At a glance

Official Name:
Republic of Indonesia

Capital: Jakarta

Population: 222,781,000

Languages: Indonesian

Religion: Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%

Life Expectancy:
Male: 66     Female: 69

Currency: Rupiah (IDR)

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):
$960 billion

National Holidays:
Independence Day (17 August)

Industries: Machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, food.

Indonesia
Indonesia, comprised of over 17,000 islands, is the world’s largest archipelago, spanning from Southeast Asia to Australia. It also has the fourth largest population in the world, falling behind only China, India, and the United States.

Since its independence in 1945, Indonesia has mostly been under the control of military leaders, namely Generals Sukarno and Suharto. Much of this time was characterized by shaky economic growth. However, Indonesia has been a democracy since 1998, when Suharto stepped down from office, leading to its first popular presidential election in 2004. While political and economic unrest, coupled with terrorism, have slowed its growth, Indonesia has steadily increased its role in tourism and the world economy in recent years.