All you ever wanted to know about… INDONESIA

Where is Indonesia?

FACTS Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia is a nation in Southeast Asia. It has 17,500 islands and it is the world’s largest archipelagic state. DEFINITION: Archipelagic – a large group or chain of islands. With a population of over 200 million, it is the world’s fourth most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority nation, although officially it is not an Islamic state. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected parliament and president. The nation’s capital city is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. Other neighbouring countries include Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

ETYMOLOGY… The name Indonesia derives from the Latin Indus, meaning “India”, and the Greek nesos, meaning “island”. …an account of the history of a particular word or element of a word. INDONESIA

HISTORY Indonesia did not exist as yet during the Palaeocene period (70 million years BC), the Eocene period (30 million years BC), the Oligacene period (25 million years BC) and the Miocene period (12 million years BC). It is believed that Indonesia must have existed during the Pleistocene period (4 million years BC) when it was linked with the present Asian mainland. It was during this period that the Homonids made their first appearance and Java Man inhabited the part of the world now called Indonesia. Java Man, named Pithecanthropus Erectus by Eugence Dubois who found the fossils on the island of Java, must have been the first inhabitant of Indonesia. When the sea level rose as the result of melting ice north of Europe and the American continent, many islands emerged, including the Indonesian archipelago. Fossilized remains of Homo erectus, popularly known as the “Java Man”, suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited two million to 500,000 years ago. The nutmeg plant is native to Indonesia’s Banda Islands. Once one of the world’s most valuable commodities, it drew the first European colonial powers to Indonesia.

HISTORY In 1814 the British came to Indonesia and built Fort York in Bengkulu on the west coast of Sumatra. It was later renamed Fort Marlborough. The first Indian Buddhists arrived in Indonesia between the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD. They brought with them Buddhism in its two sects, Hinayana and Mahayana. The latter became more advanced in the 8th Century AD.

GOVERNMENT&POLITICS Indonesia is a republic with a presidential system. As a unitary state, power is concentrated in the national government. Following the resignation of President Suharto in 1998, Indonesian political and governmental structures have undergone major reforms. THE PRESIDENT The president of Indonesia is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the Indonesian Armed Forces, and the director of domestic governance, policy-making, and foreign affairs. The president appoints a council of ministers, who are not required to be elected members of the legislature. The 2004 presidential election was the first in which the people directly elected the president and vice president. The president serves a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms.

GOVERNMENT&POLITICS PEOPLE’S CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY (MPR) The highest representative body at national level is the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR). Its main functions are – Supporting and amending the constitution Inaugurating the president Formalising broad outlines of state policy It has the power to impeach the president. The MPR comprises two houses; 1.The People’s Representative Council (DPR), with 550 members 2.Regional Representatives Council (DPD), with 168 members

GOVERNMENT&POLITICS COURTS Most civil disputes appear before a State Court; appeals are heard before the High Court. The Supreme Court is the country’s highest court, and hears final cassation appeals and conducts case reviews. Other courts include the Commercial Court, which handles bankruptcy and insolvency; a State Administrative Court to hear administrative law cases against the government; a Constitutional Court to hear disputes concerning legality of law, general elections, dissolution of political parties, and the scope of authority of state institutions; and a Religious Court to deal with specific religious cases.

ECOLOGY Indonesia’s size, tropical climate, and archipelagic geography, support the world’s second highest level of biodiversity (after Brazil), and its flora and fauna is a mixture of Asian and Australasian species. Large species such as the tiger, rhinoceros, orang-utan, elephant, and leopard, were once abundant as far east as Bali, but numbers and distribution have dwindled drastically. Forests cover approximately 60% of the country. In Sumatra and Kalimantan, these are predominantly of Asian species. However, forests of the smaller, and more densely populated Java, have largely been removed for human habitation and agriculture. Indonesia’s 80,000 kilometres (50,000 mi) of coastline are surrounded by tropical seas that contribute to the country’s high level of biodiversity. Indonesia has a range of sea and coastal ecosystems, including beaches, sand dunes, estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, sea grass beds, coastal mudflats, algal beds, and small island ecosystems.

ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS Indonesia’s high population and rapid industrialisation present serious ecological issues, which are often given a lower priority due to high poverty levels and weak, under-resourced governance. Issues include: Large-scale deforestation (much of it illegal) Related wildfires causing heavy smog over parts of western Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore Over-exploitation of marine resources Environmental problems associated with rapid urbanisation and economic development, including air pollution, traffic congestion, garbage management, and reliable water and waste water services Habitat destruction threatens the survival of some species, including 140 species of mammals identified by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as threatened, and 15 identified as critically endangered, including the Sumatran Orangutan.

ECONOMY Indonesia’s main export markets are: Japan (22.3% of Indonesian exports in 2005), United States (13.9%), China (9.1%) Singapore (8.9%) The major suppliers of imports to Indonesia are: Japan (18.0%) China (16.1%) Singapore (12.8%) The country has extensive natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper, and gold. Indonesia’s major imports include machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, and food.

DEMOGRAPHICS 130 million people live on the island of Java, the world’s most populous island. Despite a considerably successful family planning program, run since the 1960s, the population is expected to grow to around 315 million in 2035, based on the current estimated annual growth rate of 1.25%. Most Indonesians are descendant from Austronesian-speaking peoples, who originated from Taiwan. The other major grouping are Melanesians, who inhibit eastern Indonesia. There are around 300 distinct native ethnicities in Indonesia, and 742 different languages and dialects. The largest is the Javanese, who compromise 42% of the population, and are politically and culturally dominant. Society is largely harmonious, although social, religious and ethnic tensions have triggered horrendous violence. The official national language, Indonesian, is universally taught in schools, and is spoken by nearly every Indonesian. It is the language of business, politics, national media, education, and academia.

CULTURE Indonesia has around 300 ethnic groups, each with cultural differences developed over centuries, and influenced by Arabic, Chinese, Malay, and European sources. Traditional Javanese and Balinese dances, for example, contain aspects of Hindu culture and mythology, as do wayang kulit (shadow puppet) performances. Textiles such as batik, ikat and songket are created across Indonesia in styles that vary by region. The most dominant influences on Indonesian architecture have traditionally been Indian; however, Chinese, Arab, and European architectural influences have been significant. The most popular sports in Indonesia are badminton and football; Liga Indonesia is the country’s premier football club league. Traditional sports include sepak takraw, and bull racing in Madura. Sports in Indonesia are generally male-orientated and spectator sports are often associated with illegal gambling.

CULTURE Indonesian cuisine varies by region and is based on Chinese, European, Middle Eastern, Middle Eastern and Indian precedents. Rice is the main staple food and is served with side dishes of meat and vegetables. Spices (notably chilli), coconut milk, fish and chicken are fundamental ingredients. Indonesian traditional music includes gamelan and keroncong. Dangdut is a popular contemporary genre of pop music that draws influence from Arabic, Indian, and Malay folk music. The Indonesian film industry’s popularity peaked in the 1980s and dominated cinemas in Indonesia, although it declined significantly in the early 1990s. Between 2000 and 2005, the number of Indonesian films released each year has steadily increased.