INDONESIA

INDONESIA

Republic of Indonesia, abbreviated RI or Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia which crossed the equator and is located between the continents of Asia and Australia and between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world that consists of 13 466 islands, the name commonly used alternative is the nation. With a population of over 237 million people in 2010, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and the largest Muslim country in the world, with more than 207 million people, although officially not an Islamic state. Indonesia is a republic form of government, the House of Representatives, Regional Representatives Council and a directly elected president.

The capital city is Jakarta. Indonesia land borders with Malaysia on the island of Borneo, with Papua New Guinea on the island of Papua and East Timor on the island of Timor (former parts of the province of Indonesia). Other neighboring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, and the union territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India.

Indonesia's history is heavily influenced by other nations. Indonesian archipelago became an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when the kingdom of Sriwijaya in Palembang religion and trade relations with China and India. Kingdoms Hindu and Buddhist has grown in the early centuries AD, followed by the traders who brought Islam, as well as various European powers fought one another to monopolize the spice trade of Maluku during the era of ocean exploration. Having been under the occupation of the Netherlands, Indonesia, which was then called the Dutch East Indies declared its independence at the end of World War II. Furthermore, Indonesia received various obstacles, threats and challenges of natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratization process, and periods of rapid economic change.

From Sabang to Merauke, Indonesia consists of various ethnic, language, and religion. Based ethnic group (race), Indonesia consists of native indigenous peoples namely South Mongoloid / Austronesian and Melanesia where the Austronesian peoples of the largest in number and more inhabit western Indonesia. Based on more specific nation, ethnic Javanese are the largest ethnic group with a population reaching 41.7% of the Indonesian population. Indonesia's national motto, "Unity in Diversity" ("Different but still one"), articulates the diversity that make up the country. Besides having a dense population and vast territory, Indonesia has natural areas that support biodiversity levels in the world's second largest.

 Indonesia is also a member of the United Nations and the only member of that ever came out of the UN, that on January 7, 1965, and rejoined on 28 September 1966 and Indonesia remained declared as a member of the 60th, the same membership since joining Indonesia on 28 September 1950. In addition to the United Nations, Indonesia is also a member of ASEAN, APEC, OIC, G-20 and will be a member of the OECD.