-making and foreign affairs. The DPR is the lower house and its 550 members are elected for five-year terms on a proportional representation basis from each of Indonesia's 33 provinces.

Indonesia is a founding member of the Association of South East Asian Nations, and is therefore a member of both ASEAN+3 and the East Asia Summit. Since the 1980s, Indonesia has worked to develop close political and economic ties between South East Asian nations, and is influential in the Organization of Islamic Conference. During Suharto's presidency, Indonesia built strong relations with the United States, while it had difficult relations with the People's Republic of China due to Suharto's anti-communist policies and domestic tensions with the Chinese ethnic community.

Major contemporary issues

Indonesia was internationally condemned for its invasion and annexation of East Timor in the 1970s, for alleged human rights violations throughout the subsequent occupation, and for the military support of violent pro-integration militias following the 1999 independence referendum.

Terrorism, linked to extreme Islamism, has been a critical challenge to the Indonesian Government since 2000. In cooperation with other countries, the Government has achieved substantial success in apprehending and prosecuting the perpetrators and also towards fracturing their organizations, although terrorism is expected to be a major issue for Indonesia in the foreseeable future.

Administrative divisions

Indonesia currently has 33 provinces, three of which have special status.

Indonesian provinces:

Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam* North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat) Riau Riau Islands (Kepulauan Riau) Jambi South Sumatra (Sumatera Selatan) Bangka-Belitung Bengkulu Lampung Jakarta* Banten West Java (Jawa Barat) Central Java (Jawa Tengah) Yogyakarta* East Java (Jawa Timur) West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat)

Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah) South Kalimantan (Kalimantan Selatan) East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur) Bali West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat) East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur) North Sulawesi (Sulawesi Utara) Gorontalo Central Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tengah) West Sulawesi (Sulawesi Barat) South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan) South East Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tenggara) Maluku North Maluku (Maluku Utara) West Irian Jaya (Irian Jaya Barat) Papua*

(*) indicates the provinces with special status.

The special territories have more autonomy from the central government than other provinces, and so have unique legislative privileges: the Acehnese government has the right to create an independent legal system, and instituted a form of sharia (Islamic Law) in 2003;

East Timor was occupied by Indonesia from 1975 following a military invasion, until Indonesia relinquished its claims in 1999 after years of bitter fighting against East Timor guerrillas and abuses by Indonesian military forces against the East Timorese civilians.

Geography

Indonesia's 18,108 islands, about 6,000 of which are inhabited, are scattered around the equator, giving the country a tropical climate. Indonesia borders Malaysia on the island of Borneo (Indonesian, Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea and East Timor on the island of Timor.

At 1,919,440 km² (741,050 mi²), Indonesia is the world's 16th-largest country in terms of land area, after Saudi Arabia.

Its location on the edges of three tectonic plates, specifically the Pacific, Eurasian, and Australian plates, makes Indonesia a site of frequent earthquakes and the resulting tsunamis. Indonesia has at least 66 volcanoes, including Krakatoa, located between Sumatra and Java, and famous for its massive 1883 eruption.

Ecology

Partly due to its vast size and tropical archipelago make-up, Indonesia has the world's second highest level of biodiversity (after Brazil) with its flora and fauna species a mixture of Asian and Australasian species.

Surrounding a vast number of islands with over 80,000km of coastline, the warm, tropical seas of Indonesia also boast a high level of biodiversity, corresponding with a diverse range of ecosystems including beaches, sand dunes, estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, sea grass beds, coastal mudflats, tidal flats, algal beds, and small island ecosystems.

The British naturalist Alfred Wallace described a dividing line between the distribution of Indonesia's Asian and Australasian species, Known as the Wallace Line, it runs along the edge of the Sunda shelf, between Kalimantan and Sulawesi, and along the deep Lombok Strait, between Lombok and Bali.

As a highly populous country part way through a rapid industrialisation process, Indonesia faces some grave ecological issues, which are often given a lower priority due to high poverty levels and weak, under-resourced governance. These issues include large-scale deforestation, much of it illegal, and related wildfires which cause heavy smog over parts of western Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, over-exploitation of marine resources, and environmental problems associated with rapid urbanisation and economic development such as air pollution, traffic congestion, garbage management, and reliable water and waste water services.

Economy

Major agricultural products include palm oil, rice, tea, coffee, spices and rubber and major industries include Petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, and mining. Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank was established in 1974 and received its independent central bank status in 1999.

The country has extensive natural resources outside Java, including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper, and gold. Indonesia is the world’s largest LNG producer, exporting about 20% of the world’s total volume in 2002. Indonesia's imports commodities include machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, and foodstuffs.

Despite being the only East Asian member of OPEC, Indonesia's fuel production has declined significantly over the years, owing to aging oil fields and lack of investment in new equipment. As a result, despite being an exporter of crude oil, Indonesia is now a net importer of oil and had previously subsidized fuel prices to keep prices low, costing US$ 7 billion in 2004. The real gross domestic product (GDP) of Indonesia is projected to reach 5.2% in the second half year of 2006.

In the late 1990s, Indonesia suffered a drastic economic downturn followed by a significant but at times patchy and only partial recovery.

Indonesia has received large amounts of economic aid from bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Although Indonesia finished its IMF program in December 2003, the country still receives bilateral aid through the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) which reached $2.8 billion for 2004 and 2005. In total, Indonesia has received $43 billion in foreign aid.

Demographics

Indonesia's population statistics are difficult to estimate. Despite a considerably successful family planning program over the last four decades, Indonesia is expected to grow to a population of around 315 million in 2035 based on a current estimated annual growth rate of 1.25 per cent.

Ethnic groups

Most Indonesians are ethnically Malay, particularly in central and western Indonesia, while much of eastern Indonesia is Melanesian in ethnic make up. There are, however, approximately 300 different native ethnicities in Indonesia and 742 different languages and dialects. Indonesia, however, is not without social tensions with religious and ethnic differences triggering sometimes horrendous violence.

The Transmigration program contributed to the spread of people from highly populated Java and Madura to eastern Indonesia.

The Chinese Indonesians are arguably the most influential ethnic minority in Indonesia.

Languages

The official national language, Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia in Indonesian), is universally taught in schools and is spoken by nearly every Indonesian.

Religion

Although the Indonesian constitution guarantees religious freedom for all, the Government officially only recognises six religions, namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation with almost 86% of Indonesians declared Muslim according to the 2000 census.

Before the arrival of the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity and Islam to the Malay Archipelago, the popular belief systems in the region were thoroughly influenced by Indic religious philosophy through Hinduism and Buddhism. The Sumatra-based Sriwijaya kingdom of the 7th century AD was the center of Buddhism in Indonesia, however, most Buddhists in Indonesia today are ethnic Chinese.

Islam was first brought to northern Sumatra by Arab traders in the 13th century and had become Indonesia’s dominant religion by the 15th century. Like other religions in Indonesia, Islam has blended with local traditional beliefs such as those practiced by the Abangan Muslims on Java and with other belief systems in northern Sumatra and Kalimantan. At the same time, Muslims in Indonesia are typically devout; There is also a small but outspoken hard-line Islamist presence in Indonesia, including movements such as Indonesian Mujahedeen Council.

Catholicism was first brought to Indonesia by early Portuguese colonialists and missionaries, and the Protestant denominations are largely a result of Dutch Calvinist and Lutheran missionary efforts during its colonial time, although these efforts did not extend to Java or other predominantly Muslim areas. As with Islam and Hinduism, many Christian beliefs in Indonesia are combined with animism and other traditional beliefs and cultural practices.

Culture

Indonesia has around 300 ethnic groups each with cultural differences which have shifted over the centuries and the concept of Indonesian culture is a fusion of this diversity. Indonesia has also imported cultural aspects from Arabic, Chinese, Malay and European sources.

Art forms in Indonesia have been influenced by several cultures. Cloth such as batik, ikat and songket are created across Indonesia with different areas having different styles and specialisations.

Indonesian music varies within cities and groups as people who live in the countryside would listen to a different kind of music than people in the city. Although rock was introduced in Indonesia by Indonesian rock band, God Bless (see Ian Antono), native Indonesian music is still preserved. The movie industry's popularity peaked in the 1980s and dominated cinemas in Indonesia, although it fell significantly in the early 1990s.

Media freedom in Indonesia increased considerably after the end of President Suharto's rule, during which the now-defunct Ministry of Information monitored and controlled domestic media and restricted foreign media. 1999, A Nation in Waiting: Indonesia's Search for Stability, Westview Press; Wijaya, M., Architecture of Bali: A source book of traditional and modern forms, 2002 Archipelago Press, Singapore, 224 pages, ISBN 981-4068-25-X

Natural history

Whitten, T., Whitten, T, Wild Indonesia: The wildlife & scenery of the Indonesian archipelago, 1992 New Holland Ltd, London, ISBN 1-85368-128-8 The Ecology of Indonesia Series (7 volumes), 1996.

Government

National Portal of Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian) Presidential official website Antara - National News Agency Bank Indonesia - Indonesian Central Bank Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia Statistics Center

Other

Indonesia travel guide from Wikitravel Indonesia House The Jakarta Post Historic Ties India & Indonesia Discover Indonesia Indonesia: Politial & An Annontated Directory of Internet Resources (Anonymous Provider) History of Indonesia (Indonesian) Indonesia Headlines (Indonesian) Indonesian Magazines Online v • d • e Countries in Southeast Asia

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