Indonesia East Timor map (China-foreign comparison)

Author: Zhou Min, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Indonesia is located in the southeastern part of Asia, spanning the equator, and consists of 13,667 islands between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Approximately 6,000 of these islands are inhabited. The coastline is 35,000 kilometers long. It has a tropical rainforest climate with an average temperature of 25-27°C. During the 3rd to 7th centuries AD, several scattered dynasties were established. In the late 13th to early 14th centuries, Java formed the powerful feudal empire of Majapahit. In the 15th century, it was successively invaded by Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In 1596, the Dutch invaded, and in 1602, the "East India Company" was established with governmental authority, marking the beginning of more than 300 years of colonial rule. In 1942, Japan invaded, and after Japan surrendered in 1945, the August Revolution broke out. On August 17, Indonesia declared independence and established the Republic of Indonesia.
Natural Geography: Located in the southeastern part of Asia, spanning the equator. It consists of 175,088 islands between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, of which approximately 6,000 are inhabited. The land area is 1,904,443 square kilometers, earning it the name "the land of a thousand islands." The territorial sea area is about four times that of the land area. The northern part of Borneo Island borders Malaysia, and New Guinea Island is connected to Papua New Guinea. The northeastern part faces the Philippines, the southeastern part is the Indian Ocean, and the southwest borders Australia. The coastline is 35,000 kilometers long. It has a tropical rainforest climate with an average annual temperature of 25-27°C.
Population: 210 million, making it the world's fourth most populous country, with over 100 ethnic groups. The Javanese account for 47%, the Sundanese for 14%, and the Madurese for 7%. Bahasa Indonesia is the official language. There are approximately 300 ethnic languages and dialects. About 88% of the population practices Islam, making Indonesia the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. 6.1% of the population practices Protestant Christianity, 3.6% practices Catholicism, and the rest follow Hinduism, Buddhism, and animism, among others.
Capital: Jakarta, located on the island of Java; population was 838.5 million (2000).
Administrative Divisions: After East Timor separated from Indonesia in 1999, the Indonesian government divided the provinces of Maluku and Irian Jaya into two and three provinces, respectively, and agreed to some regions establishing new provinces. Currently, there are 32 provinces (first-level administrative regions), including: Aceh Special Region, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, Bengkulu, South Sumatra, Lampung, Jakarta Capital Special Region, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta Special Region, East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, North Maluku, South Maluku, East Irian Jaya, Central Irian Jaya, West Irian Jaya, North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan, Banten Province, Bangka-Belitung Province, and Kolaka Province.
Politics: Indonesia implements a presidential-parliamentary system. The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is the highest state authority, with the power to formulate, amend, and enact the constitution and national policies, as well as to elect the president and vice president. It supervises and evaluates the president's implementation of national policies and can impeach or dismiss the president if they violate the constitution. The MPR has 700 members and serves a five-year term. The House of Representatives (DPR) is the national legislative body, exercising general legislative powers except for drafting and amending the constitution and formulating national policies. The president is the head of state, the highest administrative leader, and the supreme commander of the armed forces. They directly lead the cabinet, have the authority to issue decrees independently, and can declare national emergencies. The president also has the power to declare war or peace.
Economy: Indonesia is rich in resources. Major minerals include oil, natural gas, coal, tin, bauxite, nickel, copper, gold, and silver. Proven mineral reserves include 50 billion barrels of oil and 730 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, making Indonesia a world-renowned liquefied natural gas exporter. It has 36 billion tons of coal, making it a major coal producer in the Asia-Pacific region and a leading coal exporter in the world. Indonesia has abundant geothermal resources, and its rubber and coconut production ranks second in the world. Its palm oil production accounts for 40% of global demand. Forested areas cover 145 million hectares, accounting for 74% of the country's land area. The direction of Indonesia's industrial development is to strengthen export-oriented manufacturing, with major sectors including manufacturing, mining, textiles, light industry, and processing. Including those employed in forestry and fisheries, agricultural workers account for about 55% of the population. Indonesia attaches great importance to tourism, which has become the country's main source of foreign exchange. Major tourist destinations include Bali Island, Borobudur Temple, Indonesia (Miniature Indonesia Park), Yogyakarta Palace, and Lake Toba. Indonesia's tourism industry is well-developed. In 1991, 2.5 million foreign tourists visited Indonesia, an increase of 17.9% from 1990, generating $2.4 billion in revenue, up 85% from $1.3 billion in 1990, ranking third in national income and ranking among the world's top 20 tourism powers. The best time to visit Indonesia is from June to September. The best route is Jakarta-Bandung-Bogor-Yogyakarta-Surabaya, followed by Bali and Lombok.
Bali has a beautiful environment and picturesque scenery, with the active volcanoes of Mount Agung and Mount Batur, and numerous historical and cultural sites. Bali is famous for its numerous temples, with over 4,000 now standing, the most famous being the Uluwatu Temple. Bali has become a world-renowned tourist destination. Surakarta is located on the upper reaches of the Solo River in the west of Mount Lawu in central Java. The city is famous for its traditional Javanese batik and traditional dances accompanied by Gamelan music. It is an ancient city with historic buildings, including the palace. It is well-connected and has a cool climate. Semarang is a major city in northern Central Java and Indonesia's third-largest port. The city has many Chinese-style buildings. The famous Sam Po Temple in the western suburbs was built to commemorate the Chinese navigator Zheng He. The temple houses a full-body statue of Sam Po and the "Sam Po Well."
Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of Indonesia, developed from Malay. There are also over 200 ethnic languages and dialects, such as Javanese and Sundanese. 86.9% of the population practices Islam, 6.5% practices Christianity, and 3.1% practices Catholicism. Additionally, there are followers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and animism, among others.