Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Old Javanese) ("Unity in diversity") | |||||||
| Anthem | "Indonesia Raya" | ||||||
| Capital (and largest city) |
Jakarta | ||||||
| Language official |
Indonesian (de facto) | ||||||
| others | Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese | ||||||
| Religion main |
Islam | ||||||
| others | Christianity, Hinduism | ||||||
| Ethnic Groups main |
Javanese | ||||||
| others | Sundanese, Malays, Batak | ||||||
| Government | Unitary one-party socialist republic | ||||||
| President | Joko Widodo | ||||||
| Area | 1,904,569 km² | ||||||
| Population | 267,670,543 | ||||||
| Established | 17 August 1945 (Independence) | ||||||
| Currency | Indonesian rupiah (IRP)
| ||||||
| Time Zone | UTC+7 to 9 | ||||||
| Calling Code | +62 | ||||||
| Internet TLD | .id | ||||||
Indonesia, officially the Socialist Republic of Indonesia (SRI; Indonesian: Republik Sosialis Indonesia, abbreviated as RSI) is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The country is bordered by North Borneo to the northeast, Papua New Guinea to the east and East Timor to the southeast. Other neighboring countries and territories are Australia, Malaya, Palau, Vietnam and the Indian Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Geographically, Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of over 17,000 islands, which makes it the world's largest island country in terms of area. With a population of over 260 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country as well as being one of the world's most ethnically and linguistically diverse countries. Islam is the religion practiced by the majority of Indonesia's population. The Communist Party of Indonesia has been the country's ruling party since 1965.
History[]
In 1816, what is now Indonesia became a colony of the Netherlands. Among the Dutch colonial possessions, the East Indies was one of the most highly valued due to its resources, particularly rubber, spices and cheap labor. During the Second World War, the Japanese Empire invaded the Dutch East Indies and placed it under occupation until 1945. Shortly after the surrender of Japan, nationalist leader Sukarno proclaimed the establishment of an independent Republic of Indonesia. This marked the beginning of a bitter diplomatic and military struggle between Indonesia and the Netherlands, which ended with the Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence in 1949.
The National Monument in Jakarta, a symbol of Indonesia's struggle for independence.
President Sukarno was assassinated by grenade on 30 November 1957 while visiting a school function in Central Jakarta. Army Chief of Staff Abdul Haris Nasution became Sukarno's successor to the presidency, effectively filling the power vacuum following Sukarno's death. His tenure would saw the abolishment of liberal parliamentary democracy in favour of a strong presidential system, as well as the improvement of relations with the United States (including the establishment of regular American military bases in the country). As an ardent anti-communist, Nasution ordered the ban of the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and it's affiliated organizations. Despite having been weakened by Nasution's crackdowns and purges, the PKI still covertly continued its activity, receiving considerable support from the neighboring socialist state Malaya.
Nasution would be facing widespread opposition from the general public in the 1960s as a result of his autocracy and corruption. Taking advantage of this, the PKI launched a large-scale armed uprising in the capital of Jakarta on 30 September 1965, with the goal of removing Nasution from power and replace his government by a socialist state. The confrontation between the newly-formed socialist government in Jakarta and Nasution's anti-communist forces soon escalated into the Indonesian War. Fearing the expansion of communism in Southeast Asia, the United States and China soon sent troops to participate in the conflict. As war efforts in Indonesia became more fruitless, the United States and its allies began recalling their military from the country in the early 1970s. A military victory by the communists was eventually secured in 1976.
Major economic reforms were carried out by the Indonesian government in 1987 as to deal with the ongoing socio-economic problems of the nation. While retaining the one-party socialist system, the reforms has introduced elements of capitalism to the formerly state-planned economy. Since then, Indonesia has been enjoying a period of substantial economic growth along with a significant increase in the quality of life of its citizens.