History: 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.
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
Motto: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity)
National Ideology: Pancasila
Anthem: Indonesia Raya
Flag: Red (bravery) and White (spiritual element)
Government type: Republic
Independence: August 17, 1945
Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
Geographic Coordinators: 5 00 S, 120 00 EE
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
Climate: mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
Natural Resources: petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
Geography: archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean
Population: 237,512,352 (July 2008 est.)
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)
