Indonesia

Indonesia

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Republik Indonesia/Republic of Indonesia Area 1,904,569 sq km/735,354 sq mi Capital Jakarta Language Bahasa Indonesia (closely related to Malay; official), Javanese, Dutch, over 550 regional languages and dialects Religion Muslim 87%, Protestant 6%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2% and Buddhist 1% (the continued spread of Christianity, together with an Islamic revival, have led to greater religious tensions) Time difference GMT +7/9 Major holidays 1 January, 17 August, 25 December; variable: Ascension Thursday, Eid-ul-Adha, end of Ramadan (2 days), Good Friday, New Year (Icaka, March), New Year (Muslim), Prophet's Birthday, Ascension of the Prophet (March/April), Waisak (May)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, Semarang, Palembang, Tangerang, Bandar Lampung, Ujung Pandang, Malang Major ports Tanjung Priok, Surabaya, Semarang (Java), Ujung Pandang (Sulawesi) Physical features comprises 13,677 tropical islands (over 6,000 of them are inhabited): the Greater Sundas (including Java, Madura, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan (part of Borneo)), the Lesser Sunda Islands/Nusa Tenggara (including Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Alor, Lomblen, Timor, Roti, and Savu), Maluku/Moluccas (over 1,000 islands including Ambon, Ternate, Tidore, Tanimbar, and Halmahera), and Irian Jaya (part of New Guinea); over half the country is tropical rainforest; it has the largest expanse of peatlands in the tropics Airports seven principal international airports and over 60 domestic airports; total passengers carried: 12.2 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 6,458 km/4,013 mi; total passenger journeys: 176 million (2002) Roads total road network: 368,360 km/228,888 mi, of which 58% paved (2002 est); passenger cars: 13 per 1,000 people (1997 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from 2004 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 27 provinces, subdivided into 55 municipalities Political parties Sekber Golkar, ruling military-bureaucrat-farmers' party; United Development Party (PPP), moderate Islamic; Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), nationalist Christian Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 302,000; plus 400,000 reservists and paramilitary forces of 280,000 (2006 est) Conscription two years (selective) Defence spend (% GDP) 1 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 1.2 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 1.1 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency rupiah GDP (US$) 287.2 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5.2 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 282.2 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 3,720 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 13% (2006 est) Unemployment 11.8% (2005 est) Labour force 44% agriculture, 18% industry, 38% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 138.6 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners Japan, USA, China, Singapore, Thailand Resources petroleum (principal producer of petroleum in the Far East), natural gas, bauxite, nickel (world's third-largest producer), copper, tin (world's second-largest producer), gold, coal, forests Industries petroleum refining, food processing, textiles, wood products, tobacco, chemicals, fertilizers, rubber, cement Exports petroleum and petroleum products, natural and manufactured gas, textiles and garments, rubber, palm oil, wood and wood products, electrical and electronic products, coffee, fishery products, coal, copper, tin, pepper, tea. Principal market: Japan 22.3% (2005) Imports raw materials, machinery, transport and electrical equipment, manufactured goods, consumer goods, chemical and mineral products. Principal source: Japan 18% (2005) Arable land 11% (2006 est) Agricultural products rice, cassava, maize, coffee, spices, tea, cocoa, tobacco, sugar cane, sweet potatoes, palm, rubber, coconuts, nutmeg; fishing


POPULATION

Population 225,464,500 (2006 est) Population growth rate 1.1% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 118 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 48 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 28%, 15–59 63%, 60+ 9% (2005 est) Ethnic groups comprises more than 300 ethnic groups, the majority of which are of Malay descent; important Malay communities include Javanese (about 45% of the population), Sundanese (14%), and Madurese (7%); the largest non-Malay community is the Chinese (2%); substantial numbers of Indians, Melanesians, Micronesians, and Arabs Life expectancy 67 (men); 71 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 38 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 93% (men); 83% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 1.6 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 0.7 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 5,500 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 89 (urban); 69 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 5.7 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 21.1 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 159 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 152 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 1.4 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 7.2 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

3000–500 BC Immigrants from southern China displaced original Melanesian population. 6th century AD Start of Indian cultural influence; small Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms developed. 8th century Buddhist maritime empire of Srivijaya expanded to include all Sumatra and Malay peninsula. 13th century Islam introduced to Sumatra by Arab merchants; spread throughout the islands over next 300 years. 14th century Eastern Javanese kingdom of Majapahit destroyed Srivijaya and dominated the region. c. 1520 Empire of Majapahit disintegrated; Javanese nobles fled to Bali. 16th century Portuguese merchants broke the Muslim monopoly on the spice trade. 1602 Dutch East India Company founded; it displaced the Portuguese and monopolized trade with the Spice Islands. 1619 Dutch East India Company captured the port of Jakarta in Java and renamed it Batavia. 17th century Dutch introduced coffee plants and established informal control over central Java through divide-and-rule policy among local rulers. 1749 After frequent military intervention, the Dutch East India Company obtained formal sovereignty over Mataram. 1799 The Netherlands took over interests of bankrupt Dutch East India Company. 1808 French forces occupied Java; British expelled them in 1811 and returned Java to the Netherlands in 1816. 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty: Britain recognized entire Indonesian archipelago as Dutch sphere of influence. 1825–30 Java War: Prince Dipo Negoro led unsuccessful revolt against Dutch rule; further revolt 1894–96. 19th century Dutch formalized control over Java and conquered other islands; cultivation of coffee and sugar under tight official control made the Netherlands Indies one of the richest colonies in the world. 1908 Dutch completed conquest of Bali. 1927 Communist revolts suppressed; Achmed Sukarno founded Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI) to unite diverse anti-Dutch elements. 1929 Dutch imprisoned Sukarno and tried to suppress PNI. 1942–45 Japanese occupation; PNI installed as anti-Western puppet government. 1945 When Japan surrendered, President Sukarno declared an independent republic, but the Dutch set about restoring colonial rule by force. 1947 Dutch ‘police action’: an all-out attack on Java and Sumatra conquered two-thirds of the republic. 1949 Under US pressure, the Dutch agreed to transfer sovereignty of the Netherlands Indies (except Dutch New Guinea or Irian Jaya) to the Republic of the United States of Indonesia. 1950 President Sukarno abolished federalism and proclaimed unitary Republic of Indonesia dominated by Java; revolts in Sumatra and South Moluccas. 1959 To combat severe political instability, Sukarno imposed authoritarian ‘guided democracy’. 1963 The Netherlands ceded Irian Jaya to Indonesia. 1963–66 Indonesia tried to break up Malaysia by means of blockade and guerrilla attacks. 1965–66 Clashes between communists and army; Gen Raden Suharto imposed emergency administration and massacred up to 700,000 alleged communists. 1968 Suharto formally replaced Sukarno as president and proclaimed ‘New Order’ under strict military rule. 1970s Rising oil exports brought significant agricultural and industrial growth. 1975 Indonesia invaded East Timor when Portuguese rule collapsed; 200,000 died in ensuing war. 1986 After suppressing a revolt on Irian Jaya, Suharto introduced a programme to settle 65,000 Javanese there and on outer islands. 1996 Government initiated crackdown on opponents. 1997 Hundreds killed in ethnic riots in west Kalimantan province. Drought and famine in Irian Jaya. Forest fires in Borneo and Sumatra blighted large areas of SE Asia with heavy smog; caused catastrophic environmental damage. 1998 Following mass riots, Suharto stepped down as president. Some troop withdrawal from East Timor; partial autonomy offered. GDP contracted by 15%. Irian Jaya's status as military occupation zone ended, following ceasefire agreement with separatist rebels. Troops killed 16 student demonstrators in Jakarta. Special legislature session repealed Suharto-era legislation and political parties legalized. 1999 Ethnic violence continued in Borneo; over 500 people killed March–April. Government held referendum on independence for East Timor; overwhelming vote in favour. Pro-Indonesian militias killed hundreds and displaced thousands of citizens. Intervention by Australian-led United Nations (UN) troops ended violence. Abdurrahman Wahid became president; he agreed to let East Timor become independent, but refused to rule out repression to solve the unrest in Aceh. 2000 UN transitional government established in East Timor. Following violence between Muslims and Christians in Maluku in 1999, Indonesian Muslims called for a holy war in Maluku against Christians. Irian Jaya unilaterally declared independence; violence continued in Aceh. 2001 Financial scandals involving President Wahid provoked riots. Temporary ceasefire declared in Aceh; collapsed when Wahid sent in troops. 2002 Massive car bomb exploded at nightclub in tourist centre on island of Bali, killing around 200 people and injuring some 300, mostly Australians. Indonesian authorities blamed Islamic extremists. Christian and Muslim leaders from the eastern Molucca islands signed peace accord ending three years of sectarian fighting which had claimed 5,000 lives and created 750,000 refugees. The government and separatist rebels in Aceh province signed peace deal aimed at ending three decades of fighting. 2003 Following collapse of ceasefire agreement with Aceh separatists, President Megawati declared martial law and launched major military operation, involving up to 45,000 troops and paramilitary police, against Free Aceh Movement. Four Bali bombing suspects convicted; three sentenced to death, one to life imprisonment 2004 Former President Suharto's Golkar party won majority of vote in parliamentary and local elections; first presidential elections won by former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Car bomb outside Australian embassy in Jakarta killed nine and injured more than 180. Powerful undersea earthquake off Sumatra set off massive tidal waves; more than 220,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia. 2005 At least 1,000 people killed by powerful earthquake off Sumatra; tsunami alerts throughout the Indian Ocean. Peace deal signed by the government and Free Aceh Movement separatists provided for rebel disarmament and withdrawal of government forces from the province. Troop withdrawal completed in December. Three suicide bombings killed 23 people on Bali. 2006 Report on alleged atrocities committed during 24-year occupation of East Timor concluded it had caused more than 100,000 deaths. Java struck by powerful earthquake, killing thousands; two months later, the island hit by tsunami that killed more than 500. In first direct elections held in Aceh, former separatist rebel leader Irwnadi Yusuf elected governor. 2007 Police captured Zarkasih, head of militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and leader of the group's military wing, Abu Dujana. International conference held in Jakarta by Islamist group Hi but-Tahrir; it called for creation of caliphate or single state across Muslim world.


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