Indonesia (i/ˌɪndəˈniːʒə/ IN-də-NEE-zhə
or /ˌɪndoʊˈniːziə/ IN-doh-NEE-zee-ə;
Indonesian: [ɪndonesia]), officially the Republic
of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia [rɛpublik ɪndonesia]), is a unitary sovereign state and transcontinental
country located mainly in Southeast Asia with some territories in Oceania. Situated between the Indian and Pacific oceans, it is the world's largest island country, with more than seventeen
thousand islands.[10] At 1,904,569 square kilometres
(735,358 square miles), Indonesia is the world's 14th-largest
country in terms of land area and world's 7th-largest
country in terms of combined sea and land area.[11] It has an estimated population of
over 260 million people and is the world's fourth most populous country, the most populous Austronesian
nation, as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country.[12] The world's most populous
island, Java, contains more than half of the country's
population.
Indonesia's republican form of government includes an elected legislature
and president. Indonesia has 34 provinces,
of which five have Special Administrative status. Its capital and country's
most populous city is Jakarta, which is also the most
populous city in Southeast Asia and the second in Asia.[13][14] The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern part of Malaysia. Other neighbouring countries include Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, Palau,
and the Indian territory of the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands. Despite its large population and densely populated
regions, Indonesia
has vast areas of wilderness that support the world's second highest
level of biodiversity. The
country has abundant natural resources like oil
and natural gas, tin,
copper and gold.
Agriculture
mainly produces rice, palm oil, tea,
coffee, cacao, medicinal plants, spices
and rubber.[15] Indonesia's major trading partners
are Japan, United States, China
and the surrounding countries of Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.
The Indonesian archipelago
has been an important region for trade since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China
and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign
cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu
and Buddhist
kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history
has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders and Sufi scholars brought the now-dominant Islam,[16][17] while European powers brought Christianity
and fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half
centuries of Dutch colonialism
starting from Amboina and Batavia,
and eventually all of the archipelago including Timor
and Western New Guinea,
at times interrupted by Portuguese,
French and British rule, Indonesia secured its
independence after World War II.
Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic
and linguistic groups,
with the largest—and politically dominant—ethnic group being the Javanese. The population is unevenly spread
throughout the islands within a variety of habitats and levels of development, ranging from the megalopolis of Jakarta to uncontacted tribes
in the east.[18] A shared identity has developed, defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious
pluralism within a Muslim-majority population, and a history of colonialism and
rebellion against it. Indonesia's
national motto, "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika"
("Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"),
articulates the diversity that shapes the country. Indonesia's economy
is the world's 16th
largest by nominal GDP and the 8th
largest by GDP at PPP, the
largest in Southeast Asia, and
is considered an emerging market
and newly
industrialised country. Indonesia has been a member of the United Nations since 1950.[b] Indonesia was an organizer of the Bandung Conference[19] and was the founder of Non-Aligned Movement;
and also the founding member of Association
of Southeast Asian Nations, Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation, East Asia Summit, and Organisation
of Islamic Cooperation. Indonesia is a member of the G20
major economies and World Trade
Organization.
