1 Introduction

Indonesia (About this sound listen) (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia is a unitary sovereign state
and transcontinental country located mainly in Southeast Asia, with some territories in Oceania.
Situated between the Indian and Pacific oceans, it is the world's largest island country, with more
than thirteen thousand islands. At 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles), Indonesia
is the world's 14th largest country in terms of land area and the 7th largest in terms of combined
sea and land area. It has an estimated population of over 261 million people and is the world's
4th most populous country, the most populous Austronesian nation, as well as the most populous
Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, contains more than half of the
country's population.

Indonesia's republican form of government includes an elected legislature and president.

Indonesia has 34 provinces, of which five have Special Administrative status. Its capital is
Jakarta, which is the second most populous urban area in the world; other large urban
agglomerations include Bandung, Surabaya and Medan. The country shares land borders with
Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern part of Malaysia. Other neighbouring countries
include Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and the Indian territory of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Despite its large population and densely populated regions,
Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support the world's third highest level of biodiversity.
The country has abundant natural resources like oil and natural gas, tin, copper and gold.
Agriculture mainly produces rice, palm oil, tea, coffee, cacao, medicinal plants, spices and
rubber. Indonesia's major trading partners are Japan, the United States, China and neighbours
Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

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The Indonesian archipelago has been an important region for trade since at least the 7th century,
when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually
absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu
and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers
drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders and Sufi scholars brought the now-dominant
Islam,while European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise trade in
the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of
Dutch colonialism starting from Amboina and Batavia, and eventually all of the archipelago
including Timor and Western New Guinea, at times interrupted by Portuguese, French and
British rule, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II.

Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups, with the largest—
and politically dominant—ethnic group being the Javanese. A shared identity has developed,
defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a Muslim-majority
population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. Indonesia's national motto,
"Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" ("Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"), articulates the diversity
that shapes the country. Indonesia's economy is the world's 16th largest by nominal GDP and the
7th largest by GDP at PPP. Indonesia is a member of several multilateral organisations, including
the UN,[a] WTO, IMF and G20 major economies. It is also a founding member of Non-Aligned
Movement, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, East
Asia Summit, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

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2 Economy

The great majority of the international trade is done within the European Union (EU), whose
countries received 72.8% of the Portuguese exports and were the origin of 76.5% of the
Portuguese imports in 2015. Other regional groups that are significant trade partners of Indonesia
are the NAFTA (6.3% of the exports and 2% of the imports), the PALOP (5.7% of the exports
and 2.5% of the imports), the Maghreb (3.7% of the exports and 1.3% of the imports) and the
Mercosul (1.4% of the exports and 2.5% of the imports).

The Portuguese currency is the euro and the country has been a part of the Eurozone since its
inception. Indonesia's central bank is the Banco de Indonesia, which forms part of the European
System of Central Banks, and the major stock exchange is the Euronext Lisbon, which belongs
to the NYSE Euronext, the first global stock exchange.

The Portuguese Economy has been steady, expanding continuously since the third quarter of
2014, with a yearly GDP growth of 1.5% registered in the second quarter of 2015. The economy
growth has been accompanied by a continuous fall in the unemployment rate (11.9% in the
second quarter of 2015, compared with 13.9% registered in the end of 2014). The Government
budget deficit has also been reduced from the 11.2% of GDP in 2010 to 4.8% in 2014. These
rates mark an inversion from the negative trends caused by the impact of the Financial Crisis of
2008 in the Portuguese Economy, that made it to shrink for three consecutives years (2011, 2012
and 2013), accompanied by a high increase of the unemployment rate (that achieved a record of
17.7% in the early 2013).The crisis has caused a wide range of domestic problems that are
specifically related to the levels of public deficit, as well as the excessive debt levels, in the
economy, culminating in the confirmation from Indonesia to a €78 billion financial bailout from
the EU in April 2011, following similar decisions from Greece and Ireland. The government that
assumed office in June 2011 had to face tough choices in regard to its attempts to stimulate the
economy while at the same time seeking to maintain its public deficit around the EU average.

Indonesia is home to a number of notable leading companies with worldwide reputations, such as
Portucel Soporcel, a major world player in the international paper market; Sonae Indústria, the
largest producer of wood-based panels in the world; Amorim, the world leader in cork
production; Conservas Ramirez, the oldest canned food producer; Cimpor, one of the world's
10th largest producers of cement; EDP Renováveis, the 3rd largest producer of wind energy in
the world; Jerónimo Martins, consumer products manufacturer and retail market leader in
Indonesia, Poland and Colombia; TAP Indonesia, highly regarded for its safety record, and one
of the leading airlines linking Europe with Africa and Latin America (namely Brazil).

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The Portuguese educational system has been in gradual modernization and relative expansion
since the 1960s, achieving recognition for its world-standard practices and trends in the 21st
century. Indonesia is home to several world class universities and business schools that have
been contributing to the creation of a number of highly renowned international managers and are
attracting an increasing number of foreign students.

3 Geography / Climate

3.1 Geography
Indonesia lies between latitudes 11°S and 6°N, and longitudes 95°E and 141°E. It is the largest
archipelagic country in the world, extending 5,120 kilometres (3,181 mi) from east to west and
1,760 kilometres (1,094 mi) from north to south.According to a geospatial survey conducted
between 2007 and 2010 by the National Mapping Agency, Indonesia has 13,466 islands,
scattered over both sides of the equator, and with about 6,000 of them are inhabited.The largest
are Java, Sumatra, Borneo (shared with Brunei and Malaysia), Sulawesi, and New Guinea
(shared with Papua New Guinea). Indonesia shares land borders with Malaysia on Borneo, Papua
New Guinea on the island of New Guinea, and East Timor on the island of Timor. Indonesia
shares maritime borders across narrow straits with Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the
Philippines, and Palau to the north, and Australia to the south.

Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo in East Java. Indonesia is among the most volcanically active
countries in the world. At 4,884 metres (16,024 ft), Puncak Jaya is Indonesia's highest peak, and
Lake Toba in Sumatra is the largest lake, with an area of 1,145 km2 (442 sq mi). Indonesia's
largest rivers are in Kalimantan and New Guinea, and include Kapuas, Barito, Mamberamo,
Sepik and Mahakam; such rivers are communication and transport links between the island's
river settlements.

3.2 Climate
Lying along the equator, Indonesia's climate tends to be relatively even year-round.Indonesia has
two seasons—a wet season and a dry season—with no extremes of summer or winter. For most
of Indonesia, the dry season falls between April and October with the wet season between
November and March. Indonesia's climate is almost entirely tropical, dominated by the tropical
rainforest climate found in every major island of Indonesia, followed by the tropical monsoon
climate that predominantly lies along Java's coastal north, Sulawesi's coastal south and east, and
Bali, and finally the tropical Savanna climate, found in isolated locations of Central Java,
lowland East Java, coastal southern Papua and smaller islands to the east of Lombok. However,
cooler climate types do exist in mountainous regions of Indonesia 1,300 to 1,500 metres (4,300
to 4,900 feet) above sea level. The oceanic climate prevail in highland areas with fairly uniform
precipitation year-round, adjacent to rainforest climates, while the subtropical highland climate

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exist in highland areas with a more pronounced dry season, adjacent to tropical monsoon and
savanna climates.Rinca, Lesser Sunda Islands. The islands closest to Australia, including Nusa
Tenggara and the eastern tip of Java, tend to be dry.
Some regions, such as Kalimantan and Sumatra, experience only slight differences in rainfall and
temperature between the seasons, whereas others, such as Nusa Tenggara, experience far more
pronounced differences with droughts in the dry season, and floods in the wet. Rainfall is
plentiful, particularly in West Sumatra, West Kalimantan, West Java, and Papua. Parts of
Sulawesi and some islands closer to Australia, such as Sumba is drier. The almost uniformly
warm waters that make up 81% of Indonesia's area ensure that temperatures on land remain
fairly constant. The coastal plains averaging 28 °C (82.4 °F), the inland and mountain areas
averaging 26 °C (78.8 °F), and the higher mountain regions, 23 °C (73.4 °F). The area's relative
humidity ranges between 70 and 90%. Winds are moderate and generally predictable, with
monsoons usually blowing in from the south and east in June through October and from the
northwest in November through March. Typhoons and large scale storms pose little hazard to
mariners in Indonesian waters; the major danger comes from swift currents in channels, such as
the Lombok and Sape straits.

4 History and Culture

4.1 History
About 200 C.E. small states that were deeply influenced by Indian civilization began to develop
in Southeast Asia, primarily at estuaries of major rivers. The next five hundred to one thousand
years saw great states arise with magnificent architecture. Hinduism and Buddhism, writing
systems, notions of divine kingship, and legal systems from India were adapted to local scenes.
Sanskrit terms entered many of the languages of Indonesia. Hinduism influenced cultures
throughout Southeast Asia, but only one people are Hindu, the Balinese.

Indianized states declined about 1400 C.E. with the arrival of Muslim traders and teachers from
India, Yemen, and Persia, and then Europeans from Indonesia, Spain, Holland, and Britain. All
came to join the great trade with India and China. Over the next two centuries local princedoms
traded, allied, and fought with Europeans, and the Dutch East India Company became a small
state engaging in local battles and alliances to secure trade. The Dutch East India Company was
powerful until 1799 when the company went bankrupt. In the nineteenth century the Dutch
formed the Netherlands Indies government, which developed alliances with rulers in the
archipelago. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century did the Netherlands Indies
government extend its authority by military means to all of present Indonesia.

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Sporadic nineteenth century revolts against Dutch practices occurred mainly in Java, but it was
in the early twentieth century that Indonesian intellectual and religious leaders began to seek
national independence. In 1942 the Japanese occupied the Indies, defeating the colonial army
and imprisoning the Dutch under harsh conditions.On 17 August 1945, following Japan's defeat
in World War II, Indonesian nationalists led by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta declared
Indonesian independence. The Dutch did not accept and for five years fought the new republic,
mainly in Java. Indonesian independence was established in 1950.

National Identity. Indonesia's size and ethnic diversity has made national identity problematic
and debated. Identity is defined at many levels: by Indonesian citizenship; by recognition of the
flag, national anthem, and certain other songs; by recognition of national holidays; and by
education about Indonesia's history and the Five Principles on which the nation is based. Much
of this is instilled through the schools and the media, both of which have been closely regulated
by the government during most of the years of independence. The nation's history has been
focused upon resistance to colonialism and communism by national heroes and leaders who are
enshrined in street names. Glories of past civilizations are recognized, though archaeological
remains are mainly of Javanese principalities.

Ethnic Relations. Ethnic relations in the archipelago have long been a concern. Indonesian
leaders recognized the possibility of ethnic and regional separatism from the beginning of the
republic. War was waged by the central government against separatism in Aceh, other parts of
Sumatra, and Sulawesi in the 1950s and early 1960s, and the nation was held together by military
force.

The relationships between native Indonesians and overseas Chinese have been greatly influenced
by Dutch and Indonesian government policies. The Chinese number about four to six million, or
3 percent of the population, but are said to control as much as 60 percent of the nation's wealth.
The Chinese traded and resided in the islands for centuries, but in the nineteenth century the
Dutch brought in many more of them to work on plantations or in mines. The Dutch also
established a social, economic, and legal stratification system that separated Europeans, foreign
Asiatics and Indo-Europeans, and Native Indonesians, partly to protect native Indonesians so that
their land could not be lost to outsiders. The Chinese had little incentive to assimilate to local
societies, which in turn had no interest in accepting them.

Even naturalized Chinese citizens faced restrictive regulations, despite cozy business
relationships between Chinese leaders and Indonesian officers and bureaucrats. Periodic violence
directed toward Chinese persons and property also occurred. In the colonial social system, mixed
marriages between Chinese men and indigenous women produced half-castes ( peranakan ), who

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had their own organizations, dress, and art forms, and even newspapers. The same was true for
people of mixed Indonesian-European descent (called Indos, for short).

Ethnolinguistic groups reside mainly in defined areas where most people share much of the same
culture and language, especially in rural areas. Exceptions are found along borders between
groups, in places where other groups have moved in voluntarily or as part of transmigration
programs, and in cities. Such areas are few in Java, for example, but more common in parts of
Sumatra.

Religious and ethnic differences may be related. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of
any country in the world, and many ethnic groups are exclusively Muslim. Dutch policy allowed
proselytization by Protestants and Catholics among separate groups who followed traditional
religions; thus today many ethnic groups are exclusively Protestant or Roman Catholic. They are
heavily represented among upriver or upland peoples in North Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi,
Maluku, and the eastern Lesser Sundas, though many Christians are also found in Java and
among the Chinese. Tensions arise when groups of one religion migrate to a place with a
different established religion. Political and economic power becomes linked to both ethnicity and
religion as groups favor their own kinsmen and ethnic mates for jobs and other benefits.

Urbanism, Architecture, and the Use of Space

Javanese princes long used monuments and architecture to magnify their glory, provide a
physical focus for their earthly kingdoms, and link themselves to the supernatural. In the
seventeenth through nineteenth centuries the Dutch reinforced the position of indigenous princes
through whom they ruled by building them stately palaces. Palace architecture over time
combined Hindu, Muslim, indigenous, and European elements and symbols in varying degrees
depending upon the local situation, which can still be seen in palaces at Yogyakarta and
Surakarta in Java or in Medan, North Sumatra.

Dutch colonial architecture combined Roman imperial elements with adaptations to tropical
weather and indigenous architecture. The Dutch fort and early buildings of Jakarta have been
restored. Under President Sukarno a series of statues were built around Jakarta, mainly glorifying
the people; later, the National Monument, the Liberation of West Irian (Papua) Monument, and
the great Istiqlal Mosque were erected to express the link to a Hindu past, the culmination of
Indonesia's independence, and the place of Islam in the nation. Statues to national heroes are
found in regional cities.

Residential architecture for different urban socioeconomic groups was built on models developed
by the colonial government and used throughout the Indies. It combined Dutch elements
(highpitched tile roofs) with porches, open kitchens, and servants quarters suited to the climate

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and social system. Wood predominated in early urban architecture, but stone became dominant
by the twentieth century. Older residential areas in Jakarta, such as Menteng near Hotel
Indonesia, reflect urban architecture that developed in the 1920s and 1930s. After 1950, new
residential areas continued to develop to the south of the city, many with elaborate homes and
shopping centers.

The majority of people in many cities live in small stone and wood or bamboo homes in crowded
urban villages or compounds with poor access to clean water and adequate waste disposal.
Houses are often tightly squeezed together, particularly in Java's large cities. Cities that have less
pressure from rural migrants, such as Padang in West Sumatra and Manado in North Sulawesi,
have been able to better manage their growth.

Traditional houses, which are built in a single style according to customary canons of particular
ethnic groups, have been markers of ethnicity. Such houses exist in varying degrees of purity in
rural areas, and some aspects of them are used in such urban architecture as government
buildings, banks, markets and homes.

Traditional houses in many rural villages are declining in numbers. The Dutch and Indonesian
governments encouraged people to build "modern" houses, rectangular structures with windows.
In some rural areas, however, such as West Sumatra, restored or new traditional houses are built
by successful urban migrants to display their success. In other rural areas people display status
by building modern houses of stone and tile, with precious glass windows. In the cities, old
colonial homes are renovated by prosperous owners who put newer contemporary-style fronts on
the houses. The roman columns favored in Dutch public buildings are now popular for private
homes.

Food and Economy

Food in Daily Life. Indonesian cuisine reflects regional, ethnic, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian,
and Western influences, and daily food quality, quantity,

Women carry towering baskets of fruit on their heads for a temple festival in Bali.
Women carry towering baskets of fruit on their heads for a temple festival in Bali.
and diversity vary greatly by socioeconomic class, season, and ecological conditions. Rice is a
staple element in most regional cooking and the center of general Indonesian cuisine.
(Government employees receive monthly rice rations in addition to salaries.) Side dishes of
meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables and a variety of condiments and sauces using chili peppers and
other spices accompany rice. The cuisine of Java and Bali has the greatest variety, while that of
the Batak has much less, even in affluent homes, and is marked by more rice and fewer side
dishes. And rice is not the staple everywhere: in Maluku and parts of Sulawesi it is sago, and in

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West Timor it is maize (corn), with rice consumed only for ceremonial occasions. Among the
Rotinese, palm sugar is fundamental to the diet.
Indonesia is an island nation, but fish plays a relatively small part in the diets of the many people
who live in the mountainous interiors, though improved transportation makes more salted fish
available to them. Refrigeration is still rare, daily markets predominate, and the availability of
food may depend primarily upon local produce. Indonesia is rich in tropical fruit, but many areas
have few fruit trees and little capacity for timely transportation of fruit. Cities provide the
greatest variety of food and types of markets, including modern supermarkets; rural areas much
less so. In cities, prosperous people have access to great variety while the poor have very limited
diets, with rice predominant and meat uncommon. Some poor rural regions experience what
people call "ordinary hunger" each year before the corn and rice harvest.

Food Customs at Ceremonial Occasions. The most striking ceremonial occasion is the Muslim
month of fasting, Ramadan. Even less-observant Muslims fast seriously from sunup to sundown
despite the tropical heat. Each night during Ramadan, fine celebratory meals are held. The month
ends with Idul Fitri, a national holiday when family, friends, neighbors, and work associates visit
each other's homes to share food treats (including visits by non-Muslims to Muslim homes).

In traditional ritual, special food is served to the spirits or the deceased and eaten by the
participants. The ubiquitous Javanese ritual, selamatan , is marked by a meal between the
celebrants and is held at all sorts of events, from life-cycle rituals to the blessing of new things
entering a village. Life-cycle events, particularly marriages and funerals, are the main occasions
for ceremonies in both rural and urban areas, and each has religious and secular aspects.
Elaborate food service and symbolism are features of such events, but the content varies greatly
in different ethnic groups. Among the Meto of Timor, for example, such events must have meat
and rice ( sisi-maka' ), with men cooking the former and women the latter. Elaborate funerals
involve drinking a mixture of pork fat and blood that is not part of the daily diet and that may be
unappetizing to many participants who nonetheless follow tradition. At such events, Muslim
guests are fed at separate kitchens and tables.

In most parts of Indonesia the ability to serve an elaborate meal to many guests is a mark of
hospitality, capability, resources, and status of family or clan whether for a highland Toraja
buffalo sacrifice at a funeral or for a Javanese marriage reception in a five-star hotel in Jakarta.
Among some peoples, such as the Batak and Toraja, portions of animals slaughtered for such
events are important gifts for those who attend, and the part of the animal that is selected
symbolically marks the status of the recipient.

Basic Economy. About 60 percent of the population are farmers who produce subsistence and
market-oriented crops such as rice, vegetables, fruit, tea, coffee, sugar, and spices. Large

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plantations are devoted to oil palm, rubber, sugar, and sisel for domestic use and export, though
in some areas rubber trees are owned and tapped by farmers. Common farm animals are cattle,
water buffalo, horses, chickens, and, in non-Muslim areas, pigs. Both freshwater and ocean
fishing are important to village and national economies. Timber and processed wood, especially
in Kalimantan and Sumatra, are important for both domestic consumption and export, while oil,
natural gas, tin, copper, aluminum, and gold are exploited mainly for export. In colonial times,
Indonesia was characterized as having a "dual economy." One part was oriented to agriculture
and small crafts for domestic consumption and was largely conducted by native Indonesians; the
other part was export-oriented plantation agriculture and mining (and the service industries
supporting them), and was dominated by the Dutch and other Europeans and by the Chinese.
Though Indonesians are now important in both aspects of the economy and the Dutch/European
role is no longer so direct, many features of that dual economy remain, and along with it are
continuing ethnic and social dissatisfactions that arise from it.

One important aspect of change during Suharto's "New Order" regime (1968–1998) was the
rapid urbanization and industrial production on Java, where the production of goods for domestic
use and export expanded greatly. The previous imbalance in production between Java and the
Outer Islands is changing, and the island now plays an economic role in the nation more in
proportion to its population. Though economic development between 1968 and 1997 aided most
people, the disparity between rich and poor and between urban and rural areas widened, again
particularly on Java. The severe economic downturn in the nation and the region after 1997, and
the political instability with the fall of Suharto, drastically reduced foreign investment in
Indonesia, and the lower and middle classes, particularly in the cities, suffered most from this
recession.

Land Tenure and Property. The colonial government recognized traditional rights of indigenous
peoples to land and property and established semicodified "customary law" to this end. In many
areas of Indonesia longstanding rights to land are held by groups such as clans, communities, or
kin groups. Individuals and families use but do not own land. Boundaries of communally held
land may be fluid, and conflicts over usage are usually settled by village authorities, though
some disputes may reach government officials or courts. In cities and some rural areas of Java,
European law of ownership was established. Since Indonesian independence various sorts of
"land reform" have been called for and have met political resistance. During Suharto's regime,
powerful economic and political groups and individuals obtained land by quasi-legal means and
through some force in the name of "development," but serving their monied interest in land for
timber, agro-business, and animal husbandry; business locations, hotels, and resorts; and
residential and factory expansion. Such land was often obtained with minimal compensation to
previous owners or occupants who had little legal recourse. The same was done by government
and public corporations for large-scale projects such as dams and reservoirs, industrial parks, and

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highways. Particularly vulnerable were remote peoples (and animals) in forested areas where
timber export concessions were granted to powerful individuals.

Commercial Activities. For centuries, commerce has been conducted between the many islands
and beyond the present national borders by traders for various local and foreign ethnic groups.
Some indigenous peoples such as the Minangkabau, Bugis, and Makassarese are well-known
traders, as are the Chinese. Bugis sailing ships, which are built entirely by hand and range in size
from 30 to 150 tons (27 to 136 metric tons), still carry goods to many parts of the nation. Trade
between lowlands and highlands and coasts and inland areas is handled by these and other small
traders in complex market systems

Women carrying firewood in Flores. In Indonesia, men and women share many aspects of village
agriculture. Women carrying firewood in Flores. In Indonesia, men and women share many
aspects of village agriculture. Involving hundreds of thousands of men and women traders and
various forms of transport, from human shoulders, horses, carts, and bicycles, to minivans,
trucks, buses, and boats. Islam spread along such market networks, and Muslim traders are
prominent in small-scale trade everywhere.
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the Dutch used the Chinese to link rural farms and
plantations of native Indonesians to small-town markets and these to larger towns and cities
where the Chinese and Dutch controlled large commercial establishments, banks, and
transportation. Thus Chinese Indonesians became a major force in the economy, controlling
today an estimated 60 percent of the nation's wealth though constituting only about 4 percent of
its population. Since independence, this has led to suppression of Chinese ethnicity, language,
education, and ceremonies by the government and to second-class citizenship for those who
choose to become Indonesian nationals. Periodic outbreaks of violence against the Chinese have
occurred, particularly in Java. Muslim small traders, who felt alienated in colonial times and
welcomed a change with independence, have been frustrated as New Order Indonesian business,
governmental, and military elites forged alliances with the Chinese in the name of
"development" and to their financial benefit.

Major Industries. Indonesia's major industries involve agro-business, resource extraction and
export, construction, and tourism, but a small to medium-sized industrial sector has developed
since the 1970s, especially in Java. It serves domestic demand for goods (from household
glassware and toothbrushes to automobiles), and produces a wide range of licensed items for
multinational companies. Agro-business and resource extraction, which still supply Indonesia
with much of its foreign exchange and domestic operating funds, are primarily in the outer
islands, especially Sumatra (plantations, oil, gas, and mines), Kalimantan (timber), and West
Papua (mining). The industrial sector has grown in Java, particularly around Jakarta and
Surabaya and some smaller cities on the north coast.

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4.2 Culture

The Republic of Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, has 203 million people
living on nearly one thousand permanently settled islands. Some two-to-three hundred ethnic
groups with their own languages and dialects range in population from the Javanese (about 70
million) and Sundanese (about 30 million) on Java, to peoples numbering in the thousands on
remote islands. The nature of Indonesian national culture is somewhat analogous to that of
India—multicultural, rooted in older societies and interethnic relations, and developed in
twentieth century nationalist struggles against a European imperialism that nonetheless forged
that nation and many of its institutions. The national culture is most easily observed in cities but
aspects of it now reach into the countryside as well. Indonesia's borders are those of the
Netherlands East Indies, which was fully formed at the beginning of the twentieth century,
though Dutch imperialism began early in the seventeenth century. Indonesian culture has
historical roots, institutions, customs, values, and beliefs that many of its people share, but it is
also a work in progress that is undergoing particular stresses at the beginning of the twenty-first
century.

The name Indonesia, meaning Indian Islands, was coined by an Englishman, J. R. Logan, in
Malaya in 1850. Derived from the Greek, Indos (India) and nesos (island), it has parallels in
Melanesia, "black islands"; Micronesia, "small islands"; and Polynesia, "many islands." A
German geographer, Adolf Bastian, used it in the title of his book, Indonesien , in 1884, and in
1928 nationalists adopted it as the name of their hoped-for nation.

Most islands are multiethnic, with large and small groups forming geographical enclaves. Towns
within such enclaves include the dominant ethnic group and some members of immigrant groups.
Large cities may consist of many ethnic groups; some cities have a dominant majority. Regions,
such as West Sumatra or South Sulawesi, have developed over centuries through the interaction
of geography (such as rivers, ports, plains, and mountains), historical interaction of peoples, and
political-administrative policies. Some, such as North Sumatra, South Sulawesi, and East Java
are ethnically mixed to varying degrees; others such as West Sumatra, Bali, and Aceh are more
homogeneous. Some regions, such as South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, and South Sulawesi,
share a long-term Malayo-Muslim coastal influence that gives them similar cultural features,
from arts and dress to political and class stratification to religion. Upland or upriver peoples in
these regions have different social, cultural, and religious orientations, but may feel themselves

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or be perforce a part of that region. Many such regions have become government provinces, as
are the latter three above. Others, such as Bali, have not.

Location and Geography. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, is located astride the
equator in the humid tropics and extends some 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) east-west, about
the same as the contiguous United States. It is surrounded by oceans, seas, and straits except
where it shares an island border with East Malaysia and Brunei on Borneo (Kalimantan); with
Papua New Guinea on New Guinea; and with Timor Loro Sae on Timor. West Malaysia lies
across the Straits of Malaka, the Philippines lies to the northeast, and Australia lies to the south.

The archipelago's location has played a profound role in economic, political, cultural, and
religious developments there. For more than two thousand years, trading ships sailed between the
great civilizations of India and China via the waters and islands of the Indies. The islands also
supplied Indonesia spices and forest products to that trade. The alternating east and west
monsoon winds made the Indies a layover point for traders and others from diverse nations who
brought their languages, ideas about political order, and their arts and religions. Small and then
large kingdoms grew as a result of, and as part of, that great trade. Steamships altered some trade
patterns, but the region's strategic location between East and South Asia and the Middle East
remains.

Indonesia consists of all or part of some of the world's largest islands—Sumatra, Java, most of
Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes), Halmahera, and the west half of New Guinea
(Papua)—and numerous smaller islands, of which Bali (just east of Java) is best known. These
islands plus some others have mountain peaks of 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) or more, and there are
some four hundred volcanos, of which one hundred are active. Between 1973 and 1990, for
example, there were twenty-nine recorded eruptions, some with tragic consequences. Volcanic
lava and ash contributed to the rich soils of upland Sumatra and all of Java and Bali, which have
nurtured rice cultivation for several thousand years.

The inner islands of Java, Madura, and Bali make up the geographical and population center of
the archipelago. Java, one of the world's most densely settled places (with 2,108 people per
square mile [814 per square kilometer] in 1990), occupies 78 percent of the nation's land area but
accounts for about 60 percent of Indonesia's population. (About the size of New York state,
Java's population is equivalent to 40 percent of that of the United States.) The outer islands,
which form an arc west, north, and east of the inner ones, have about 90 percent of the land area
of the country but only about 42 percent of the population. The cultures of the inner islands are
more homogeneous, with only four major cultural groups: the Sundanese (in West Java), the

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Javanese (in Central and East Java), the Madurese (on Madura and in East Java), and the
Balinese (on Bali). The outer islands have hundreds of ethnolinguistic groups.

Forests of the inner islands, once plentiful, are now largely gone. Kalimantan, West Papua, and
Sumatra still have rich jungles, though these are threatened by population expansion and
exploitation by loggers for domestic timber use and export. Land beneath the jungles is not
fertile. Some eastern islands, such as Sulawesi and the Lesser Sundas (the island chain east of
Bali), also have lost forests.

Two types of agriculture are predominant in Indonesia: permanent irrigated rice farming ( sawah
) and rotating swidden or slash-and-burn ( ladang ) farming of rice, corn, and other crops. The
former dominates Java, Bali, and the highlands all along the western coast of Sumatra; the latter
is found in other parts of Sumatra and other outer islands, but not exclusively so. Fixed rain-fed
fields of rice are prominent in Sulawesi and some other places. Many areas are rich in
vegetables, tropical fruit, sago, and other cultivated or forest crops, and commercial plantations
of coffee, tea, tobacco, coconuts, and sugar are found in both inner and outer islands. Plantation-
grown products such as rubber, palm oil, and sisal are prominent in Sumatra, while coffee, sugar,
and tea are prominent in Java. Spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and pepper are grown mainly in
the outer islands, especially to the east. Maluku (formerly the Moluccas) gained its appellation
the "Spice Islands" from the importance of trade in these items. Gold, tin, and nickel are mined
in Sumatra, Bangka, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua for domestic and international markets,
and oil and liquified natural gas (especially from Sumatra) are important exports. Numerous
rivers flowing from mountainous or jungle interiors to coastal plains and ports have carried farm
and forest products for centuries and have been channels for cultural communication.

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5 Prospect of Tourism

Since the middle of the 1950s the tourism industry has been established as a very significant
economic sector. From a historical point of view, the characteristic form of modern mass tourism
as we know it, is actually a quite young phenomenon. Nevertheless, tourism assumed such an
expansive character that, under consideration of sales and employment figures, this sector has
grown to one of the largest branches of economy worldwide.
The significance of the tourism for the Indonesia economy is not only interesting when it comes
to the monetary aspect. The high economic significance of the Indonesia tourism sector implies
corresponding effects on the employment situation. The global development of the tourism
sector can be considered as quite positive. According to international data, the world tourism
recovered from the impacts of the financial crisis in 2010 and has, apart from that, been able to
even top the level of the years before the crisis.
Indonesia tourism represents a driving force of the economy and job generator at the same time.
Besides that, an international comparison showed that Austria boasts the highest density in
visitors per inhabitant. Austria´s tourism sector is driven by top professionals who are worldwide
renowned for their outstanding competence in this domain. Every year the remarkable know-how
in the tourism builds a lasting impression with the visitors of Austria, which proves as attractive
promotion.

6 Contribution toward GDP From Tourism Industry in Indonesia

DEFINING THE ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF TRAVEL & TOURISM

Travel & Tourism is an important economic activity in most countries around the world. As well
as its direct economic impact, the sector has significant indirect and induced impacts. The UN
Statistics Division-approved Tourism Satellite Accounting methodology (TSA:RMF 2008)
quantifies only the direct contribution of Travel & Tourism. WTTC recognises that Travel &
Tourism's total contribution is much greater however, and aims to capture its indirect and
induced impacts through its annual research.

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DIRECT CONTRIBUTION
The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP reflects the ‘internal’ spending on Travel &
Tourism (total spending
within a particular country on Travel & Tourism by residents and non-residents for business and
leisure purposes) as
well as government 'individual' spending - spending by government on Travel & Tourism
services directly linked to
visitors, such as cultural (eg museums) or recreational (eg national parks).
The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP is calculated to be consistent with the
output, as expressed in
National Accounting, of tourism-characteristic sectors such as hotels, airlines, airports, travel
agents and leisure
and recreation services that deal directly with tourists.The direct contribution of Travel &
Tourism to GDP is calculated
from total internal spending by ‘netting out’ the purchases made by the different tourism
industries. This measure is
consistent with the definition of Tourism GDP, specified in the 2008 Tourism Satellite Account:
Recommended
Methodological Framework (TSA: RMF 2008).
TOTAL CONTRIBUTION

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The total contribution of Travel & Tourism includes its ‘wider impacts’ (ie the indirect and
induced impacts) on the economy. The ‘indirect’ contribution includes the GDP and jobs
supported by:
Travel & Tourism investment spending – an important aspect of both current and future activity
that includes
investment activity such as the purchase of new aircraft and construction of new hotels;
Government 'collective' spending, which helps Travel & Tourism activity in many different ways
as it is made on behalf of the ‘community at large’ – eg tourism marketing and promotion,
aviation, administration, security services, resort area security services, resort area sanitation
services, etc;
Domestic purchases of goods and services by the sectors dealing directly with tourists -
including, for example, purchases of food and cleaning services by hotels, of fuel and catering
services by airlines, and IT services by travel agents. The ‘induced’ contribution measures the
GDP and jobs supported by the spending of those who are directly or indirectly employed by the
Travel & Tourism sector.

TRAVEL & TOURISM'S CONTRIBUTION TO GDP1

The direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP in 2014 was IDR325,467.0bn (3.2% of
GDP). This is forecast to rise by 6.0% to IDR345,102.0bn in 2015.This primarily reflects the
economic activity generated by industries such as hotels, travel agents, airlines and other
passenger transportation services (excluding commuter services). But it also includes, for
example, the activities of the restaurant and leisure industries directly supportedThe direct
contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP is expected to grow by 5.3% pa to IDR581,091.0bn
(3.2% of GDP) by 2025.
INDONESIA: DIRECT CONTRIBUTION OF TRAVEL & TOURISM TO GDP

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INDONESIA: TOTAL CONTRIBUTION OF TRAVEL & TOURISM TO GDP

7 Tourism Thrust Sector in Indonesia

It is important that the tourism industry of Indonesia enhances its contribution towards the
country's gross domestic product (GDP) because it will trigger more foreign exchange earnings
(as each foreign visitor spends between USD $1,100 and USD $1,200 per visit on average) while
also providing employment opportunities to the Indonesian people (based on the latest data from
Statistics Indonesia, the country's unemployment rate stood at 5.81 percent in February 2015). It
is estimated that nearly nine percent of Indonesia's total national workforce is employed in the
tourism sector.

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Currently, Indonesia's tourism sector accounts for approximately four percent of the total
economy. By 2019, the Indonesian government wants to have doubled this figure to 8 percent of
GDP, an ambitious target (possibly overly ambitious) which implies that within the next four
years, the number of visitors needs to double to about 20 million. In order to achieve this target,
the government will focus on improving Indonesia’s infrastructure (including ICT
infrastructure), accessibility, health & hygiene as well as enhancing online promotional
(marketing) campaigns abroad. The government also revised its visa-free access policy in 2015
(for further elaboration, see below) to attract more foreign tourists.

Below we present foreign visitor arrivals into Indonesia in recent years. Please note that
Indonesia's Statistics Agency (BPS) adjusted the definition of foreign visitor arrival per January
2016. This explains the sharp increase in foreign visitor arrivals between 2016 and 2015.

8 Attraction Place in Indonesia

KALIBIRU NATIONAL PARK

Kalibiru is a park organized by locals that has blown up on social media for it’s dream worthy
landscape. The most distinctive feature is a small wooden platform overlooking the mountains
and lush green forest below. Kalibiru is about a 1 – 2 hour drive west of the city, near the
Menoreh mountain range. Interesting fact: the park was completely built by local citizens –
previously the area had no greenery due to logging and palm oil clearing.

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 JOMBLANG CAVE

Jomblang cave is famous for the streaming heavenly light that descends into the cave. The cave
is said to have formed when a forest collapsed due to an earthquake, forming a 200 meter hole in
the ground. Light penetrates directly over the cave’s hole at approximately noon. To get to the
hole, you’ll be dropped through a rope and pulley system approximately 90 meters down. Best to
book through a tour.

RICE PLANTING

Travel to the highlands of Indonesia and you’ll see beautiful lush paddy fields cascading in
terraces all along the mountainsides. Indonesia is the world’s third largest rice producer and the
stunning rice landscapes are not to be missed! Often you’ll find a picturesque small rustic
wooden hut set at the base of the green fields. To water the fields, a complex irrigation system is

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set in place where day to day management is in the hands of local village cooperatives, called
‘subak’. The unique subak system of agrarian communities has been handed down for
generations.

In Java (along with Bali), rice is a staple part of the Indonesian diet and even stands synonymous
with the word food. Meals are not complete without rice and as a result, the ingredient plays an
important role in religious and social festivals and ceremonies. Indonesians respect the goddess
of rice, Bhatari Sri.

My Tip: Rice is a staple part of Indonesia cuisine – you can’t miss the opportunity to see how it
grows! Try your hand at planting the small grains and riding the water buffalo plow.

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE

This 113 foot high pyramid is a bit of a Buddhist mystery. Built between the 8th and 9th
centuries by the ruling Buddhist Cailendra dynasty, little is known about the temple’s original
purpose or name. Borobudur contains four main platforms with one large circular stupa at the
top. At each level, smaller buddhas sit comfortably ensconced in circular rings. In the
background, four volcanoes shroud Borobudur in mist (only one volcano is dormant). The purple
orange haze is quite the stunning backdrop for the entire stone structure.

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 PRAMBANAN

Prambanan temple is a UNESCO world heritage site consisting of 240 temples built by the
subsequent ruling dynasty, the Hindu-led X. The temple site is dedicated to the expression of
God as the trimurti, or Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver) and Shiva (Destroyer), towering 47
meters high. In the evenings, you can catch the spectacular Ramayana ballet performance where
over 200 dancers and musicians perform in open air, with the magnificent temple as the
backdrop.

My Tip: If you plan to visit both Borodudur and Prambanan temples (which you should, as they
are very different!) buy the combo temple ticket to save on admission or consider this tour if you
want to have transportation handled. Both temples take about 1.5 hours to fully soak in and can
be seen in one compact day, or spread out over two leisurely days. Budget transportation time in
between.

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9 Sports in Indonesia:
Football

Football has become one of the most popular sports in Indonesia since the country's
independence, even though it had virtually no presence in the country before then. in Indonesia,
this phenomenon is most often ascribed to general worldwide popularity of the sport, which
carried over into Indonesia following its rapid urbanization.
Basketball

Basketball is one of the most popular sports especially among Indonesian youth. Liga Bola
Basket Nasional is the pre-eminent men's basketball league in Indonesia, competed by 10 clubs
across the country. The competition started as Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2003. In
2010, Perbasi appointed DBL Indonesia to handle the competition and changed the league's
name to National Basketball League (NBL).

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 Cycling

Indonesia host some international road cycling tours; such as the annual Tour d'Indonesia, Tour
de Singkarak and Tour de East Java. Inspired by European Tour de France, these tours is one of
the esteemed cycling event in Southeast Asian region and has attracted local as well as foreign
cycling teams. Tour d'Indonesia usually started in Jakarta, across inland Java all the way
eastward to Bali, while Tour de Singkarak is held in West Sumatra touring around Lake
Boxing

Boxing is a popular combative sport spectacle in Indonesia. Some of famous Indonesian boxers
are Ellyas Pical and Nico Thomas back in the 1980s, Muhammad Rachman and Chris John in the
2000s.

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 Polo

Polo and other equestrian sports have a deep history in Indonesia, dating back to the 1930s in the
era of Dutch settlement. Once the effects of 1998 economic crisis faded away, this equestrian
sport, especially polo gained recognition and excitement among Indonesia's polo, equestrian and
sports enthusiasts.

10 Five iconic character

Indonesia, one of the most populous countries in the world, is home to about 300 ethnic groups,
each with cultural identities developed over centuries, and influenced by Indian, Arabic, Chinese,
and European sources. Especially famous for its diverse array of musical genres, Indonesia has
given birth to several famous musicians and singers who enjoy immense popularity not only in
their own country, but also in neighboring countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. The
nation boasts of various dance traditions such as Javanese, Sundanese, Minangkabau, Balinese,
Malays, and Acehnese, and of late the Indonesians are also incorporating elements of western
ballet and modern dance into their repertoire.
Abdurrahman Wahid

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Abdurrahman Wahid, the 4th President of the Republic of Indonesia, was born in a prominent family, and
represented Indonesia’s modern and moderate views. Equipped with religious education and modern thinking, he
became the Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and founded the National Awakening Party (PKB). Following
Dictator Suharto’s resignation, he was elected President by the Assembly. As the head of a coalition cabinet, he
faced a lot of political constraints. During his 20-month tenure, he tried to reduce the dominance of the army in
political and social matters. Two ministries, the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Welfare, were
methodically dismantled because of their poor records.

Abu Bakar Bashir

Abu Bakar Bashir is an Indonesian Muslim priest and leader of Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) and Jemaah
Islamiyah, an alleged militant Islamic group. During his early years, he founded the Al Mukmin boarding school.
Through the school, Bashir brought forth his rigid stand against secularism and instead promoted Sharia Law. Due
to his anti-secularism stance he served a period of exile in Malaysia. Bashir returned with a reaffirmed belief in
establishing Sharia Law as the supreme law in Indonesia. He is alleged to have links with Al Qaeda and has
expressed his sympathy and support for Osama Bin laden and Saddam Hussein. He has openly claimed America and
Israel to be ‘true terrorists’ and America’s CIA behind the terror attacks in Indonesia. Bashir has been apprehended
several times for being involved in different series of terrorist activities and bombings in and around Indonesia. He
was found guilty of conspiracy behind the 2002 Bali attacks that killed 202 people. Currently, Bashir is serving 15
year sentence after he was convicted of supporting a jihadi training camp.

Joko Widodo

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Joko Widodo is the current President of Indonesia serving in this position since October 2014. There was some
controversy involved during the presidential election in mid-2014 though eventually he was declared the winner of
the election by the General Elections Commission. Thus he assumed office as the 7th President of Indonesia after
having held several other positions in the Indonesian administration. Born into a poor family in the city of Surakarta,
Widodo faced his share of struggles as a member of the underprivileged section of the society. Because of the
family’s dire financial situations he had to start working as a young boy to support his family and to pay for his own
education.

Adam Malik

Adam Malik was Indonesia’s third vice president and one of the pioneers of Indonesian
journalism. He also served as a senior diplomat and played an important role in the events
leading up to Indonesia's Declaration of Independence and the formation of Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Born into a Muslim family on the west coast of Sumatra, his
formal education was short-lived as he became a revolutionary at the age of 17. After being
imprisoned for a brief period for his rebellious activities, he went to Jakarta where he founded a
press service for the insurgent movement. Later, he joined the politics, becoming a member of
Indonesia's provisional Parliament during the war against the Dutch and went on to serve in the
House of Representatives as a member of Murba Party. After becoming a journalist and a
politician, he then took up the duties of a diplomat and was appointed an ambassador to the

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Soviet Union and Poland. Subsequently, he became the Foreign Minister of the country, a post
he served for 11 years. Alongside, he was also appointed the President of the United Nations
General Assembly. Later, he became the Vice President of Indonesia in Suharto’s government
after retiring from his diplomat career. A devoted nationalist, he adapted to rapidly changing
tides in Indonesian politics, dedicating his entire career towards the development of his
homeland and its people

Fulgencio Batista

Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the dictator of Cuba in the years leading up to the Cuban
Revolution. Prior to becoming a dictator, he had served as the democratically chosen president of
the country. Coming from a family of humble means, his early years were marked with
hardships. After his mother’s death when he was 14, he left home and began to work as a
labourer in the cane fields, docks, and rail roads. In April 1921, he enlisted in the army, serving
as a corporal for two years. He joined the ‘Guardia Rural’ (rural police) in 1923, and later
returned to the army, holding the position of the secretary of a regimental colonel. In 1933, he
instigated the ‘Sergeants' Revolt’, which coordinated with several other factions in the elaborate
coup that overthrew the Gerardo Machado government
11 Recommendation
Always browse any or all Travel Pictorial books about a country, region or a natural wonder of
the world . You will find excellent photography to view at leisure. Check out any bookstore or
library.
Travel Guide Country, Region or City
Always glance through any Travel Guide for the region you are planning to visit. You will
always find some nuggat of useful information. The layout and content will always vary with the
publisher. Every traveller should make it a priority to browse one or all of the guides listed
below. It will be a great education to browse the layout and view the excellent photography. You
decide which of the travel guide you like the best-
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  Michelin Green Guides - either by Country or by Region - with Michelin 'star' ratings for places
and sights, guided drives and walks
 DK Eyewitness Travel Guide
 Insight / Discovery Channel Travel Guide
 Lonely Planet Guide
Travel Books - Children
Browse the children's or junior section of your local library for travel and geography guides. You
will find a variety of guides to countries, regions or natural wonders of the world. The majority
of these guides will be less than fifty pages in length. They will contain an excellent overview of
a country etc. They are an excellent introduction to travel for a novice traveller

Travel DVD or Video Viewing

 These are a few ideas for finding Travel DVD's in your local area.
 Local Video Rental Store
 Local Library - Travel Video or DVD
 Any large music store will have a range of travel DVD's or Video's on sale.
 Travel Video Store has an excellent internet site.
 BBC Video series website section
 Pilot Travel Guide series
 National Geographic Travel DVD or Video Series
 Escorted Tour Companies DVD or Video's e.g. Rick Steves'
 National Tourist Bureaus MAY have a introduction Video or DVD on offer or Photo
Gallery on their Internet site

12 Conclusion

The increasing propensity for Indonesia to holiday overseas has brought about important changes
in the pattern of tourism demand in Indonesia over the past decade. As a result of this change in
travel behaviour and the rising globalisation of travel, Indonesia’s tourism industry is expected to
become more focused on tourism exports, especially growing markets such as China.
Reorienting activity in response to the shifting spending patterns of Indonesia residents and
overseas visitors is possible for some tourism providers, in particular those in the capital cities.
However, conditions in other parts of the tourism industry, such as in the traditional leisure
market destinations, are likely to remain more difficult in the period ahead.

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13 References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Indonesia.html
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/indonesia.php
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/abdurrahman-wahid-4430.php
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/joko-widodo-5654.php
https://shershegoes.com/things-to-do-yogyakarta-city-indonesia/
https://www.wttc.org/-/media/files/reports/economic-impact-research/countries-
2015/indonesia2015.pdf
http://dev.thedailystar.net/frontpage/32-thrust-sectors-could-fetch-billions-1333828
https://www.google.com/search?q=sports+in+Indunishia&ie=utf-8

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