Indonesia
About the Country
People
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There are 195 million people in Indonesia, mainly Muslims, with substantial Christian, Hindu and Buddhist minorities. Indigenous tribes still exist in the remote places from Kalimantan in Borneo to Irian Jaya in the east. Their pagan ancestry can be seen, heard and felt by those who holiday on their far-flung shores.

The official language is Bahasa Indonesia, closely related to Malay. Although it is spoken widely, there are still many areas, especially the outlying islands, where regional languages and dialects are spoken exclusively. English is the most common second language, followed by Dutch.

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Java Man dates back some 500,000 years and was discovered near the village of Trinil in East Java in 1809. Major migration movements to the Indonesian archipelago from China and Tonkin have also been documented as far back as 3,500 BC. Most of the present mixed population comes from waves of Asian immigration during the first and second millennia BC.

Its central position between two continents has made it one of the world's great trading crossroads. The first European influence came with the Portuguese who settled in Eastern Indonesia in the 16th century. One hundred years later the Dutch replaced the Portuguese and slowly subdued Java and the other islands concluding with the conquest of Aceh and Bali early this century.

Under the Japanese during World War II, the Indonesians were able to organise and on August 17, 1945 independence was declared, with Sukarno becoming the first president of the new republic. A military government led by General Suharto toppled Sukarno in 1968 and he has ruled Indonesia as a guided democracy ever since.
Nature
A number of species of fauna are familiar to both Asia and Australia. However, there are many indigenous species in Indonesia such as the orang-utan apes of Sumatra and Kalimantan, the giant Komodo dragons, the only ones of their kind in the world still roaming free on the island of Komodo, the one-horned rhinoceros of Java, the wild Banteng oxen, tigers and many other species which are now protected in wildlife reserves. wpe2C.jpg (12379 bytes)
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Indonesia has 400 volcanoes and a spectrum of landscapes from lush green mountain slopes to waving palms on warm sandy beaches; from rice-fields to rainforests and mountains topped year-round with snow. Off the coast, underwater enthusiasts will discover a colourful submarine world.

The flora ranges from tiny orchids to the giant rafflesia plant which has flowers almost a metre in diameter and is the largest flower in the world. Many other species of plant life can be seen at the Bogor Botanical Gardens.
Sights
The diversity of landscapes and cultures in Indonesia is endless. Aside from nature's spectacular offerings, there is a multitude of temples of the Buddhist and Hindu dynasties.  

Famous structures include the temples of Borobudur, Prambanan and the Dieng Plateau, the palaces of the sultans in Surakarta and Yogyakarta, the Maimum Palace of the Sultanate of Deli in Medan, the Hall of Justice in Bali, as well as the ruins of ancient fortresses and museums, mosques and churches all steeped in folklore and tradition.

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Other sights include the graves of former royalty and of national heroes, and also the war graves of those who died during World War II.

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