Indonesia – country information

Country name	Indonesia
Official name	Republic of Indonesia
Capital	Jakarta
Continent	Asia, Australia and Oceania
Area	1,904,570 km2
Population	249,866,000 (2013)
Foundation of a state	8/17/1945
The highest mountains	Puncak Jaya (West Irian) 5030 m
Longest rivers	Kapuas (Kalimantan) 1400 km, Memberamo (West Irian) 1300 km, Hari (Sumatra) 800 km
The largest lakes	Toba 2050 km 2
State system	a presidential-type pluralistic republic with a bicameral parliament
The biggest cities	Jakarta (capital) 9,200,000, Surabaya 2,725,000, Bandung 2,250,000
Official language	Indonesian
Ethnicity/National Composition	Javanese 40%, Sundanese 16%, Indonesian (Malays) 12.3%, Madurese 4.2%, Minang 2.3%, others 25.2%
Religious affiliation	Muslim 87.5%, Christian 9.5%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%
Currency	1 Indonesian rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen
gross domestic product (GDP)	US$4,923 (2012)
Average life expectancy of the population	69.87 years (2006)
Structure of GDP	agriculture, forestry and fishing 19%, mining 13.5%, industry 22.5%, construction 5.5%, services 39.5%

Indonesia – neighboring countries

State	Capital	Area	Population
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	329,847 km2	30,041,000
Papua New Guinea	Port Moresby	462,840 km2	7,398,500
East Timor	Dili	14,874 km2	1,066,409

Country overview

According to Abbreviationfinder, the Republic of Indonesia forms a long island bridge between Asia and Australia. The entire archipelago consists of 13,677 islands (of which about 6,000 are inhabited), stretching for 5,100 km from Sumatra in the west to New Guinea (Irian Jaya) in the east. Indonesia shares its two largest islands with other countries: the northern coastal part of Borneo belongs to Malaysia, and the eastern half of New Guinea forms the main part of the state of Papua New Guinea. Indonesia forcibly occupied East Timor after it gained independence from the Portuguese in 1975.

Country data

Location: Southeast Asia

Time zone: CET + 6 to +8 (during summer time: CET + 5 to + 7)

Total area: 1,904,569 km²

Land area: 1,811,569 km²

Water area: 93,000 km²

Length of the state border: 2,958 km

including:
Malaysia: 1,881 km
Timor-Leste: 253 km
Papua Neguinea: 824 km

Coastline: 54,716 km

Capital: Jakarta

Provinces: 34
Aceh, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Jakarta Raya, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Utara, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Riauepul, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung.,, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Papua Barat, Riau, Sulawesi Barat, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Yogatera Selatara, Sumyakarta

Electric current: 220 V / 50 Hz

Telephone code: 00 62 (Source: Allcitycodes)

Highest point: Puncak Jaya 4,884 m

Population

Population: approx. 254 million residents (Countryaah, 2021)

Population growth: 1% per year

Population density (residents per km²): 133

Life expectancy: 70 (male), 75 (female)

Official language: Indonesian

Religions:

• 87% Muslim
• 7% Christians
• 3% Roman Catholic
• 2% Hindu
• 1% other

Climate

There is a constantly warm (25-30 ° C) tropical climate, with rainfall throughout the year. The temperature is almost constant all year round.

The humidity is very high all year round. Only in the higher mountain areas is the climate somewhat more moderate.

Currency / finance

Currency unit: Rupiah (IDR)

Classification: 1 rupiah = 100 sen

ATMs: Available in the major cities.

International credit cards: accepted in many shops in the capital and in tourist centers.

Regulations: Foreign currencies and the local currency can be imported and exported in unlimited amounts.

The US dollar (in undamaged banknotes) is recommended as a foreign currency, as it is accepted as a means of payment in many shops and hotels and is also the easiest to exchange.

In order to be able to exchange the local currency back, you must be able to present the relevant bill of exchange.

Customs regulations

The following may be carried duty-free:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 g tobacco
• 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
• small amounts of perfume

(Information applies to people aged 18 and over)

Tourists and people in transit can bring items of personal use with them duty-free.

The following articles may not be imported:

• Televisions, fax machines and cassette players
• Guns and drugs of all kinds
• Pornographic articles
• Chinese newspapers and magazines

Travel advice

After several terrorist attacks, further attacks are to be expected. All western and tourist facilities (e.g. hotels, bars, embassies, shopping centers) are potential destinations.

Large gatherings of people should be avoided.

The risk of falling victim to violence is high. Political controversy and social difficulties lower the inhibition threshold for violence, also against foreigners.

In the Strait of Malacca and in the South China Sea, especially around the Natuna archipelago, ships located there are at risk from piracy.

Indonesia is one of the most seismically active regions. Earthquakes, seaquakes and tsunamis cannot be ruled out.

Behavioral advice

The crime rate has been rising steadily for years. Thefts, assaults and violent crimes are the order of the day. These often take place at gunpoint.

Long prison sentences and the death penalty are available for possession and trafficking in drugs.

Economy

Most of the foreign exchange is earned through the export of natural gas and oil.

With the help of foreign investments, attempts are being made to build up a manufacturing industry.

Tourism is an important source of income for foreign exchange. However, this has suffered severe setbacks due to the bomb attacks on Bali (2002 and 2005).

Industries: chemistry, natural gas and oil production, textiles, tourism

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, gold, coal, copper, silver

Land use:

• Usable land: 10%
• Grain cultivation: 7%
• Pasture area: 7%
• Forests: 62%
• other: 14%

Plants

Around half of the island nation’s 13,000 islands are inhabited. Most of the islands are home to tropical rainforests. Many of the eastern islands are made up of savannahs.

There are many different types of plants on the islands. These include many hundreds of different types of orchids.