The Dutch began to colonize
Indonesia in the early 17th century; the islands were occupied by Japan
from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's
surrender, but it required four years of intermittent negotiations,
recurring hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to
relinquish its colony. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state
and home to the world's largest Muslim population. Current issues include:
alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after
four decades of authoritarianism, implementing financial sector reforms,
stemming corruption, holding the military and police accountable for human
rights violations, and controlling avian influenza. In 2005, Indonesia
reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, which
led to democratic elections in December 2006. Indonesia continues to face
a low intensity separatist movement in Papua.
Geography
Indonesia
Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago
between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates:
5 00 S, 120 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 1,919,440 sq km
land: 1,826,440 sq km water: 93,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times
the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 2,830 km
border countries: Timor-Leste 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua
New Guinea 820 km
total: 82.78 cu km/yr
(8%/1%/91%) per capita: 372 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
occasional floods, severe
droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution
from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and
haze from forest fires
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - note:
archipelago of 17,508 islands
(6,000 inhabited); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along
major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean
total: 27.2 years
male: 26.7 years female: 27.7 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.175% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
19.24 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.24 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.25 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.8
male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 31.04
deaths/1,000 live births male: 36.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.46
years male: 67.98 years female: 73.07 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.34 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,400 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A
and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: chikungunya,
dengue fever, and malaria note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian
influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk
with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close
contact with birds (2008)
Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%,
Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)
Languages:
Bahasa Indonesia (official,
modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely
spoken of which is Javanese)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 90.4%
male: 94% female: 86.8% (2004 est.)
Government
Indonesia
Country name:
conventional long form:
Republic of Indonesia conventional short form: Indonesia
local long form: Republik Indonesia local short
form: Indonesia former: Netherlands East Indies, Dutch East
Indies
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Jakarta
geographic coordinates: 6 10 S, 106 49 E time
difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time) note: Indonesia is divided into three time zones
Administrative divisions:
30 provinces
(propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special regions*
(daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1 special
capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten,
Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa
Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan
Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku
Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Papua Barat (Irian
Jaya Barat), Riau, Sulawesi Barat, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah,
Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan,
Sumatera Utara, Yogyakarta* note: following the implementation
of decentralization beginning on 1 January 2001, the 440 districts or
regencies have become the key administrative units responsible for
providing most government services
Independence:
17 August 1945 (declared)
note: recognized by the Netherlands on 27 December 1949; in
August 2005, the Netherlands announced it recognized de facto Indonesian
independence on 17 August 1945
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 August
(1945)
Constitution:
August 1945; abrogated by
Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950,
restored 5 July 1959; series of amendments concluded in 2002
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law,
substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal
procedures and election codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal and
married persons regardless of age
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20 October 2004); Vice President
Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2004); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government head of government:
President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20 October 2004); Vice President
Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2004) cabinet: Cabinet
appointed by the president elections: president and vice
president were elected for five-year terms (eligible for a second term) by
direct vote of the citizenry; last held 20 September 2004 (next to be held
in 2009) election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected
president receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%
Legislative branch:
House of Representatives or
Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (550 seats; members elected to serve
five-year terms); House of Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan
Daerah or DPD), constitutionally mandated role includes providing
legislative input to DPR on issues affecting regions; People's
Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in
inaugurating and impeaching president and in amending constitution;
consists of popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not
formulate national policy elections: last held 5 April 2004
(next to be held in April 2009) election results: percent of
vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P 18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%,
PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others 19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109,
PPP 58, PD 55, PAN 53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50 note: because
of election rules, the number of seats won does not always follow the
percentage of votes received by parties
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung
(justices appointed by the president from a list of candidates selected by
the legislature); a separate Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi
was invested by the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme
Court assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower
court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Labor Court
under supervision of Supreme Court began functioning in January 2006
Political parties and leaders:
Crescent Moon and Star Party or
PBB [MS KABAN]; Democratic Party or PD [Hadi UTOMO]; Functional Groups
Party or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA]; Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle or
PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri]; National Awakening Party or PKB; National
Mandate Party or PAN [Sutrisno BACHIR]; Prosperous Justice Party or PKS
[Tifatul SEMBIRING]; United Development Party or PPP [Suryadharma ALI]
chief of mission:
Ambassador SUDJADNAN Parnohadiningrat chancery: 2020
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1]
(202) 775-5200 FAX: [1] (202) 775-5365 consulate(s)
general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Cameron R. HUME embassy: Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka
Selatan 4-5, Jakarta 10110 mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1,
FPO AP 96520 telephone: [62] (21) 3435-9000 FAX:
[62] (21) 3435-9922 consulate(s) general: Surabaya
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of
red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also
similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red
Economy
Indonesia
Economy - overview:
Indonesia, a vast polyglot
nation, has been undergoing significant economic reforms under President
YUDHOYONO. Indonesia's debt-to-GDP ratio has been declining steadily, its
foreign exchange reserves are at an all-time high of over $50 billion, and
its stock market has been one of the 3 best performers in the world in
2006 and 2007, as global investors sought out higher returns in emerging
markets. The government has introduced significant reforms in the
financial sector, including tax and customs reforms, the introduction of
Treasury bills, and improved capital market supervision. Indonesia's new
investment law, passed in March 2007, seeks to address some of the
concerns of foreign and domestic investors. Indonesia still struggles with
poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, a complex
regulatory environment, and unequal resource distribution among regions.
Indonesia has been slow to privatize over 100 state-owned enterprises,
several of which have monopolies in key sectors. The non-bank financial
sector, including pension funds and insurance, remains weak. Capital
markets are underdeveloped. The high global price of oil in 2007 increased
the cost of domestic fuel and electricity subsidies, and are contributing
to concerns about higher food prices. Located on the Pacific 'Ring of
Fire' Indonesia remains vulnerable to volcanic and tectonic disasters.
Significant progress has been made in rebuilding Aceh after the
devastating December 2004 tsunami, and the province now shows more
economic activity than before the disaster. Unfortunately, Indonesia
suffered new disasters in 2006 and early 2007 including: a major
earthquake near Yogyakarta, an industrial accident in Sidoarjo, East Java
that created a 'mud volcano,' a tsunami in South Java, and major flooding
in Jakarta, all of which caused additional damages in the billions of
dollars. Donors are assisting Indonesia with its disaster mitigation and
early warning efforts.
oil and gas, electrical
appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber
Exports - partners:
Japan 19.4%, Singapore 11.8%,
US 11.5%, China 7.7%, South Korea 6.4%, Taiwan 4.2% (2006)
Imports:
$86.24 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment,
chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Singapore 29.6%, China 11.2%,
Japan 8.8%, South Korea 5.3%, Malaysia 4.8% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $2.524 billion (2006 est.)
note: Indonesia ended 2006 with $67 billion in official foreign
debt (about 25% of GDP), with Japan ($25 billion), the World Bank ($8.5
billion) and the Asian Development Bank ($8.4 billion) as the largest
creditors; about $6 billion in grant assistance was pledged to rebuild
Aceh after the December 2004 tsunami; President YUDHOYONO disbanded the
Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) donor forum in January 2007
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$53.27 billion (31 December
2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$137.2 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$21.91 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$9.225 billion (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$138.9 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Currency code:
IDR
Exchange rates:
Indonesian rupiah per US dollar
- 9,056 (2007 est.), 9,159.3 (2006), 9,704.7 (2005), 8,938.9 (2004),
8,577.1 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
Indonesia
Telephones - main lines in use:
14.821 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
63.803 million (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment:
domestic service fair, international service good domestic:
interisland microwave system and HF radio police net; domestic satellite
communications system; coverage provided by existing network has been
expanded by use of over 200,000 telephone kiosks many located in remote
areas international: country code - 62; landing point for both
the SEA-ME-WE-3 AND SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks that provide
links throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82
(1998)
Radios:
31.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
54 local TV stations (11
national TV networks; each with its group of local transmitters) (2006)
Televisions:
13.75 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.id
Internet hosts:
559,359 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
24 (2000)
Internet users:
16 million (2005)
Transportation
Indonesia
Airports:
652 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 158 over
3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437
m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 49 under 914 m: 39 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 494 1,524
to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m:
462 (2007)
Heliports:
17 (2007)
Pipelines:
condensate 963 km;
condensate/gas 81 km; gas 9,003 km; oil 7,471 km; oil/gas/water 77 km;
refined products 1,365 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497
km 0.750-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 368,360 km
paved: 213,649 km unpaved: 154,711 km (2002)
Waterways:
21,579 km (2007)
Merchant marine:
total: 965 ships (1000
GRT or over) 4,409,198 GRT/5,825,591 DWT by type: bulk carrier
53, cargo 522, chemical tanker 25, container 66, liquefied gas 7,
livestock carrier 1, passenger 44, passenger/cargo 67, petroleum tanker
155, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 11, specialized tanker 8,
vehicle carrier 4 foreign-owned: 45 (China 2, France 1, Japan
5, South Korea 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 26, Switzerland 3, Taiwan 2,
Thailand 1, UK 3) registered in other countries: 105 (Bahamas
3, Cambodia 1, Hong Kong 7, Liberia 1, Panama 37, Singapore 56, unknown 5)
(2007)
Ports and terminals:
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan,
Kotabaru, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung
Perak, Tanjung Priok
Military
Indonesia
Military branches:
Indonesian Armed Forces
(Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army (TNI-Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD)),
Navy (TNI-Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL); includes marines, naval air arm), Air
Force (TNI-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU)), National Air Defense Command
(Kommando Pertahanan Udara Nasional (Kohanudnas)) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for selective
compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service
obligation, with reserve obligation to age 45 (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49:
63,800,825 females age 16-49: 61,729,717 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49:
52,367,788 females age 16-49: 52,129,123 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49:
2,181,303 females age 16-49: 2,110,397 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues
Indonesia
Disputes - international:
Indonesia has a stated foreign
policy objective of establishing stable fixed land and maritime boundaries
with all of its neighbors; Timor-Leste-Indonesia Boundary Committee has
resolved all but a small portion of the land boundary, but discussions on
maritime boundaries are stalemated over sovereignty of the uninhabited
coral island of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai in the north and alignment with
Australian claims in the south; many refugees from Timor-Leste who left in
2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; a 1997 treaty
between Indonesia and Australia settled some parts of their maritime
boundary but outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan
islands to Malaysia in 2002 left the sovereignty of Unarang rock and the
maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea in dispute;
the ICJ decision has prompted Indonesia to assert claims to and to
establish a presence on its smaller outer islands; Indonesia and Singapore
continue to work on finalization of their 1973 maritime boundary agreement
by defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's Batam Island; Indonesian
secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants create repatriation
problems for Papua New Guinea; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca
Strait; maritime delimitation talks continue with Palau; Indonesian groups
challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia has closed parts of
the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and
placed restrictions on certain catches
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 200,000-350,000
(government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most IDPs in Aceh, Central
Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi Provinces, and Maluku), 300,000 (December
2006 floods in Aceh regions) (2006)
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis
largely for domestic use; producer of methamphetamine and ecstasy