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The Republic of Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is located between the Southeast Asian peninsula 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 had 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 British 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.
During World War II, with The Netherlands under German occupation, Japan occupied the Dutch colony. After capturing Indonesia in 1942, Japan found the Indonesian elite to be cooperative trade partners and willing to marshal troops as needed. Sukarno, Mohammad Hatta, KH. Mas Mansur, and Ki Hajar Dewantara were decorated by the Emperor of Japan in 1943.
In March 1945 Japan organized an independence committee for a new nation to be called Indonesia with Sukarno appointed as its leader; after the Pacific war ended in 1945, under the pressure of youth organizations, the group led by Sukarno declared Indonesian independence on 17 August, which was earlier than the date set by their Japanese occupiers. In an effort to regain control of their previously occupied colonies, the Allies sent in their armies, together with the Netherlands' Army.
These bloody efforts to quell the independence movement became known as 'police actions'. In New York a Javanese gentleman Soedjatmoko told a business audience that the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe depended on "the availability of the resources of Asia," and that Indonesia would offer "fruitful cooperation with the West". At a Washington function in early 1949 Sumitro made a similar offer of "free access" to Indonesian claimed resources and "sufficient incentives" for foreign companies. The Dutch finally accepted Indonesia's rights to independence on December 27 1949 after massive international pressure, chiefly from the United States. 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, including the People's Republic of China and Yugoslavia. The 1960s saw Indonesia in a military confrontation against neighboring British Malaya, 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. The 32-year reign of Suharto is called the New Order era, in contrast to Sukarno's reign being called the Old Order era.
Suharto invited major foreign investment in the country, which produced substantial, if uneven, economic growth in the country. The beginning of the New Order regime saw the Indonesian economic policy dictated by a group of economists who are graduates of the University of California at Berkeley department of economics, called the "Berkeley mafia". 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.
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.
On December 26 2004, one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern history, the Indian Ocean earthquake, struck off the western coast of Sumatra. The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis reportedly killed over 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean. The western coastal areas of Indonesia, particularly Aceh province on Sumatra, were devastated by the resulting tsunami. See also, 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).
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 (and making Indonesia the largest archipelago in the world). 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 disappeared Krakatau (Krakatoa), which was located between the islands of 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 but sometimes 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%).
10th Century Hindu Temple in Java, Indonesia 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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