Indonesia Information

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a nation of islands consisting of almost 18,000 islands located in the South East Asian Archipelago. From the city of Sabang to Merauke to east about 5000 km and from the Island of Miangas to the Islands of Rote to south about 1000 km, Indonesia respects its diversity with the motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika or "Unity in Diversity". Jakarta, the nation's capital city is located on island of Java, which is one of the five most populous Indonesian islands, along with Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi and New Guinea.

Since the seventeenth century, the archipelago has been inhabited by the Portuguese, Dutch and British, mainly for exploration and trading. Later, these countries demanded more than just spices and started colonising Indonesia. The Dutch ruled Indonesia for more than 300 years and in 1942, the Japanese arrived in Indonesia and ruled for three years.

Indonesia declared its independence from the Japanese on August 17, 1945. The country has more than 250 million citizens and is the most populous Muslim-majority nation. Currently, Indonesia is trying to recover after a series of disasters such as the 2004 Tsunami, 2006 Java earthquake and the 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi.

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Jakarta (also Djakarta or DKI Jakarta), formerly known as Sunda Kelapa, Jayakarta and Batavia is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Located on the northwest coast of the island of Java, at 6°11′S 106°50′E / 6.183°S 106.833°E, it has an area of 661.52 km² and a population of 8,792,000 (2004) Jakarta has been developed for more than 490 years and currently is the ninth most dense city in the world with 44,283 people per square miles.

As a capital city, Jakarta is the location of the international embassies while also is the location of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Since 2002, Jakarta, under the governance of Sutiyoso, has developed its new transportation system, which is known as "TransJakarta" or "Busway" and in 2007, Jakarta will establish its newest transportation system, the Jakarta Monorail. (read more...)

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Did you know

• ... that there is a lake called Kelimutu Lake or Danau Tiga Warna (three colors lake) in East Nusa Tenggara? It has three colors and changes periodically every year.
• ... that Abangan literally means red in English, a term coined by Clifford Geertz to refer to Javanese Muslims who practice syncretism as a result of mixture between Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Animism traditions.
• ... that the Bugis, a sea-faring people of Southern Sulawesi, were trading with Aboriginal people of Northern Australia long before European colonists arrived in the area. The products of the forest and sea that they brought back were avidly sought after in the markets of Asia, where they were bartered for opium, silk, cotton, firearms and gunpowder.
• ... that the Javan Rhinoceros is one of the rarest and most endangered large mammals anywhere in the world. According to 2002 estimates, only about 60 remain alive, in Indonesia and Vietnam. They are primarily found in Ujung Kulon National Park, Java, but sightings are extremely rare.
• ... that Puncak Jaya is the highest point in Indonesia? The mountain is located in Papua and reaches 4,884m (16,024 feet) above the sea level. At the peak there are ice cap although it is located at tropical climate near equator. It is also one of the highest 7 summits.
• ... that the berries of Kopi Luwak (the most expensive coffee in the world) have been eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet before the berries are given a light roast? Archive

Selected biography

Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was the second President of Indonesia, having held the office for 32 years from 1967 following Sukarno's removal until his resignation in 1998.

Suharto rose to the rank of Major General following Indonesian independence. An attempted coup on 30 September 1965 was countered by Suharto-led troops and was blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party. The army subsequently led an anti-communist purge, and Suharto wrested power from Indonesia's founding president, Sukarno. He was appointed acting president in 1967 and President the following year. Support for Suharto's presidency eroded following the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis. He was forced to resign from the presidency in May 1998 and he died in 2008. (read more...)

Wikipedias in Indonesian languages

Acèh • Banyumasan • Banjar • Bugis • Jawa • Melayu • Sunda

In the news

• June 08, 2011: President asks governors to suspend issuance of new forestry permits Environmental Indonesia News
• Oct 26, 2010: A magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred off the coast of Sumatra. (Wikinews)
• Oct 17, 2010: Indonesia investigates video showing apparent security forces torture in Papua. (Wikinews)
• Aug 29, 2010: Mount Sinabung erupts in Sumatra after 400 years. (Wikinews)
• Aug 11, 2010: Government bans pornographic sites (Wikinews) More current events... Indonesia on Wikinews

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WikiProjects

WikiProject Indonesia

Indonesian Topics Notice Board • Indonesia Collaboration of the Fortnight

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