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Indonesia:
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Other pages in this profile of Indonesia:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and home to the world's largest Muslim population. Current issues include: alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing financial sector reforms, stemming corruption, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, and controlling avian influenza. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, which led to democratic elections in December 2006. Indonesia continues to face a low intensity separatist guerilla movement in Papua. |
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Location |
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean |
Geographic coordinates |
5 00 S, 120 00 E |
Map references |
Southeast Asia |
Area |
total: 1,919,440 sq km land: 1,826,440 sq km water: 93,000 sq km |
Area - comparative |
slightly less than three times the size of Texas |
Land boundaries |
total: 2,830 km border countries: Timor-Leste 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km |
Coastline |
54,716 km |
Maritime claims |
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Climate |
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
Terrain |
mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m |
Natural resources |
petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver |
Land use |
arable land: 11.03% permanent crops: 7.04% other: 81.93% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
45,000 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards |
occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires |
Environment - current issues |
deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires |
Environment - international agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note |
archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |