Official language: Indonesian
Currency: Rupiah (IDR)
Calling Code: +62
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia
(Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is an island country located
between Southeast Asia and Oceania. The Republic of Indonesia
comprises about 17 508 islands and according to statistics for 2015
it has more than 255 million people, making it the fourth most
populous country in the world. In addition, Indonesia is the country
with the most Muslims on the planet.
Indonesia is a republic with a legislative power and a president
elected by suffrage, the government has its headquarters in the
capital of Jakarta. Being mostly an archipelago, the country shares
land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. Other
countries near Indonesia include Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, the
Philippines, Palau, Australia and the Indian Territory of the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Indonesian archipelago has been an important region for world
trade since the seventh century, when the kingdom of Srivijaya began
trade with China and India. Gradually, local rulers adopted the
culture, religion and political model of the Indians and in the
first century AD. C. Several Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms began to
flourish in the region. Indonesian history has been influenced by
foreign powers that sought to exploit their natural resources. After
Muslim merchants brought Islam and during the Age of Discovery,
European powers began to dispute the monopoly of the spice trade in
the Moluccan Islands. After three and a half centuries of Dutch
colonialism, Indonesia gained its independence shortly after the
Second World War. Since then, the history of Indonesia has been
turbulent, having confronted the country with the great challenges
posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, the process of
democratization and periods of economic change.
Through its many islands, the Indonesian people are made up of
different ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. The Javanese are
the largest and most politically dominant ethnic group. It has
developed a shared identity defined by a national language, by
ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a majority Muslim
population and a history of constant colonialism and its struggle
against it. Indonesia's national motto, "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika"
("Unity in Diversity"), articulates the diversity that makes up the
nation. However, sectarian tensions and separatism have led to
violent confrontations that have undermined the country's political
and economic stability. Despite its large population, Indonesia has
vast uninhabited areas that make it one of the most biodiverse
countries in the world, so it belongs to the list of mega-diverse
countries.
Bali Island Information guide for traveling to Bali Island a small paradise famous for its nature and traditions. |
Komodo
National Park Komodo National Park covers an area of 1,733 km² designated to protect largest lizard in the World known as Komodo dragon. |
Java (Indonesia) |
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Alas Purwo National Park is a biosphere reserve situated in East Java island in Indonesia. It covers an area of 434.20 km².
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Baluran National Park is a nature reserve in East Java island in Indonesia. It covers an total area of 250 km².
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Borobudur is ancient religious complex situated in Magelang, Central Java island. It was constructed in 9th- 14th century.
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Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is nature reserve in the East Java Island in Indonesia. It covers an area of 503 sq km. |
Gunung Ciremai National Park is a biosphere reserve situated in the West Java Island in Indonesia. |
Karimunjawa National Park is famous for its picturesque beaches and diverse underwater ecosystem. |
Ujung Kulon National Park is a natural reserve on the Java island in Indonesia. It covers an area of 1,206 km². |
Flores (Indonesia) |
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Kelimutu National Park Kelimutu National Park is a nature reserve in East Nusa Tenggara, Flora Island in Indonesia. It covers a total area of 50 km². |
Kalimantan (Indonesia) |
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Danau
Sentarum National Park Danau Sentarum National Park is a protected biosphere in West Kalimantanin Indonesia. It encompasses an area of 1,320 km².
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Gunung Palung National Park Gunung Palung National Park is a nature reserve in West Kalimantan in Indonesia. It covers an area of 900 km².
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Kutai
National Park Kutai National Park is a protected biosphere in East Kalimantan. It covers an area of 1,986 km².
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Tanjung Puting National Park Tanjung Puting National Park situated in Central Kalimantan is famous for its population of primates. |
Lombok (Indonesia) |
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Gunung Rinjani National Park Gunung Rinjani National Park is a nature reserve in West Nusa Tenggara. It covers several volcanoes and surrounding biosphere. |
On the territory of Indonesia are some of the earliest areas of
settlement of ancient people. The fossils of one of the subspecies
of Homo erectus, the Pithecanthropus, also known as the Javanese ape
man, discovered in Java by the Dutch anthropologist Eugene Dubois,
belong to the Lower Paleolithic period, their approximate dating is
from 1 million to 700 thousand years ago.
Until recently, the prevailing opinion in science was that the
settlement of Indonesia with reasonable people began about 45,000
years ago. However, the latest paleoanthropological discoveries
suggest a much earlier beginning of this process: for example, the
remains of people of a modern type, found by the same Dubois in
Sumatra, in accordance with recent studies date back to the age of
63,000 to 73,000 years ago. Since that time, there have been several
migration waves during which representatives of various ethnic
groups moved from the continental part of Southeast Asia, the
earliest of which belonged to the australoid race. The penetration
of the Mongoloid peoples, who brought with them a high Neolithic
culture, began in the 2nd millennium BC. e. The first large wave of
the Mongoloids was formed by the so-called Protomalai, the second,
related to the middle of the 1st millennium BC.
The latter, who were carriers of a highly developed culture of
bronze and spread farming on the settled territory, became the
ancestors of most of the modern Indonesians. The transition to
bronze in the main territory of the country was completed by the
beginning of our era, then in the coastal areas began the transition
to a culture of iron.
The formation of states, the pre-colonial period (I — XV centuries)
The formation of state formations on the territory of Indonesia was
already in the I-III centuries BC. e., however, the existence of the
first states, the names of which are known to science for certain -
Kutai in eastern Kalimantan and Taruma in western Java, refers only
to the 4th century. The first state, the territory of which spread
to several islands, was Srivijaya, based on southern Sumatra at the
end of the 7th century: having existed until the end of the 14th
century, it controlled the entire territory of Sumatra, most of Java
and the Malay Peninsula, during periods of its maximum power. These
and other states that existed on the territory of Indonesia in the
4th-13th centuries were strongly influenced by India, and Hinduism
was the dominant religion in most of them. At the same time,
Buddhism also received significant development: in particular, it
was the state religion of the East Javanese principality of Mataram.
The largest, powerful and socio-economic state of the pre-colonial
period was the Majapahit empire, founded in 1293 in the eastern part
of Java. By the end of the XIV century, the territory or vassal
possessions of Majapahit included most of the territory of
present-day Indonesia.
In the XIII century, the active spread of Islam began, penetrating
mainly from the Malacca Peninsula and from the east coast of India.
Towards the end of the sixteenth century, Islam became the dominant
religion in most of Indonesia, although in many regions foci of
Buddhism and Hinduism, as well as traditional local beliefs, the
carriers of which, as a rule, coexisted quite non-conflict with
Muslims.
Colonial period (XVI century - 1942)
The penetration of Europeans, the colonization of the NOIC
(1512-1798)
The penetration of European colonizers into Indonesia, which began
in the sixteenth century, was caused by high demand for spices and
spices that grew in the eastern part of the Malay archipelago - the
Moluccas and the Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi - this region was of
main interest to Europeans. The Portuguese were the first to settle
here: in 1512, the explorer Francisco Serran managed to arrange the
supply of spices from Molucc and stay with a part of the crew on the
island of Ternate.
In the 17th century, other European powers joined the struggle to
control the trade in local spices, the Netherlands being the most
active. For several decades, the Dutch managed to oust competitors
from the archipelago - the Portuguese managed to keep only the
eastern part of the island of Timor. In 1602, the Netherlands East
India Company (NOIC) was founded, which began the development of not
only the eastern, but also the western part of present-day
Indonesia. The company had its own armed forces and established in
the territory of its possessions, called the Netherlands East
Indies, a developed system of colonial administration, headed by the
Governor General. In 1619, in the north-west of Java, the Dutch, on
the site of the destroyed Jayakert founded by the Demak Sultanate,
founded the capital of the colony - Batavia (Dutch Batavia).
In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the NOIK gradually expanded its
possessions. In addition to the territories directly belonging to
it, the zone of its influence was many formally independent states
of the archipelago, with which unequal agreements were concluded in
one form or another. As a rule, colonial officials, the so-called
residents, who controlled their foreign relations and economic
activity, were seconded to dependent rulers. The main methods of
operating the colony during this period were the forced production
of various agricultural products (after the fall in Europe, the
demand for spices and spices its main types were coffee, sugar,
tobacco, indigo, valuable wood species) and various forms of
taxation.
At the end of the 18th century, under the influence of the
consequences of the Anglo-Dutch war of 1780–84 and changes in the
international economic situation, the NOIC found itself in a deep
crisis, which became fatal for it: in 1796 the management of the
bankrupt bankruptcy company was transferred to the Dutch government,
in 1798 the Batavian Republic adopted assumed all agreements and
obligations of the NOIC, and in 1800 the latter was liquidated.
Dependence on the Dutch crown (1798-1942)
Dependence on the NOIC was replaced by similar colony relations
directly with the Netherlands, which did not entail any significant
changes in the system of colonial administration - the
administration of the East Indies was still led by the Governor
General, who was no longer the NOIC, but the Dutch government. At
the same time, taking into account the subordination of the
Netherlands to Napoleonic France during this period, the next
governor-general, Herman Willem Dundels, received this appointment
in 1808 from Louis Bonaparte and pursued a course towards securing
French colonial interests.
In 1811, the colony came under British control, occupying the Dutch
East Indies, to prevent their final capture by France. The British
governor Thomas Stamford Ruffles carried out a number of significant
administrative transformations in a short time, and the new methods
of management and management, as a rule, significantly outperformed
the Netherlands. In addition, during the period of British
occupation, the administrative center of the colony was moved from
Batavia to Beitensorg.
The East Indies were returned to the Netherlands freed from Napoleon
under the terms of the London Convention of 1814. During the
restoration of the Dutch administration, a significant part of the
British reforms was canceled. The Dutch continued to expand their
holdings and limit the autonomy of formally independent local
states. Along with the export of products manufactured in the
colony, it was transformed into a market for Dutch goods. At the
same time, the Dutch still had to overcome the active resistance of
the local population: the Padri war of 1821–37 years was the most
large-scale anti-colonial demonstrations. in western Sumatra, the
Javan war of 1825-1830 and the Aceh war of 1873-1913. After joining
the Dutch East Indies in 1906, Aceh, and in 1920 the western part of
the island of New Guinea, it united the entire territory of
present-day Indonesia.
The methods of economic exploitation of the colony changed with the
economic development of the Netherlands themselves: the system of
forced crops was replaced by a plantation economy in the second half
of the 19th century, and the sale of Dutch goods became increasingly
important. From the beginning of the 20th century, monopolies of
other European countries and the USA were allowed to participate in
the development of the Netherlands East Indies by The Hague.
The origin of the institutionalized national liberation movement in
the colony dates back to the same period: in the 1900s - 1910s, a
number of organizations were created that proclaimed their goal to
achieve state independence. Under the influence of the processes
taking place in Europe, a very active left wing of the movement was
formed: in 1914 the first Social Democratic unit was formed, in 1920
- the Communist Party of Indonesia. In 1927, the National Party was
created, headed by Sukarno, the future president of the country, who
formulated the principles of Marhaenism - a doctrine providing for
the independent development of Indonesia along the socialist path
with national characteristics, which became the ideology of the most
powerful movement within the framework of the national liberation
movement.
At the beginning of World War II, due to the neutrality of the
Netherlands, Indonesia was not involved in hostilities or
preparations. However, after the German occupation of the
Netherlands in May 1940, the Dutch government, having moved to
London, announced the participation of its armed forces remaining in
the colonies in the war on the side of the Anti-Hitler coalition.
The period of Japanese occupation (1942-1945)
In February - March 1942, after a short resistance from the
US-British-Dutch-Australian forces stationed there, the Dutch East
Indies were occupied by Japanese forces. The occupation
administration was decentralized and carried out through the
appropriate structures of various formations of the Japanese armed
forces: Java and Madura were assigned to the occupation zone of the
16th army, Sumatra and a number of adjacent islands to the
occupation zone of the 25th army, the rest of the territory to the
occupation zone of the 2nd fleet.
As in other conquered territories of Southeast Asia, the Japanese
administration, seeking to enlist the support of the local
population, pursued a policy in Indonesia to promote anti-European
sentiments, emphasizing the ethnocultural affinity between the
Indonesians and the Japanese. The leaders of the national liberation
movement were involved in cooperation: under the control of the
occupation authorities, they were allowed to create socio-political
organizations of a nationalist nature.
At the final stage of the war, amid major defeats by the Japanese
armed forces inflicted by the Allied forces, the Japanese occupation
authorities decided to enlist the support of the Indonesians and
take steps to meet their desires to create an independent state. In
1945, the Japanese administration announced the beginning of
practical preparations for granting Indonesia independence. To this
end, in March, a Research Committee for the Preparation of
Indonesian Independence was formed (indone. Badan Penyelidik Usaha
Persiapan Kemerdekaan Indonesia, BPUPKI), uniting activists of the
local national liberation movement (including Sukarno and future
vice president Mohammad Hatta), which prepared a draft of the
Indonesian constitution. At its June meeting, Soekarno proclaimed
the principles of Pancha Sila, which later became Indonesia's state
ideology. In August 1945, the Commission for the Preparation of the
Independence of Indonesia (indonesian Panitia Persiapan Kemerdekaan
Indonesia, PPKI) was formed under the chairmanship of Sukarno to
consider the work of the Research Committee.
Formally, the Japanese occupation of Indonesia ended on August 15,
1945 after the official announcement by the emperor Hirohito of
accepting the conditions of surrender. However, Japanese troops
continued to remain on Indonesian territory for some time before
their disarmament and evacuation by Allied forces.