Indonesia Location:
Physical. Indonesia is an archipelago of 6,000 inhabited islands including Sumatra, Java, Timor and Bali, and is located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It covers an area almost three times the size of Texas. The climate is tropical, hot and humid, with moderate conditions in the highlands. Indonesia’s terrain consists mostly of coastal lowlands while larger islands generally have interior mountains. The country’s many natural resources include petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold and silver.
Indonesia Geography:
Geography
Area: 740,903
Capital: Jakarta (pop 11,429,000)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; sewage; air and water pollution; smoke and haze from forest fires
Geographical features: 6,000 inhabited islands with mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
Climate: tropical hot and humid; more moderate in the highlands
Indonesia People:
People. Over 238.4 million people live in Indonesia. Bahasa Indonesia is the official language while English, Dutch and local languages (primarily Javanese) are spoken as well. Ethnically, the country consists of: Javanese (45%) Sudanese (14%) and Madurese and coastal Malays (7.5% each). Islam (88%) is the primary religion with smaller proportions of Protestantism (5%) Roman Catholicism (3%) Hinduism (2%) and Buddhism (1%).
238,452,952 people; Javanese (45%); Sundanese (14%); Madurese (7.5%); coastal Malays (7.5%)
Annual growth rate: 1.49%
Major languages: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Religions: Muslim (88%); Protestant (5%); Roman Catholic (3%); Hindu (2%) (1998)
Indonesia Government:
Government. General Suharto ruled Indonesia as dictator from 1966 to 1998. Following massive protests in May 1998, Suharto resigned. Since then there have been three presidents. While East Timor voted for independence in a peaceful election in 1999, the reaction from anti-independents and government troops was brutal. Australia sent in troops to prevent a complete blood bath. Eventually East Timor gained its independence, but Indonesia’s response to the rampage was ineffectual. Violence also broke out in Borneo in 1999.
Current president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the first directly elected president as of October 2004. Like his predecessors, he has tried to jump-start the economy and clean up the governmental corruption left by Suharto.
Indonesia is a republic that declared its independence the Netherlands August 17, 1945; recognized by the Netherlands on December 27, 1949
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is both head of state and government
5 major political parties
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Indonesia Communication:
Communication and transportation
7,750,000 main telephone lines (2002)
8,000,000 Internet users (2002)
212,474 miles of highway (1999)
3,875 miles of railroad
661 airfields (2003 est.)
4,800,000 motor vehicles
Indonesia Economy:
Economy. Three quarters of the population live in rural areas. More than half of the people engage in fishing and small plot rice and vegetable farming. The average income per person is only about $3,000 a year. Another factor affecting the economy is the amount of government debt. Indonesia has borrowed more money than any other country in Asia. The country must allocate 40% of its national budget just to pay interest on its loans. Although rich in oil reserves, it has taken huge loans to help extract these resources. Transportation and communication in this archipelago of over 17,000 islands (uninhabited as well as inhabited) is a challenge. With 2.3 million new Indonesians entering the labor force every year and half the population under 20, the country is dedicated to making serious efforts to increase employment opportunities.
Currency: rupiahs
Per capita GDP: $3,200
GDP: $758.8 billion
GDP growth rate: 4.1%
Inflation rate: 6.6%
Labor force: agriculture (45%); industry (16%): services (39%)
Indonesia More Information:
www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook | 
