Across Indonesia
What an awsome country.
If
you haven't discovered Indonesia yet,
let us help you get to
know this incredible country.
Background: The
Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; the
islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared
its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required four years of
intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and UN mediation
before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony. Indonesia is
the world's largest archipelagic state. Current issues include:
dealing with the 26 December Tsunami disaster in Aceh, alleviating
widespread poverty, preventing terrorism, continuing the
transition to popularly-elected governments after four decades of
authoritarianism, implementing reforms of the banking sector,
addressing charges of cronyism and corruption, holding the military and
police accountable for human rights violations, and resolving armed
separatist movements in Aceh and Papua.
Area: total:
1,919,440 sq km - land: 1,826,440 sq km
- water: 93,000 sq km
Area
comparative: almost three times the size of Texas; spread
over the same distance as from California to Maine
(over 3,200
miles) - approximately 17,700 islands.
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands 
Population:
238,452,952 (July 2004 est.)
Age Structure: 0-14
years: 29.4% (male 35,635,790; female 34,416,854)
15-64 years:
65.5% (male 78,097,767; female 78,147,909)
65 years and
over: 5.1% (male 5,308,986; female 6,845,646) (2004 est.)
Religious
affiliation: Muslim 88%, Protestant
5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1998)
Ethnic
Groups: Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%,
coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26%
Languages: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of
Malay), English, Dutch,
local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese. 726
living languages in Indonesia.
Economy: Indonesia, a vast polyglot
nation, faces economic development problems
stemming from recent acts of terrorism, unequal resource distribution
among regions, endemic corruption, the lack of reliable legal recourse
in contract disputes, weaknesses in the banking system, and a generally
poor climate for foreign investment. Indonesia withdrew from its IMF
program at the end of 2003, but issued a "White Paper" that commits the
government to maintaining fundamentally sound macroeconomic policies
previously established under IMF guidelines. Investors, however,
continued to face a host of on-the-ground microeconomic problems and an
inadequate judicial system. Keys to future growth remain internal
reform, building up the confidence of international and domestic
investors, and strong global economic growth.
Population
below poverty line: 27%
(1999)
Labor force by
occupation: agriculture 45%, industry 16%, services
39% (1999 est.)
Industries: petroleum and natural gas, textiles,
apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood,
rubber, food, tourism
Natural Hazzards: occasional floods, severe droughts,
tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires
Natural
Resources: petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber,
bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
Environmental
Issues: deforestation; water pollution from industrial
wastes, sewage; air
pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires
Export
Partners: Japan 22.3%, US 12.1%, Singapore 8.9%, South
Korea 7.1%, China 6.2% (2003)
Communications:
(2004)
Main: 7.75 million
(2002)
Mobile: 11.7 million (2002)
Radio Stations: AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)
Television Stations: 41 (1999)
Internet Country Code: .id
Internet Users: 8 million (2002)
Airports:
661 (2003 est.) -
Heliports: 22 (2003 est.)
Shopping:
Many of Indonesia's main cities have
department
stores, supermarkets and large shopping complexes, open generally from
9 am to 8 pm, where fixed prices prevail. In local markets and small
shops bargaining is the rule.
Food:
The main staple food of the majority of the
population
is rice. Coconut milk and hot chili peppers are popular cooking
ingredients nationwide. Tastes range from very spicy dishes of meat;
fish and vegetables to those that are quite sweet. The most popular
dishes are "nasi goreng" (fried rice) which is otten served for
breakfast, lunch or dinner, "satay" barbequed meat or chicken on
skewers and "gado-gado", a vegetable salad with a pean ut sauce.All are
most compatible with internationaltastes. Inthemaintouristcenters and
cities, restaurants catering to international visitors are many, from
fine continental grill rooms to Japanese specialty restaurants. Chinese
restaurants are found in all towns throughout Indonesia. Tropical and
subtropical fruits are available yearround. Bottled drinking water can
be purchased everywhere.
Culture and
Traditions:
Indonesians are a very
friendly and polite people.
Handshaking is customary, for both men and women, on introduction and
greeting, smiling is a national characteristics. The population is
predominantly Moslem. Nevertheless, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism and other religions are freely practiced. Traditional
customs form a major part of family and community life. The use of the
left hand to give or receive is considered ill-mannered. Likewise
crooking your finger to call someone is impolite.
HIV/AIDS
- People living with AIDS: 110,000 (2003 est.)
Important
Indonesian Internet
Resources:
Web Stats
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