| The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay
Archipelago, the world's largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the
Indian and Pacific
Oceans. It is the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world and the fourth
most populous overall. It has had free elections since the Indonesian 1998 Revolution toppled General Suharto,
who seized power in 1965.
History
Main article: History of Indonesia
Under the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism, several kingdoms formed on the islands of Sumatra and
Java from the 7th
to 14th century. The arrival of Arab
traders from Gujarat, India later brought
Islam, which became the dominant religion after the collapse of Hindu and Buddhist
Kingdoms.
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 Spanish and Portuguese (except for their colony
Portuguese Timor on the island of Timor). The Netherlands ruled Indonesia as a colony until World War
II, first under the control of the Dutch East India
Company (VOC), and then beginning in the nineteenth century directly by the Dutch government.
Under the nineteenth-century Cultuurstelsel (Cultivation System), large plantations and forced cultivation was
established on Java, finally creating the profit for the Netherlands that the VOC was unable to produce. In a more liberal period
of colonial rule after 1870 the cultivation system was abolished. After 1901 the Dutch introduced the Ethical Policy, which included limited political reform and increased
investment in the colony.
During World War II, with The Netherlands under German occupation, Japan occupied the Dutch colony. Some of the Indonesian elite, and many of the future leaders of the Republic
of Indonesia, cooperated with the Japanese occupiers, as they saw them as a welcome change after Dutch rule. In 1945, with the war drawing to a close, Japan sponsored a committee, lead by Sukarno, to plan for
independence. Sukarno declared independence on 17 August.
In an effort to regain control of their previously occupied colonies, the Allies sent in their armies, together with the
Netherlands' Army. Indonesia's war for independence lasted from 1945 until 27
December 1949, when, under heavy international pressure, the Netherlands acknowledged
Indonesia's independence. Sukarno became the country's first president, with Mohammad Hatta as the first vice president.
The 1950s and 1960s saw Sukarno's government
aligning itself first with the emerging non-aligned
movement and later with the socialist bloc. The 1960s saw Indonesia in a military confrontation against neighboring Malaysia, and increasing frustration over domestic economic difficulties.
Army general Suharto became president in 1967 with the excuse of securing the country against an alleged Communist coup attempt against a weakening Sukarno. In the aftermath of Suharto's rise, hundreds of thousands of
mainly Chinese Indonesians were killed or imprisoned in a backlash against alleged Communist supporters. Suharto's administration
is commonly called the New Order era. Suharto invited major foreign investment into the country, which produced substantial, if uneven, economic growth. However, Suharto enriched
himself and his family through widespread corruption and he was forced to step
down amid massive popular demonstrations and a faltering economy in 1998.
In the period of 1998 to 2001, the country had
three presidents: Bacharuddin Jusuf (BJ) Habibie, Abdurrahman
Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri. In 2004, the largest one-day election in the world and Indonesia's first direct Presidential election
was held and was won by Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono.
Parts of northern Sumatra, particularly Aceh, were devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami on 26 December
2004. See Impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Indonesia.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Indonesia
The highest legislative body is the Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat (MPR, head: Hidayat Nur Wahid) or 'People's Consultative Assembly', consisting of the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat
(DPR, head: Agung Laksono) or
Peoples Representative Council, elected
for a five-year term, and the Dewan Perwakilan Daerah (DPD, head: Ginandjar
Kartasasmita) or Regional
Representatives Council. Following elections in 2004, the MPR will become a bicameral parliament, with the creation
of the DPD as a new second chamber.
Executive power lies with the President and his/her advisers. The current President is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The MPR formerly met every six years to elect the President. Starting in 2004, the MPR no longer elected the President and
Vice-President, and instead popular elections were held. The first popular election
for President was held in July 2004. The participants were Wiranto & Salahuddin Wahid (Abdurrahman
Wahid's brother), Megawati Sukarnoputri &
Hasyim Muzadi, Amien Rais & Siswono Yudohusodo, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono & Jusuf Kalla and Hamzah Haz & Agum Gumelar.
The second stage of the 2004 presidential election was held on September
20 2004. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono & Jusuf Kalla and Megawati Sukarnoputri & Hasyim Muzadi were the candidates. On
5 October 2004 Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono & Jusuf Kalla were declared the
winners, and were inaugurated as President & Vice President on 20 October
2004. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono selected
34 members for his cabinet, which he has referred to as the United Indonesia Cabinet (Kabinet Indonesia Bersatu).
The country currently suffers from internal economic, political, and religious struggles, and several regions are striving for
independence, particularly Aceh and Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya). East
Timor became independent in 2002 after 24 years of Indonesian occupation and 3 years of
UN administration.
Provinces
Main article: Provinces of Indonesia
Currently, Indonesia has 33 provinces (of those, 2 are 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, South Sumatra, Gorontalo, Jambi, Lampung, Maluku, North Maluku, North Sulawesi, North
Sumatra, Papua (Irian Jaya), Riau, Riau Kepulauan, South East Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, West Irian Jaya, West Java,
West Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, West Sulawesi, West Sumatra
The special territories (daerah istimewa) are Aceh (or Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam) and Yogyakarta. The capital city territory is Jakarta.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Indonesia
Indonesia's 18,108 islands, of which about 6,000 are
inhabited, are scattered around the equator, giving the country a tropical climate.
The largest populated islands are Java, where about half of the population lives, Sumatra, Borneo (shared with Malaysia and Brunei), New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea)
and Sulawesi. The country borders Malaysia on the island of Borneo (Indonesian: Kalimantan), Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea and East Timor on the island of Timor.
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 vanished Krakatau (Krakatoa),
which was located between Sumatra and Java.
Flora and fauna differ markedly between Kalimantan, Bali, and western islands on the one hand and Sulawesi, Lombok, and
islands further to the east on the other hand. This ecological boundary has been called the Wallace line after its discoverer.
See also: Map of Asia
Economy
Main article: Economy of Indonesia
Indonesia's economy suffered greatly in the late 1990s, in part as a result of the
financial crisis that struck most of Asia at the time.
The economy has stabilized somewhat since then.
The country has extensive natural resources outside of Java, including crude
oil, natural gas, tin, copper and gold. Indonesia is the world's second largest
exporter of natural gas, though it has recently become a net importer of crude oil. Major agricultural products include 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.
Though rich in natural and human resources, however, Indonesia still face massive problems of poverty mainly due to the
rampant massive corruption among the government officials.
The central bank of Indonesia is Bank Indonesia [1] (http://www.bi.go.id)
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of
Indonesia
Indonesia's 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, with roots in the islands of
Melanesia. Many Indonesians identify with a more specific ethnic group that is
often linked to language and regional origins; examples of these are Javanese,
Sundanese, or Batak.
Ethnic Chinese people form a large ethnic minority of two to
three million that is central to the economy and is the target of discrimination or violence.
Islam is Indonesia's main religion, with almost 82% of the
people adhering to it, making Indonesia the most populous Muslim-majority nation in the world. The remainder of the population is
Christian (9%), Buddhist
(2%), and Hindu (7%).
Most Indonesians speak a local language (bahasa daerah) as their first tongue, but the official national language,
Indonesian (also called bahasa Indonesia, and closely
related to Malay) is almost universally taught in schools and is spoken
by nearly every Indonesian.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Indonesia
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 and Balinese wayang kulit shadow theatre shows,
displaying several mythological events. Several islands are famous for their batik and
ikat cloth.
Silat is a unique martial art originating from the archipelago.
Miscellaneous topics
Further reading
External links
Official Sites (owned and operated by the government of Indonesia and its agencies)
Other Sites (not owned nor operated by the government of Indonesia and its agencies)
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