Indonesia
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Where is Indonesia located?
Indonesia is located off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia between the Indian and Pacific oceans. As the most populous country in Southeast Asia and the fourth most populous globally, it lies on an archipelago that crosses the Equator, spanning a distance equivalent to one-eighth of Earth’s circumference.
The Indonesian archipelago is composed of the Greater Sunda Islands, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccas, and the western extent of New Guinea. Indonesia shares a border with Malaysia in the northern part of Borneo and with Papua New Guinea in the center of New Guinea.
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What kind of country is Indonesia (island nation, archipelago)?
Indonesia is an archipelago located off the coast of Southeast Asia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the most populous country in Southeast Asia and the fourth most populous globally.
Indonesia consists of approximately 17,500 islands, of which more than 7,000 are uninhabited. The country shares a border with Malaysia in Borneo's northern part and with Papua New Guinea in New Guinea's centre. The capital, Jakarta, is near Java's northwestern coast.
Indonesia's national motto, Bhinneka tunggal ika ("Unity in diversity"), highlights its diverse population, with over 300 ethnic groups and twice as many languages spoken.
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What are the main islands or regions that make up Indonesia?
Indonesia is composed of approximately 17,500 islands, with over 7,000 being uninhabited. The country shares borders with Malaysia on Borneo's northern part and Papua New Guinea in central New Guinea.
The main islands and regions include:
* Sumatra.
* Kalimantan (which constitutes about three-fourths of Borneo).
* Western New Guinea (consisting of the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua).
* Java.
* Celebes.
* The Moluccas.These islands feature densely forested volcanic mountains sloping to coastal plains. The Sunda Shelf contains Borneo and an island arc from Sumatra through Java and the Lesser Sundas. New Guinea and nearby islands, like Halmahera, are on the Sahul Shelf.
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Which cultures and languages are found in Indonesia?
Indonesia is home to a diverse array of cultures and languages. Its national motto, "Bhinneka tunggal ika" ("Unity in diversity"), reflects the confluence of people, languages, and cultures, with over 300 ethnic groups and twice as many languages spoken.
Most Indonesians are of Malay ancestry, speak Austronesian languages, and practice Islam, but the country also has people of Asian and Melanesian descent. The national language, Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), evolved from Malay and serves as a unifying force. Other major languages include Javanese, Sundanese, and Madurese, with Papuan languages spoken in western New Guinea and some of the Moluccas.
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What are some important natural resources and industries in Indonesia?
Indonesia possesses significant natural resources and diverse industries. It is a major exporter of crude petroleum and natural gas, along with being a main supplier of rubber, coffee, cocoa, and palm oil. The country also produces sugar, tea, tobacco, copra, and spices.
Indonesia has a large variety of mineral deposits, including tin, bauxite, nickel, manganese, copper, and gold. Mining, including oil and natural gas extraction, contributes substantially to foreign-exchange earnings and development.
The manufacturing sector is a key part of Indonesia's economy, contributing to over one-fourth of the GDP. The country's economic focus has shifted to manufacturing, trade, and services. The textile industry is also a principal industry. Indonesia has become an established international supplier of various commodities, including petroleum, rubber, garments, wood products, and electronic products.
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How has Indonesia’s history influenced its society and government today?
Indonesia's history, marked by Dutch colonialism and the struggle for independence, significantly shaped its society and government. The country's national motto, Bhinneka tunggal ika ("Unity in diversity"), reflects its diverse population of over 300 ethnic groups and numerous languages.
The archipelago's history is characterized by a blend of influences, including those of Indian religions, Islam, and European colonialism. After Japanese occupation during World War II, Indonesia declared independence in 1945, which led to a continued struggle until the Dutch officially recognized Indonesian sovereignty in 1949. Sukarno, a key figure in Indonesia's fight for independence, introduced the Pancasila, the state ideology which promoted national unity.
The country's political process is defined by its complex history. The government is centralized, with the president holding considerable power.
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News •
Indonesia, country located off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia in the Indian and Pacific oceans. The most populous country in Southeast Asia and the fourth most populous in the world, Indonesia is situated on an archipelago that lies across the Equator and spans a distance equivalent to one-eighth of Earth’s circumference. Its islands can be grouped into the Greater Sunda Islands of Sumatra (Sumatera), Java (Jawa), the southern extent of Borneo (Kalimantan), and Celebes (Sulawesi); the Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara) of Bali and a chain of islands that runs eastward through Timor; the Moluccas (Maluku) between Celebes and the island of New Guinea; and the western extent of New Guinea (generally known as Papua). The capital, Jakarta, is located near the northwestern coast of Java.
Indonesia was formerly known as the Dutch East Indies (or Netherlands East Indies). Although Indonesia did not become the country’s official name until the time of independence, the name was used as early as 1884 by a German geographer; it is thought to derive from the Greek indos, meaning “India,” and nesos, meaning “island.” After a period of occupation by the Japanese (1942–45) during World War II, Indonesia declared its independence from the Netherlands in 1945. Its struggle for independence, however, continued until 1949, when the Dutch officially recognized Indonesian sovereignty. It was not until the United Nations (UN) acknowledged the western segment of New Guinea as part of Indonesia in 1969 that the country took on its present form. The former Portuguese territory of East Timor (Timor-Leste) was incorporated into Indonesia in 1976. Following a UN-organized referendum in 1999, however, East Timor declared its independence and became fully sovereign in 2002.
- Head Of State And Government:
- President: Prabowo Subianto
- Capital:
- Jakarta
- Population:
- (2026 est.) 287,302,000
- Currency Exchange Rate:
- 1 USD equals 18243.017 Indonesian rupiah
- Form Of Government:
- multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Regional Representative Council1 [152]; House of Representatives [580])
- Official Language:
- Indonesian
- Official Religion:
- monotheism
- Official Name:
- Republik Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia)
- Total Area (Sq Km):
- 1,892,410
- Total Area (Sq Mi):
- 730,663
- Monetary Unit:
- rupiah (Rp)
- Population Rank:
- (2026) 4
- Population Projection 2030:
- 298,806,000
- Density: Persons Per Sq Mi:
- (2026) 393.2
- Density: Persons Per Sq Km:
- (2026) 151.8
- Urban-Rural Population:
- Urban: (2024) 59.2%
- Rural: (2024) 40.8%
- Life Expectancy At Birth:
- Male: (2024) 71.6 years
- Female: (2024) 76.7 years
- Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000):
- (2024) 1,393,237
The Indonesian archipelago represents one of the most unusual areas in the world: it encompasses a major juncture of Earth’s tectonic plates, spans two faunal realms, and has for millennia served as a nexus of the peoples and cultures of Oceania and mainland Asia. These factors have created a highly diverse environment and society that sometimes seem united only by susceptibility to seismic and volcanic activity, close proximity to the sea, and a moist, tropical climate. Nevertheless, a centralized government and a common language have provided Indonesia with some sense of unity. Furthermore, in keeping with its role as an economic and cultural crossroads, the country is active in numerous international trade and security organizations, such as ASEAN, OPEC, and the UN.
Land
Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia, with a maximum dimension from east to west of about 3,200 miles (5,100 km) and an extent from north to south of 1,100 miles (1,800 km). It shares a border with Malaysia in the northern part of Borneo and with Papua New Guinea in the centre of New Guinea. Indonesia is composed of some 17,500 islands, of which more than 7,000 are uninhabited. Almost three-fourths of Indonesia’s area is embraced by Sumatra, Kalimantan, and western New Guinea; Celebes, Java, and the Moluccas account for most of the country’s remaining area.
Relief
The major Indonesian islands are characterized by densely forested volcanic mountains in the interior that slope downward to coastal plains covered by thick alluvial swamps that, in turn, dissolve into shallow seas and coral reefs. Beneath this surface the unique and complex physical structure of Indonesia encompasses the junction of three major sections of the Earth’s crust and involves a complicated series of shelves, volcanic mountain chains, and deep-sea trenches. The island of Borneo and the island arc that includes Sumatra, Java, Bali, and the Lesser Sunda chain sit on the Sunda Shelf, a southward extension of the continental mass of Asia. The shelf is bounded on the south and west by deep-sea trenches, such as the Java Trench (about 24,440 feet [7,450 metres] deep at its lowest point), which form the true continental boundary. New Guinea and its adjacent islands, possibly including the island of Halmahera, sit on the Sahul Shelf, which is a northwestern extension of the Australian continental mass; the shelf is bounded to the northeast by a series of oceanic troughs and to the northwest by troughs, a chain of coral reefs, and a series of submarine ridges. The third major unit of the Earth’s crust in Indonesia is an extension of the belt of mountains that forms Japan and the Philippines; the mountains run southward between Borneo and New Guinea and include a series of volcanoes and deep-sea trenches on and around Celebes and the Moluccas.
The relation between these three landmasses is not clearly understood. The present land-sea formations are somewhat misleading because the seas that lie on the Sunda and Sahul shelves are shallow and of geologically recent origin; they rest on the continental mass rather than on a true ocean floor. The Sunda Shelf in the vicinity of the Java Sea has relatively low relief, contains several coral reefs, and is not volcanic. The mountain system that stretches along the South China and Celebes seas of this shelf and that marks the outer edge of the continental mass of Asia, however, is an area of strong relief and is one of the most active volcanic zones in the world.
The outer (southern) side of the chain of islands from Sumatra through Java and the Lesser Sundas forms the leading edge of the Southeast Asian landmass. It is characterized by active volcanoes, bounded to the south and west by a series of deep-sea trenches. On the inner (northern) side of the islands the volcanic mountains grade into swamps, lowlands, and the shallow Java Sea. This sheltered sea was formed at the close of the Pleistocene Epoch (about 12,000 years ago), and there is evidence of former land bridges, which facilitated the migration of plants and animals from the Asian continent.
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