My Country, Indonesia

Geography

Area: 2 million sq. km. (736,000 sq. mi.), about three times the size of Texas; maritime area: 7,900,000 sq. km. Cities: Capital--Jakarta (est. 8.8 million). Five big islands and more than 17,500 islands; 6,000 are inhabited; 1,000 of which are permanently settled. Large islands consist of coastal plains with mountainous interiors. Climate: Equatorial but cooler in the highlands (means warm ... warm ... warm!)

People

Population (July 2006 est.): 245.5 million. Annual population growth rate (2006): 1.3%.

Ethnic groups: Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, others 26%. Religions: Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist and other 1%.

Languages: Indonesian (official), local languages, the most prevalent of which is Javanese.

Education: Years compulsory--9. Enrollment--94% of eligible primary school-age children. Health: Infant mortality rate--28/1,000 (2005). Life expectancy at birth--68 years (2005).

Work force: 94.2 million (2005 est.). Agriculture--46.5%, industry--11.8%, services--41.7%.

Government

Type: Independent republic. Independence: August 17, 1945 proclaimed. Constitution: 1945. Embodies five principles of the state philosophy, called Pancasila, namely monotheism, humanitarianism, national unity, representative democracy by consensus, and social justice.

Branches: Executive--president (head of government and chief of state) elected by direct popular vote. Legislative--The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), which includes the 550-member House of Representatives (DPR) and the 128-member Council of Regional Representatives (DPD), both elected to five-year terms. Judicial--Supreme Court. Suffrage: 17 years of age universal and married persons regardless of age.

Economy

GDP (2005): $281.3 billion; (2006 est.): $351.9 billion. Annual growth rate (2005): 5.6%; (2006 est.): 5.5%. Inflation (2005): 10.5%; (2006 est.): 6.1%. Per capita income (2005): $3,600 (est., PPP). Natural resources (10.4% of GDP): Oil and gas, bauxite, silver, tin, copper, gold, coal. Agriculture (13.4% of GDP): Products--timber, rubber, rice, palm oil, coffee. Land--17% cultivated. Manufacturing (28.1% of GDP): Garments, footwear, electronic goods, furniture, paper products. Trade: Exports (2005)--$86.2 billion including oil, natural gas, appliances, textiles. Major exporters--Japan, U.S., China, Singapore. Imports (2005)--$63.9 billion including food, chemicals, capital goods, consumer goods. Major importers--Japan, China, Singapore, and Thailand.

PEOPLE

Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous nation. The island of Java, roughly the size of New York State, is the most populous island in the world (124 million, 2005 est.) and one of the most densely populated areas in the world. Indonesia includes numerous related but distinct cultural and linguistic groups, many of which are ethnically Malay. Since independence, Bahasa Indonesia (the national language, a form of Malay) has spread throughout the archipelago and has become the language of most written communication, education, government, business, and media. Local languages are still important in many areas, however. English is the most widely spoken foreign language. Education is compulsory for children through grade 9. In primary school, 94% of eligible children are enrolled whereas 57% of eligible children are enrolled in secondary school.

Constitutional guarantees of religious freedom apply to the six religions recognized by the state, namely Islam (88%), Protestantism (5%), Catholicism (3%), Buddhism (2%), Hinduism (1%) and Confucianism (less than 1%). In the resort island of Bali, over 90% of the population practices Hinduism. In some remote areas, animism is still practiced.

History: By the time of the Renaissance, the islands of Java and Sumatra had already enjoyed a 1,000-year heritage of advanced civilization spanning two major empires. During the 7th-14th centuries, the Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya flourished on Sumatra. At its peak, the Srivijaya Empire reached as far as West Java and the Malay Peninsula. Also by the 14th century, the Hindu Kingdom of Majapahit had risen in eastern Java. Gadjah Mada, the empire's chief minister from 1331 to 1364, succeeded in gaining allegiance from most of what is now modern Indonesia and much of the Malay archipelago as well. Legacies from Gadjah Mada's time include a codification of law and an epic poem. Islam arrived in Indonesia sometime during the 12th century and, through assimilation, supplanted Hinduism by the end of the 16th century in Java and Sumatra. Bali, however, remains overwhelmingly Hindu. In the eastern archipelago, both Christian and Islamic proselytizing took place in the 16th and 17th centuries, and, currently, there are large communities of both religions on these islands. Later on we were occupied by Dutch for 350 years, Japan for 3,5 years and other countries did so for few years.