Indonesia Overview
The Republic of Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world comprising
17,504 large and small tropical islands fringed with white sandy beaches, many
still uninhabited and a number even still unnamed. Straddling the equator,
situated between the continents of Asia and Australia and between the Pacific
and the Indian Oceans, it is as wide as the United States from San Francisco to
New York, equaling the distance between London and Moscow. Indonesia has a total
population of more than 215 million people from more than 200 ethnic groups. The
national language is Bahasa Indonesia.
Among the most well known islands are Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan (formerly
Borneo), Sulawesi (formerly Celebes), the Maluku Islands (or better known as
Moluccas, the original Spice Islands) and Papua. Then, there is Bali “the
world’s best island resort” with its enchanting culture, beaches, dynamic dances
and music. But Indonesia still has many unexplored islands with grand mountain
views, green rainforests to trek through, rolling waves to surf and deep blue
pristine seas to dive in where one can swim with dugongs, dolphins and large
mantarays.
Because of her location, and geology, Indonesia is blessed with the most diverse
landscape, from fertile ricelands on Java and Bali to the luxuriant rainforests
of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, to the savannah grasslands of the
Nusatenggara islands to snow-capped peaks of West Papua.
Her wildlife ranges from the prehistoric giant Komodo lizard to the Orang Utan
and the Java rhino, to the Sulawesi anoa dwarf buffalos, to birds with exquisite
plumage like the cockatoo and the bird of paradise. This is also the habitat of
the Rafflesia the world’s largest flower, wild orchids, an amazing variety of
spices, and aromatic hardwood and a large variety of fruit trees.
Underwater, scientists have found in North Sulawesi the prehistoric coelacanth
fish, a “living fossil” fish, predating the dinosaurs living some 400 million
years ago, while whales migrate yearly through these waters from the South Pole.
Here are hundreds of species of colourful coral and tropical fish to admire.
| Indonesia Overview | |
|---|---|
|
• Climate |
• Language |
folder_open Indonesia Tourism