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Introduction | Indonesia

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.

Geography | Indonesia

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)
Internal Renewable Water Resources: | 2,838 cu km (1999)
Freshwater Withdrawal (Domestic/Industrial/Agricultural): | Total: 82.78 cu km/yr (8%/1%/91%) Per capita: 372 cu m/yr (2000)
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

People | Indonesia

Population: | 234,693,997 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 28.7% (male 34,309,176/female 33,148,341) 15-64 years: 65.6% (male 77,132,708/female 76,731,481) 65 years and over: 5.7% (male 5,956,471/female 7,415,820) (2007 est.)
Median age: | total: 26.9 years male: 26.4 years female: 27.4 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate: | 1.213% (2007 est.)
Birth rate: | 19.65 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate: | 6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate: | -1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.035 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.005 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.803 male(s)/female total population: 1.001 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 32.14 deaths/1,000 live births male: 37.39 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 70.16 years male: 67.69 years female: 72.76 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 2.38 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 110,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 2,400 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya are high risks in some locations note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)
Nationality: | noun: Indonesian(s) adjective: Indonesian
Ethnic groups: | Javanese 40.6%, Sundanese 15%, Madurese 3.3%, Minangkabau 2.7%, Betawi 2.4%, Bugis 2.4%, Banten 2%, Banjar 1.7%, other or unspecified 29.9% (2000 census)
Religions: | Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)
Languages: | Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese)
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 90.4% male: 94% female: 86.8% (2004 est.)

Government | Indonesia

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia conventional short form: Indonesia local long form: Republik Indonesia local short form: Indonesia former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies
Government type: | republic
Capital: | name: Jakarta geographic coordinates: 6 10 S, 106 49 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Indonesia is divided into three time zones
Administrative divisions: | 30 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Irian Jaya Barat, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Barat, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Yogyakarta* note: following the implementation of decentralization beginning on 1 January 2001, the 440 districts or regencies have become the key administrative units responsible for providing most government services
Independence: | 17 August 1945 (declared) note: recognized by the Netherlands on 27 December 1949; in August 2005, the Netherlands announced it recognized de facto Indonesian independence on 17 August 1945
National holiday: | Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
Constitution: | August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959; series of amendments concluded in 2002
Legal system: | based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: | 17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Executive branch: | chief of state: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20 October 2004); Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20 October 2004); Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president and vice president were elected for five-year terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote of the citizenry; last held 20 September 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%
Legislative branch: | House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (550 seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House of Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD), constitutionally mandated role includes providing legislative input to DPR on issues affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and impeaching president and in amending constitution; consists of popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate national policy elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P 18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others 19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN 53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50 note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not always follow the percentage of votes received by parties
Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the president from a list of candidates selected by the legislature); a separate Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi was invested by the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Labor Court under supervision of Supreme Court began functioning in January 2006
Political parties and leaders: | Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [MS KABAN]; Democratic Party or PD [Hadi UTOMO]; Functional Groups Party or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA]; Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle or PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri]; National Awakening Party or PKB [MUHAIMIN Iskander]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Sutrisno BACHIR]; Prosperous Justice Party or PKS [Tifatul SEMBIRING]; United Development Party or PPP [Suryadharma ALI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador SUDJADNAN Parnohadiningrat chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 775-5200 FAX: [1] (202) 775-5365 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Cameron R. HUME embassy: Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka Selatan 4-5, Jakarta 10110 mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520 telephone: [62] (21) 3435-9000 FAX: [62] (21) 3435-9922 consulate(s) general: Surabaya
Flag description: | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red

Economy | Indonesia

Economy - overview: | Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has struggled to overcome the Asian financial crisis, and still grapples with persistent poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, endemic corruption, a fragile banking sector, a poor investment climate, and unequal resource distribution among regions. The country continues the slow work of rebuilding from the devastating December 2004 tsunami and from an earthquake in central Java in May 2006 that caused over $3 billion in damage and losses. Declining oil production and lack of new exploration investment turned Indonesia into a net oil importer in 2004. The cost of subsidizing domestic fuel placed increasing strain on the budget in 2005, and combined with indecisive monetary policy, contributed to a run on the currency in August, prompting the government to enact a 126% average fuel price hike in October. The resulting inflation and interest rate hikes dampened growth through mid-2006, while large increases in rice prices pushed millions more people under the national poverty line. Economic reformers introduced three policy packages in 2006 to improve the investment climate, infrastructure, and the financial sector, but translating them into reality has not been easy. Keys to future growth remain internal reform, building up the confidence of international and domestic investors, and strong global economic growth. Significant progress has been made in rebuilding Aceh after the devastating December 2004 tsunami, and the province now shows more economic activity than before the disaster. Unfortunately, Indonesia suffered new disasters in 2006 and early 2007 including: a major earthquake near Yogyakarta, an industrial accident in Sidoarjo, East Java that created a "mud volcano," a tsunami in South Java, and major flooding in Jakarta, all of which caused additional damages in the billions of dollars. Donors are assisting Indonesia with its disaster mitigation and early warning efforts.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $948.3 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $264.7 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 5.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $3,900 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 12.9% industry: 47% services: 40.1% (2006 est.)
Labor force: | 106.4 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 43.3% industry: 18% services: 38.7% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 12.5% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line: | 17.8% (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 34.8 (2004)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 13.1% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 24% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $74.18 billion expenditures: $77.39 billion (2006 est.)
Public debt: | 38.6% of GDP (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products: | rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs
Industries: | petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism
Industrial production growth rate: | 2.6% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production: | 120.3 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 86.9% hydro: 10.5% nuclear: 0% other: 2.6% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 105.3 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2005 est.)
Oil - production: | 1.136 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 1.168 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: | 474,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports: | 424,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: | 4.85 billion bbl (1 January 2006)
Natural gas - production: | 70.78 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 35.97 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 34.8 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 2.656 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance: | $9.686 billion (2006 est.)
Exports: | $102.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities: | oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber
Exports - partners: | Japan 19.4%, Singapore 11.8%, US 11.5%, China 7.7%, South Korea 6.4%, Taiwan 4.2% (2006)
Imports: | $73 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: | Singapore 29.6%, China 11.2%, Japan 8.8%, South Korea 5.3%, Malaysia 4.8% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient: | ODA, $2.524 billion (2006 est.) note: Indonesia ended 2006 with $67 billion in official foreign debt (about 25% of GDP), with Japan ($25 billion), the World Bank ($8.5 billion) and the Asian Development Bank ($8.4 billion) as the largest creditors; about $6 billion in grant assistance was pledged to rebuild Aceh after the December 2004 tsunami; President YUDHYONO ended the Consultative Group on Indonesia forum in January 2007 (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $42.42 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external: | $130.2 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $21.91 billion (2006 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $9.225 billion (2006 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares: | $138.9 billion (2006)
Currency (code): | Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Currency code: | IDR
Exchange rates: | Indonesian rupiah per US dollar - 9,159.3 (2006), 9,704.7 (2005), 8,938.9 (2004), 8,577.1 (2003), 9,311.2 (2002)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Indonesia

Telephones - main lines in use: | 14.821 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 63.803 million (2006)
Telephone system: | general assessment: domestic service fair, international service good domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net; domestic satellite communications system; coverage provided by existing network has been expanded by use of over 200,000 telephone kiosks many located in remote areas international: country code - 62; landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 AND SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks that provide links throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)
Radios: | 31.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 54 local TV stations (11 national TV networks; each with their own group of local transmitters) (2006)
Televisions: | 13.75 million (1997)
Internet country code: | .id
Internet hosts: | 559,359 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 24 (2000)
Internet users: | 16 million (2005)

Transportation | Indonesia

Airports: | 652 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 158 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 49 under 914 m: 39 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 494 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 462 (2007)
Heliports: | 17 (2007)
Pipelines: | condensate 944 km; condensate/gas 135 km; gas 9,175 km; oil 7,684 km; oil/gas/water 89 km; refined products 1,367 km (2006)
Railways: | total: 6,458 km narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (2006)
Roadways: | total: 368,360 km paved: 213,649 km unpaved: 154,711 km (2002)
Waterways: | 21,579 km (2007)
Merchant marine: | total: 965 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,409,198 GRT/5,825,591 DWT by type: bulk carrier 53, cargo 522, chemical tanker 25, container 66, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 44, passenger/cargo 67, petroleum tanker 155, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 11, specialized tanker 8, vehicle carrier 4 foreign-owned: 45 (China 2, France 1, Japan 5, South Korea 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 26, Switzerland 3, Taiwan 2, Thailand 1, UK 3) registered in other countries: 105 (Bahamas 3, Cambodia 1, Hong Kong 7, Liberia 1, Panama 37, Singapore 56, unknown 5) (2007)
Ports and terminals: | Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok

Military | Indonesia

Military branches: | Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, includes marines, naval air arm), Air Force (TNI-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU)), National Air Defense Command (Kommando Pertahanan Udara Nasional, Kohanudnas) note: the TNI is directly subordinate to the president but the government is making efforts to incorporate it into the Department of Defense (2007)
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for selective compulsory and voluntary military service; 2-year conscript service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 45 (2006)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 60,543,028 females age 18-49: 59,981,730 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 48,687,234 females age 18-49: 50,252,911 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males age 18-49: 2,201,047 females age 18-49: 2,139,573 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 3% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues | Indonesia

Disputes - international: | Indonesia has a stated foreign policy objective of establishing stable fixed land and maritime boundaries with all of its neighbors; Timor-Leste-Indonesia Boundary Committee has resolved all but a small portion of the land boundary, but discussions on maritime boundaries are stalemated over sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai in the north and alignment with Australian claims in the south; many refugees from Timor-Leste who left in 2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; a 1997 treaty between Indonesia and Australia settled some parts of their maritime boundary but outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002 left the sovereignty of Unarang rock and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea in dispute; the ICJ decision has prompted Indonesia to assert claims to and to establish a presence on its smaller outer islands; Indonesia and Singapore continue to work on finalization of their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's Batam Island; Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants create repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait; maritime delimitation talks continue with Palau; Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia has closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catches
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | IDPs: 200,000-350,000 (government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi Provinces, and Maluku), 300,000 (December 2006 floods in Aceh regions) (2006)
Illicit drugs: | illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of methamphetamine and ecstasy

This page was last updated on 13 December, 2007