Indonesia

Indonesia or the Republic of Indonesia (official name) is a country situated in the South -eastern part of the Asian continent. The entire geographical area of Indonesia includes 17,500 small islands and is known as the largest archipelagic state of the world. At present the country is home to more than 200 million people and as a result is considered as the fourth most populous nation. Though Indonesia is not an Islamic country officially it the most populous Muslim-majority nation in Asia. This South-Eastern Asian nation is surrounded by different Asian and European neighboring countries like Papua New Guinea, East Timor, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Austria and some part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia and the most developed economic region of the country as well. It is the largest city of the country and a major hub of trading and industrial activities.

Some of the key points on Indonesia, the South-Eastern Asian nation is given below:

Official Languages:

Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Though it was named matching the name of the country, the language is actually a standardized dialect of The Malay language. Basically this Malay is an Austronesian language that the Malay people residing in the Malay Peninsula, Southern Thailand, Philippines, Singapore and some other region used to speak in. The Malay and Indonesia is quite similar as far as pronunciation is considered.

Independence, Republic and Government:

Indonesia was under the Dutch colonialism for more than three and a half centuries and declared its independence after Japan surrendered after the end of Word War II. Before that on September 1944, Japan announced that Indonesia is going to be independent. Japan surrendered on August 15, 1945 and it was on August 17, at 10 a.m. in the morning the Indonesian declaration of Independence was officially proclaimed and it marked the beginning of five-year diplomatic and the armed-resistance of the Indonesian National Revolution against the forces of Netherlands. Thus the Republic of Indonesia was born. Four years later, on 1949, Netherlands officially acknowledged the independence of Indonesia.

Indonesia is a republic country with a Presidential system. The National government is the supreme power in the country and it has an elected Parliament. In Indonesia, President is the head of the state, the director of domestic governance and also the commander-in-chief of the national Army. It is the responsibility of the President of Indonesia to appoint council of ministers, policy making and look after foreign affairs. In the Presidential election of 2004 the Indonesian people directly elected the President and vice president for the first time. The presidential election in Indonesia is held once in every five years. At present Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party is the President of Indonesia and Muhammad Jusuf Kalla of the Golkar party is working as the vice-president.

After the resignation of former President Suharto in 1998, the political and governmental structures of the country has gone through major reforms. Four amendments to the Constitution of Indonesia revamped the judicial, legislative and executive branches of the country. In Indonesia People's Consultative Assembly is the highest national representative body.

• Banjarnegara
  
• Banyumas
  
• Banyuwangi
  
• Bekasi
  
• Bogor
  

• Balikpapan
  
• Banjarmasin
  
• Palangkaraya
  
• Pontianak
  
• Martapura
  
• Samarinda
  
• Tarakan
  
  
  

• Ambon
  
• Sofifi
  
• Ternate
  
  
  

• Mataram
  
• Kupang
  
• Dompu
  
• Sumbawa Besar
  
  

• Jayapura
  
• Timika
  
• Manokwari
  
• Biak
  
• Enarotali
  
  
  

• Bau-bau
  
• Bulukumba
  
• Gorontalo
  
• Kawangkoan
  
• Makassar (Ujung Pandang)
  
• Mamuju
  
  
  

• Banda Aceh
  
• Bandar Lampung
  
• Batam
  
• Bengkulu
  
• Bukittinggi
  
• Dumai
  
• Jambi
  

Culture and Heritage:

Indonesia is perhaps the most unique specimen of unity and diversity in the world. You will find around 300 ethnic groups in this country, each having their own traditions and cultures. The influence of Arabic, Chinese, Malay and different European nations are clearly visible in the Indonesian culture and heritage. The traditional dances of the Java and Bali islands are deeply influenced by Hindu culture and mythology. You will also find variety of textiles like batik, ikat and songklet in different regions of the country. The Indonesian architecture is totally based on the traditional Indian pattern but you will also notice the influence of Chinese, Arab and European architectural patterns. The traditional cuisine of Indonesia which is deeply influenced by the Chinese, European, Middle Eastern and Indian dishes is also an important aspect of the culture and heritage of Indonesia. Apart from these you would also get to see the oldest evidence of Sanskrit inscriptions in the Indonesia that date back to the 5th century.

Tourism

The tourism industry of Indonesia is one of the biggest contributors to the economy of the country. The unique culture and heritage, different ethnic groups, the natural beauty of the islands, their diverse traditions, unique geographical location and tropical climate are the major factors that attract large number of international tourists from all corners of the globe to Indonesia throughout the year. At present the tourism is overseen by the ministry of culture and tourism in Indonesia. You will find plenty of beach resorts and hotels in all important tourist destinations of the country where you would get world-class hospitality services. The Java and Bali, Sumatra, Toroja, Prambanan, Borobudur temples, Yogyakarta and Minangkabau are some of the most important tourist’s spots in Indonesia where millions of tourist gather in every season. The traditional fairs and festivals are the other important tourist attractions of Indonesia.

For further information on Indonesia log on to countriesandcapitals