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Indonesia

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Asian Countries;
Countries

   SOS Children works in Indonesia. For more information see SOS Children
   in Indonesia
                Republik Indonesia
   Republic of Indonesia

   Flag of Indonesia Coat of arms of Indonesia
   Flag              Coat of arms
   Motto: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
   ( Old Javanese: Unity in Diversity)
   National ideology: Pancasila
   Anthem: Indonesia Raya
   Location of Indonesia
   Capital
   (and largest city) Jakarta
                      6°08′S 106°45′E
   Official languages Indonesian
   Government         Republic
    - President       Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
    - Vice President  Jusuf Kalla
      Independence    former Netherlands colony
    - Declared        17 August 1945
    - Recognized      27 December 1949
                       Area
    - Total           1,904,569 km² ( 16th)
                      735,355 sq mi
    - Water (%)       4.85
                    Population
    - 2005 estimate   222,781,000 ( 4th)
    - 2000 census     206,264,595
    - Density         117/km² ( 84th)
                      303/sq mi
       GDP ( PPP)     2005 estimate
    - Total           $977.4 billion ( 15th)
    - Per capita      $4,458 ( 110th)
      HDI  (2003)     0.697 (medium) ( 110th)
        Currency      Rupiah ( IDR)
       Time zone      various ( UTC+7 to +9)
    - Summer ( DST)   not observed ( UTC+7 to +9)
      Internet TLD    .id
      Calling code    +62

   Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia ( Indonesian: Republik
   Indonesia), is a nation of 18,110 islands in the South East Asian
   Archipelago, making it the world's largest archipelagic state. Its
   capital is Jakarta. Indonesia is bordered by the nations of Papua New
   Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. With a population of over 200
   million, it is the world's fourth most populous country and the most
   populous Muslim-majority nation.

   The Indonesian Archipelago, home of the Spice Islands, has been an
   important trade destination since early Chinese sailors began to find
   profit in the spice trade during ancient times. Much of Indonesia's
   history has been influenced by the many foreign powers that have been
   drawn to the archipelago by its wealth of natural resources. These have
   included Classical Hindus and Buddhists from India, Muslim traders in
   medieval times, and Europeans during the Age of Exploration, who fought
   for monopolization of the spice trade. Indonesia was colonized by the
   Dutch for over three centuries; however, the nation declared its
   independence in 1945, which was internationally recognized four years
   later. Since then, the region has had a turbulent history, including
   political instability and corruption, periods of rapid economic growth
   and decline, environmental catastrophe, and a recent democratization
   process.

   Indonesia is a unitary state consisting of numerous distinct ethnic,
   linguistic, and religious groups spread across its numerous islands.
   The modern borders of Indonesia are based upon those of the Dutch East
   Indies colony, rather than on any preconceived notion of unity.
   However, a shared history of colonialism, rebellion against it, a
   national Indonesian language, and a religious majority of Islam help to
   define Indonesia as a state. Indonesia's national motto, Bhinneka
   tunggal ika (derived from Old Javanese for unity in diversity),
   reflects the amalgamation of the country's myriad cultures, languages,
   and ethnic groups. However, sectarian tensions have threatened
   political stability in some regions, leading to violent confrontations
   and the secession of East Timor.

Etymology

   The name Indonesia was derived the from Greek indus, meaning India, and
   nesos, meaning islands. Dating back to the eighteenth century, the name
   far predates the formation of the Indonesian nation. In 1849, an
   English etymology expert, George Samuel Windsor Earl, writing in an
   annual science journal, suggested that the Hindia or Malaya archipelago
   choose a distinct name, suggesting either Indunesia or Melayunesia,
   although he favoured the latter. In a concurrent article in the same
   publication, another etymologist, James Richardson Logan, proposed
   using Indunesia over Melayunesia. He also changed the letter "u" to "o"
   to improve the pronunciation. The first Indonesian to use the name was
   Suwardi Suryaningrat (Ki Hajar Dewantara), when he established a press
   bureau with the name Indonesisch Pers-bureau in the Netherlands.

History

   Fossil evidence suggests the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited by
   Homo erectus, popularly termed the Java Man. Estimates of its existence
   range from 500,000 to 2 million years ago. The modern peoples of Malay
   people origin are descendants of immigrants from mainland South East
   Asia beginning around 6,000 years ago. Ideal agricultural conditions,
   and in particular the mastering of wet-field rice cultivation as early
   as the seventh century BC, allowed villages, towns and eventually small
   kingdoms to flourish by the first century AD. Around the same time,
   trade was established between both India and China, fostered by
   Indonesia’s strategic sea lane position which would continue to be one
   of the most important influences on the country’s history.

   It was upon this trade, and the Hinduism and Buddhism that was brought
   with it, that the Sriwijaya kingdom flourished from the 7th century AD.
   It became a powerful naval state, which grew wealthy on the
   international trade it controlled through the region until its decline
   in the 12th century. During the 8th and 10th centuries AD, the
   agriculturally-based Buddhist Sailendra and Hindu Mataram dynasties
   thrived and declined in inland Java with great monuments built,
   including Borobudur and Prambanan respectively. The Hindu Majapahit
   kingdom was founded in eastern Java in 1294, and under its military
   commander Gajah Mada stretched over much of modern day Indonesia. This
   period is referred to as a Golden Age in the country’s history.

   Arab traders first brought Islam to Indonesia in the late 12th century,
   establishing settlements in the Aceh region. It spread across the
   Indonesian archipelago, following trade routes. Rather than a violent
   conquest, it was, for the most part, peacefully laid over and mixed
   with existing cultural (and even religious) influences to form what is
   still the predominant form of Islam in Indonesia today, particularly in
   Java.
   The logo of the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC.
   Enlarge
   The logo of the Amsterdam Chamber of the VOC.

   European traders first arrived in the early sixteenth century seeking
   to monopolize the sources of nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in The
   Moluccas. In 1506 the Portuguese, led by Ferdinand Magellan, were the
   first Europeans to arrive in Indonesia; the Dutch and British followed.
   The Dutch became the dominant traders in Indonesia, establishing the
   Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602. The VOC, however, was dissolved
   in 1798 and the government of the Netherlands established the Dutch
   East Indies as a fully-fledged colony.

   The Dutch colonial presence in Indonesia existed in various forms for
   over 300 years until the Japanese occupation in the second World War.
   During the war, Sukarno, a popular leader of the Indonesian Nationalist
   Party, cooperated with the occupying Japanese with the intention of
   strengthening the independence movement. On August 17, 1945, Sukarno,
   with the Japanese organized National Committee of Independence (BPUPKI)
   unilaterally declared Indonesian independence. Sukarno then became the
   first president, while Muhammad Hatta became the vice-president. Over
   the next four years, the Netherlands mounted military campaigns to
   reoccupy Indonesia, but in the face of international pressure
   acknowledged Indonesian independence in 1949.

   Increasing tensions between the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and
   the Indonesian military culminated in an abortive coup on 30 September
   1965 which saw six top-ranking generals murdered in circumstances that
   remain contentious even today. A quick counter-coup led by Major
   General Suharto resulted in an violent anti-communist purge centered
   mainly in Java and Bali. Hundreds of thousands were killed - some
   sources say as many as a million - in an event that went largely
   unreported in international media. Politically, Suharto capitalized on
   Sukarno's gravely weakened position in a drawn out power play between
   the two, and by March 1967 had maneuvered himself into the presidency.
   Commonly referred to as the New Order, Suharto's administration
   encouraged major foreign investment in Indonesia, which was to become a
   major factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic
   growth.

   From 1997 to 1998, however, Indonesia became the country hardest hit by
   the East Asian Financial Crisis, aggravating popular discontent with
   Suharto, who already faced accusations of corruption, and further
   inflaming popular protests in early 1998. On 21 May 1998, President
   Suharto announced his resignation, ushering in the Reformasi era in
   Indonesia. A wide range of reforms have been introduced since then,
   including Indonesia's first direct presidential election in 2004, but
   progress has been slowed by political and economic instability, social
   unrest, terrorism and recent natural disasters. Although relations
   between different religious and ethnic groups are largely harmonious,
   acute sectarian discontent, even violence, remains a problem in some
   areas. Political settlements relating to separatism issues have been
   achieved in Aceh and East Timor, the latter having seceded from
   Indonesia in 1999.

Government and politics

   Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of Indonesia.
   Enlarge
   Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of Indonesia.

Structure and affiliations

   Indonesia is a republic and a unitary state with a presidential system
   and power concentrated with the national government. The President of
   Indonesia is directly elected for a term of five years, and is the head
   of state, commander-in-chief of the Indonesian armed forces, and
   responsible for 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 highest legislative body is the People's Consultative Assembly
   (MPR), an umbrella organization that consists of the People's
   Representative Council (DPR), and the Regional Representatives Council
   (DPD). The DPR is the lower house and its 550 members are elected for
   five-year terms on a proportional representation basis from each of
   Indonesia's 33 provinces. The DPD is a new chamber coming into effect
   in 2004 and is charged with managing regional representation within the
   central national government. Each province elects 4 members on a
   non-partisan basis. The DPD does not have, however, the revising powers
   of an upper house such as the United States Senate, rather it is
   restricted to bills concerning matters of regional management.

   The Supreme Court is the highest level of the judicial branch. Its
   judges are appointed by the president. Each province has its own High
   Court.

   Indonesia is a founding member of the Association of South East Asian
   Nations, and is therefore a member of both ASEAN+3 and the East Asia
   Summit. Since the 1980s, Indonesia has worked to develop close
   political and economic ties between South East Asian nations, and is
   influential in the Organization of Islamic Conference. During Suharto's
   presidency, Indonesia built strong relations with the United States,
   while it had difficult relations with the People's Republic of China
   due to Suharto's anti-communist policies and domestic tensions with the
   Chinese ethnic community.

Major contemporary issues

   Indonesia was internationally condemned for its invasion and annexation
   of East Timor in the 1970s, for alleged human rights violations
   throughout the subsequent occupation, and for the military support of
   violent pro-integration militias following the 1999 independence
   referendum. Under the administration of President Yudhoyono, a
   ceasefire agreement was reached with separatists in Aceh in 2006, and
   in Papua there has been a significant, albeit imperfect, implementation
   of regional autonomy laws, and a reported decline in the levels of
   violence and human rights abuses.
   National flags at the explosion site in Kuta, Bali
   Enlarge
   National flags at the explosion site in Kuta, Bali

   Terrorism, linked to extreme Islamism, has been a critical challenge to
   the Indonesian Government since 2000. The most deadly attack came in
   2002, killing 202 people, including 164 international tourists, in the
   resort town of Kuta, Bali. These and subsequent attacks in Jakarta and
   Bali have been linked to Al-Qaeda , and combined with travel warnings
   issued by a number of countries, have severely damaged the country’s
   important tourist industry and the economy's foreign investment
   prospects. In cooperation with other countries, the Government has
   achieved substantial success in apprehending and prosecuting the
   perpetrators and also towards fracturing their organizations, although
   terrorism is expected to be a major issue for Indonesia in the
   foreseeable future.

Administrative divisions

   Map of the provinces of Indonesia
   Enlarge
   Map of the provinces of Indonesia

   Indonesia currently has 33 provinces, three of which have special
   status. One is a special capital region. The provinces are subdivided
   into regencies and cities, which are further subdivided into
   subdistricts.

   Indonesian provinces:
    1. Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam*
    2. North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara)
    3. West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat)
    4. Riau
    5. Riau Islands (Kepulauan Riau)
    6. Jambi
    7. South Sumatra (Sumatera Selatan)
    8. Bangka-Belitung
    9. Bengkulu
   10. Lampung
   11. Jakarta*
   12. Banten
   13. West Java (Jawa Barat)
   14. Central Java (Jawa Tengah)
   15. Yogyakarta*
   16. East Java (Jawa Timur)
   17. West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat)

   18. Central Kalimantan (Kalimantan Tengah)
   19. South Kalimantan (Kalimantan Selatan)
   20. East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur)
   21. Bali
   22. West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat)
   23. East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur)
   24. North Sulawesi (Sulawesi Utara)
   25. Gorontalo
   26. Central Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tengah)
   27. West Sulawesi (Sulawesi Barat)
   28. South Sulawesi (Sulawesi Selatan)
   29. South East Sulawesi (Sulawesi Tenggara)
   30. Maluku
   31. North Maluku (Maluku Utara)
   32. West Irian Jaya (Irian Jaya Barat)
   33. Papua*

   (*) indicates the provinces with special status.

   The special territories have more autonomy from the central government
   than other provinces, and so have unique legislative privileges: the
   Acehnese government has the right to create an independent legal
   system, and instituted a form of sharia (Islamic Law) in 2003;
   Yogyakarta remains a sultanate whose sultan (currently the widely
   popular Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X) is the territory's de facto
   governor for life. Papua (formerly called Irian Jaya) has had special
   status since 2001. The special capital region is Jakarta. Though
   Jakarta is a single city, it is administered much as any other
   Indonesian province. For example, Jakarta has a governor (instead of a
   mayor), and is divided into several sub-regions with their own
   administrative systems.

   East Timor was occupied by Indonesia from 1975 following a military
   invasion, until Indonesia relinquished its claims in 1999 after years
   of bitter fighting against East Timor guerrillas and abuses by
   Indonesian military forces against the East Timorese civilians.
   Following a period of transitional administration by the UN, it became
   an independent state in 2002.

Geography

   Map of Indonesia - click for high resolution version
   Enlarge
   Map of Indonesia - click for high resolution version

   Indonesia's 18,108 islands, about 6,000 of which are inhabited, are
   scattered around the equator, giving the country a tropical climate.
   The five main islands are Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan (the Indonesian
   part of Borneo), New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea) and
   Sulawesi. Indonesia borders Malaysia on the island of Borneo
   (Indonesian, Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea and East
   Timor on the island of Timor. The capital Jakarta is the nation's
   largest city, followed by Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, and Semarang.
   Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo, East Java: Indonesia's seismic and
   volcanic activity is among the world's highest
   Enlarge
   Mount Semeru and Mount Bromo, East Java: Indonesia's seismic and
   volcanic activity is among the world's highest

   At 1,919,440 km² (741,050 mi²), Indonesia is the world's 16th-largest
   country in terms of land area, after Saudi Arabia. Its population
   density is 134.39 people per square kilometer, 79th in the world.

   Its location on the edges of three tectonic plates, specifically the
   Pacific, Eurasian, and Australian plates, makes Indonesia a site of
   frequent earthquakes and the resulting tsunamis. Indonesia has at least
   66 volcanoes, including Krakatoa, located between Sumatra and Java, and
   famous for its massive 1883 eruption.

Ecology

   Partly due to its vast size and tropical archipelago make-up, Indonesia
   has the world's second highest level of biodiversity (after Brazil)
   with its flora and fauna species a mixture of Asian and Australasian
   species. Once linked to the Asian mainland, the Greater Sunda Islands
   (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java and Bali) have a wealth of Asian fauna.
   Large species such as the tiger, rhinoceros, orangutan, elephant, and
   leopard, although once abundant and distributed as far east as Bali,
   have dwindled drastically in number and distribution. Sumatra and
   Kalimantan still contain vast forests, predominantly Asian in nature,
   but they are being logged at rapid rates, while the smaller but densely
   populated Java and Bali are now predominantly developed for habitation
   and agriculture. Originally part of the Australian landmass, the
   highlands of Papua enclose a number of unique environments, including
   over 600 bird species, with fauna closely related to Australia’s.
   Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, having been long separated from the
   continental landmasses, have developed their own unique flora and
   fauna.
   The critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan, a great ape endemic to
   Indonesia
   Enlarge
   The critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan, a great ape endemic to
   Indonesia

   Surrounding a vast number of islands with over 80,000km of coastline,
   the warm, tropical seas of Indonesia also boast a high level of
   biodiversity, corresponding with a diverse range of ecosystems
   including beaches, sand dunes, estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, sea
   grass beds, coastal mudflats, tidal flats, algal beds, and small island
   ecosystems.

   The British naturalist Alfred Wallace described a dividing line between
   the distribution of Indonesia's Asian and Australasian species, Known
   as the Wallace Line, it runs along the edge of the Sunda shelf, between
   Kalimantan and Sulawesi, and along the deep Lombok Strait, between
   Lombok and Bali. West of the line, the flora and fauna are more Asian,
   and as one travels east from Lombok they are increasingly Australian.
   Wallace described not only the transition between Asian and
   Australasian species, but also numerous species unique to the
   surrounding area, which is now known as Wallacea.

   As a highly populous country part way through a rapid industrialisation
   process, Indonesia faces some grave ecological issues, which are often
   given a lower priority due to high poverty levels and weak,
   under-resourced governance. These issues include large-scale
   deforestation, much of it illegal, and related wildfires which cause
   heavy smog over parts of western Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore,
   over-exploitation of marine resources, and environmental problems
   associated with rapid urbanisation and economic development such as air
   pollution, traffic congestion, garbage management, and reliable water
   and waste water services. Habitat destruction threatens the survival of
   many indigenous and endemic 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

   Major agricultural products include palm oil, rice, tea, coffee, spices
   and rubber and major industries include Petroleum and natural gas,
   textiles, apparel, and mining. Bank Indonesia, the country's central
   bank was established in 1974 and received its independent central bank
   status in 1999. In 2005, the industrial production growth rate was 4.8%
   per annum, ranking 73rd in the world. Major trading partners include
   Japan, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia.

   The country has extensive natural resources outside Java, including
   crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper, and gold. Indonesia is the world’s
   largest LNG producer, exporting about 20% of the world’s total volume
   in 2002. Apparently, in 2005, the income from exports was larger than
   the import's expenditure with $83.64 billion and $62.02 billion
   respectively. Indonesia's imports commodities include machinery and
   equipment, chemicals, fuels, and foodstuffs.

   Despite being the only East Asian member of OPEC, Indonesia's fuel
   production has declined significantly over the years, owing to aging
   oil fields and lack of investment in new equipment. As a result,
   despite being an exporter of crude oil, Indonesia is now a net importer
   of oil and had previously subsidized fuel prices to keep prices low,
   costing US$ 7 billion in 2004. The current president has mandated a
   significant reduction of government subsidy of fuel prices in several
   stages. In order to alleviate economic hardships, the government has
   offered one-time subsidies to qualified citizens. The government has
   stated to reduce subsidies, aiming to reduce the budget deficit to 1%
   of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, down from around 1.7% last
   year. The real gross domestic product (GDP) of Indonesia is projected
   to reach 5.2% in the second half year of 2006.

   In the late 1990s, Indonesia suffered a drastic economic downturn
   followed by a significant but at times patchy and only partial
   recovery. This was largely due to the financial crisis that struck much
   of east Asia at the time, but was exacerbated by perceptions of
   corruption at all levels and a perceived slow pace of economic reform.

   Indonesia has received large amounts of economic aid from bilateral,
   multilateral and non-governmental organizations ( NGOs). Although
   Indonesia finished its IMF program in December 2003, the country still
   receives bilateral aid through the Consultative Group on Indonesia
   (CGI) which reached $2.8 billion for 2004 and 2005. Another aid
   package, totaling $5 billion, was granted through the NGO for the
   post-Tsunami reconstruction in Aceh. In total, Indonesia has received
   $43 billion in foreign aid.

Demographics

   Indonesia's population statistics are difficult to estimate. In the
   2000 national census, an initial population estimate of 203 million was
   recorded but the Indonesian government later revised the figure to 206
   million. The country's Central Statistics Bureau and Statistics
   Indonesia quoted 222 million as the population for 2006, The island of
   Java has 130 million people and is the most populous island in the
   world. Despite a considerably successful family planning program over
   the last four decades, Indonesia is expected to grow to a population of
   around 315 million in 2035 based on a current estimated annual growth
   rate of 1.25 per cent.

Ethnic groups

   Balinese boys in Ubud
   Enlarge
   Balinese boys in Ubud

   Most Indonesians are ethnically Malay, particularly in central and
   western Indonesia, while much of eastern Indonesia is Melanesian in
   ethnic make up. There are, however, approximately 300 different native
   ethnicities in Indonesia and 742 different languages and dialects.
   Small but significant populations of ethnic Chinese, Indians and Arabs
   are concentrated mostly in urban areas. An almost universally shared
   sense of Indonesian nationhood overlays this vast diversity and
   steadfastly maintained regional identities, providing a largely
   harmonious society. Indonesia, however, is not without social tensions
   with religious and ethnic differences triggering sometimes horrendous
   violence.
   Minangkabau woman in traditional dress
   Enlarge
   Minangkabau woman in traditional dress

   The Transmigration program contributed to the spread of people from
   highly populated Java and Madura to eastern Indonesia. Ethnic and
   religious differences between these immigrants and the local peoples
   have been blamed for numerous difficulties, sometimes culminating in
   bloody conflicts such as those between the Javanese and the Maduranese,
   the massacre of hundreds of Madurese by a local Dayak community in West
   Kalimantan, Maluku, Central Sulawesi, and parts of Papua and West Irian
   Jaya.

   The Chinese Indonesians are arguably the most influential ethnic
   minority in Indonesia. Although the Chinese make up 2% of the
   population, the majority of the country’s businesses and wealth is
   Chinese-controlled. This has caused considerable resentment despite the
   fact that it is only a small proportion of Chinese that hold great
   wealth, and there are now large numbers of prosperous, middle class
   non-Chinese. The riots in Jakarta in 1998 in the weeks leading up to
   the resignation of long time president Suharto were the most deadly
   recent expressions of these sentiments.

Languages

   The official national language, Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia in
   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. Yet, in isolated areas even on the major
   islands it is not uncommon to find villagers who are not familiar with
   Indonesian. It was originally a lingua franca for most of the region,
   including present-day Malaysia (and is thus closely related to Malay),
   accepted by the Dutch as the de facto language for the colony, and
   declared the official language after independence.

   Most Indonesians speak at least one of the several hundred local
   languages (bahasa daerah), often as their first language. Of these,
   Javanese is the most widely-spoken language, as it is the language of
   the largest ethnic group.

Religion

   Indonesia religions mapAlthough all 6 recognised religions are
   represented thoughout Indonesia, this maps shows the majority group for
   each area
   Enlarge
   Indonesia religions map
   Although all 6 recognised religions are represented thoughout
   Indonesia, this maps shows the majority group for each area

   Although the Indonesian constitution guarantees religious freedom for
   all, the Government officially only recognises six religions, namely
   Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
   Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation with
   almost 86% of Indonesians declared Muslim according to the 2000 census.
   11% of the population is Christian (of which roughly two-thirds are
   Protestant), 2% Hindu, and 1% Buddhist.

   Before the arrival of the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity and Islam to
   the Malay Archipelago, the popular belief systems in the region were
   thoroughly influenced by Indic religious philosophy through Hinduism
   and Buddhism. The influence of Hinduism and classical India remain
   defining traits of Indonesian culture; including the Indian concept of
   the god-king which still shapes Indonesian concepts of leadership; the
   use of Sanskrit in courtly literature and adaptations of Indian
   mythology such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The vast majority of
   today’s Indonesian Hindus are Balinese who, similar to abangan Muslims,
   follow a version of Hinduism fused with existing cultural and religious
   beliefs and markedly distinct from orthodox Hinduism. The Sumatra-based
   Sriwijaya kingdom of the 7th century AD was the centre of Buddhism in
   Indonesia, however, most Buddhists in Indonesia today are ethnic
   Chinese.
   Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, reportedly the largest in South East Asia
   Enlarge
   Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, reportedly the largest in South East Asia

   Islam was first brought to northern Sumatra by Arab traders in the 13th
   century and had become Indonesia’s dominant religion by the 15th
   century. Although Islam was once mainly practiced in Java and Sumatra,
   emigration, largely from Java, has increased the number of Muslims
   living in Bali, Borneo, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua. Like other
   religions in Indonesia, Islam has blended with local traditional
   beliefs such as those practiced by the Abangan Muslims on Java and with
   other belief systems in northern Sumatra and Kalimantan. Such syncretic
   practises draw on distinctly Indonesian customs and typically differ
   from more Orthodox Islam by favoring local customs over Islamic law.
   One notable difference includes a generally greater level of freedom
   and higher social status for women. The majority of Indonesian Muslims
   are generally accepting of differing religious practices and
   interpretations within their own faith. At the same time, Muslims in
   Indonesia are typically devout; many have made the pilgrimage to Mecca,
   for example. More Orthodox Muslims who believe in a strict adherence to
   Sharia make up a significantly smaller but growing percentage of the
   population; for example, the wearing of a jilbab is becoming more
   common. There is also a small but outspoken hard-line Islamist presence
   in Indonesia, including movements such as Indonesian Mujahedeen
   Council. Most Indonesian Muslims are wary of these movements, some of
   which seek to supplant the Indonesian government and establish an
   Islamic state.

   Catholicism was first brought to Indonesia by early Portuguese
   colonialists and missionaries, and the Protestant denominations are
   largely a result of Dutch Calvinist and Lutheran missionary efforts
   during its colonial time, although these efforts did not extend to Java
   or other predominantly Muslim areas. As with Islam and Hinduism, many
   Christian beliefs in Indonesia are combined with animism and other
   traditional beliefs and cultural practices.

Culture

   The 9th century Buddhist monument, Borobudur in Central Java
   Enlarge
   The 9th century Buddhist monument, Borobudur in Central Java

   Indonesia has around 300 ethnic groups each with cultural differences
   which have shifted over the centuries and the concept of Indonesian
   culture is a fusion of this diversity. One example is the Borobudur
   temple, which is a mix of Hinduism and Javanese culture, as it was
   built by a Javanese dynasty, the Sailendra. Indonesia has also imported
   cultural aspects from Arabic, Chinese, Malay and European sources.

   Art forms in Indonesia have been influenced by several cultures.
   Traditional Javanese and Balinese dances, for example, contain aspects
   of Hindu culture and mythology as does the Javanese and Balinese wayang
   kulit shadow puppet shows, depicting several mythological events. Cloth
   such as batik, ikat and songket are created across Indonesia with
   different areas having different styles and specialisations. The most
   dominant influences on Indonesian architecture have traditionally been
   Indian, however, European architecture has had a significant influence,
   particularly from the 19th century. Pencak Silat is a unique martial
   art originating from the archipelago.
   A Wayang kulit shadow puppet performance as seen by the audience
   Enlarge
   A Wayang kulit shadow puppet performance as seen by the audience

   Indonesian music varies within cities and groups as people who live in
   the countryside would listen to a different kind of music than people
   in the city. Although rock was introduced in Indonesia by Indonesian
   rock band, God Bless (see Ian Antono), native Indonesian music is still
   preserved. Examples of Indonesian traditional music are Gamelan and
   Keroncong. A more modern form of Indonesian native music is Dangdut.
   The movie industry's popularity peaked in the 1980s and dominated
   cinemas in Indonesia, although it fell significantly in the early
   1990s. For instance, in 1990, 115 local movies were produced while only
   37 movies produced in 1993. However, as of the year 2000, the movie
   industry has improved gradually with a number of successful movies.

   Media freedom in Indonesia increased considerably after the end of
   President Suharto's rule, during which the now-defunct Ministry of
   Information monitored and controlled domestic media and restricted
   foreign media. The TV market includes 10 national commercial networks,
   which compete with public TVRI. Some provinces also operate their own
   stations. Private radio stations carry their own news bulletins and
   foreign broadcasters can supply programmes. The radio dial is crowded,
   with scores of stations on the air in Jakarta alone. Internet use is
   increasing Bisnis Indonesia reported in 2004 that there were 10 million
   users.

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