Introduction to Indonesia

 

 

The Geography

                                                 

Indonesia is the largest archipelago, or cluster of islands, in the world.  According to the International Naval Hydro-Oceanographic office, it is made up of 7,508 islands.  The archipelago lies between the Pacific and the Indian oceans and the two continents, Asia and Australia, and this location has influenced the culture, politics, and economy of the country throughout its history. 

 

More specifically, the territory of the Republic of Indonesia stretches from 6°08' north latitude to 11°15' south latitude and from 94°45' to 141°05' east longitude.  This territory includes both the land and the sea.  The sea area, which is 7.9 square kilometers (including an exclusive economic zone) is four times greater than the land area, which is about 1.9 million square kilometers.  The five main islands include Sumatra (473,606 sq km), Java/Madura (132,107 sq km), Kalimantan (539.460 sq km), Sulawesi (189,216 sq km) and Papua (421.981 sq km).

This archipelago is divided into three groups.  The islands of Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, and the nearby small islands lie on the Sunda Shelf, where the sea depth is less than 700 feet.  Papua, which is part of the island of New Guinea, and the Aru Islands lie on the Sahul Shelf, which also has a depth that is less than 700 feet.  Located between these two shelves are the islands of Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Sulawesi.  The sea depth reaches 15,000 feet in this region.

Most of the land in Indonesia is covered with tropical rain forests and mountains.  There are some 400 volcanoes located in Indonesia, and over a hundred of these are active.  As a result of the volcanic eruptions, the land near the volcanoes is fertile and covered with lush vegetation or is used for farmland.  On the islands of Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Bali, Lombok, and Sumbawa, there are mountains with elevations of over 9,000 feet.  The highest mountain is the snow-capped Trikora, which has an elevation of 15,300 feet.  It is located in the Jayawijaya Mountain Range of Papua.  The mountains are the source for the many rivers that flow throughout the country.  On some of the islands, the rivers serve as useful transportation routes. 

The Climate

The temperatures in Indonesia are fairly constant. This is due to the warm waters that make up 81 percent of Indonesia's area. And, since its location is at the equator, the climate is tropical.  The average temperature of the coastal plains is 28° C (about 82° F), and that of the inland and mountainous areas is 26° C (about 79° F).  The average temperature of the higher mountainous region drops to 23° C, or 73° F.  Since the climate is tropical, no only is it warm all year long, but it is also very humid.  The area's relative humidity ranges between 70 and 90 percent.

There are only two seasons in Indonesia: wet and dry.  These seasons are defined by the monsoons, which are the prevailing winds that last for several months. The monsoons from the south and east are dry, so they create the dry season that lasts from June to September. From December to March, the winds blow from the northwest. These monsoons bring the heavy rains of the wet season.  

Since Indonesia is located on the equator, the daylight hours are nearly the same year round. You can expect daylight every day from 6 in the morning until 6 at night.  And since the amount of daylight is the same every day, there is no need for daylight saving time. 

The archipelago of Indonesia stretches across three time zones: Western Indonesia Standard Time, Central Indonesia Standard Time, and Eastern Indonesia Standard Time.  Western Indonesia Time is seven hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  Major cities that are located in this time zone include Sumatra, Java, and eastern Kalimantan.  Central Indonesia Time is eight hours ahead of GMT.  Cities in this time zone include western Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara, and Sulawesi.  The third zone, Eastern Indonesia Time, is nine hours ahead of GMT.  It includes the Malukus and Papua.  So, as you travel west to east in Indonesia, you must move your clock ahead an hour with each zone. The boundaries between the time zones were established in 1988.  The boundary for the western and central time zones is the line that runs north between Java and Bali through the center of Kalimantan.  The border between the central and eastern time zones runs north from the eastern tip of Timor to the eastern tip of Sulawesi. 

The Land

Administrative Divisions

Indonesia is divided into 33 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), which include two special regions (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa) and one special capital city district (daerah khusus ibukota).  These provinces are further sub-divided into districts, sub-districts, villages, and neighborhoods. The provinces include the following: Aceh, Bali, Bengkulu, Papua, DKI Jakarta, Jambi, West Java, East Java, Central Java, South Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Lampung, Maluku, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Riau, Riau Island, South Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Gorontato, North Maluku, West Irian Jaya, North Sumatra, South Sumatra, West Sumatra, Banten, Bangka Belitung, and Yogyakarta.

The National Monumen

New Provinces

The new regional autonomy laws that took effect on January 1, 2001, created new provinces across the archipelago. The new provinces that were created include North Maluku, Gorontalo, Banten, and Bangka-Belitung.  Papua was split into three provinces as well. The two special regions are Aceh, which is located at the northern tip of Sumatra, and Yogyakarta, which is in Central Java. The special capital city district is Jakarta (DKI).  The former province of East Timor became independent of Indonesia in 1999, after an UN-sponsored referendum was held.

The People

There are close to 500 tribes in Indonesia, and consequently, there are close to 500 languages and dialects spoken in the archipelago.  Indonesia is the fourth most populated country in the world, following after China, India, and the United States of America.  The people of Indonesia are a mix between the native people and the “newcomers” that migrated from the Asian mainland to the south during the Neolithic Period (3000-2000 B.C.)  Indonesian citizenship is governed by the Nationality Act of 1958.  It defines an Indonesian national as a person who meets the qualifications for citizenship since the beginning of independence on August 17, 1945.

Indonesians see themselves first by their ethnic and cultural group and then as Indonesians.  Consequently, their national motto is “Unity in Diversity.”  The glue that binds the people together is their national language, Bahasa Indonesia, as well as their national philosophy, which is known as Pancasila.  This philosophy stresses unity and universal justice for all Indonesians.

The History of Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia was established on August 17, 1945, when its independence was proclaimed just days after the Japanese surrender to the Allies.  On August 18, 1945 the Constitution was adopted as the basic law of the country.

Proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia

From 1601 to 1799, Indonesia was ruled by the Dutch East India Company, and it remained a Dutch colony until 1942.  When World War II broke out in Europe, it spread to the Pacific, and consequently the Japanese occupied the Dutch East Indies until 1945.  On April 1, 1945, American troops landed in Okinawa.  Then on August 6 and 9, the United States dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  A few days later, on August 14, 1945, the Japanese surrendered to the Allied Forces.  This surrender made it possible for the Indonesian people to proclaim their independence.  On August 17, 1945, the Indonesian national leaders, Ir. Soekarno and Dr. Mohammad Hatta, proclaimed Indonesia's independence on behalf of the people in the following brief proclamation: We, the people of Indonesia, do hereby proclaim the Independence of Indonesia.  All matters pertaining to the transfer of Power, etc., will be carried out expediently and in the shortest possible time.   Jakarta, August 17, 1945.  

 
Ir. Soekarno, accompanied by Dr. Mohammad Hatta, proclaimed the Independence of Indonesia at 10:00 on Friday, August 17, 1945.

The proclamation was heard by thousands of Indonesians throughout the country.  The Indonesian radio personnel were able to broadcast the text by using the transmitters of the Japanese-controlled radio station, JAKARTA Hoso Kyoku.  An English translation of the proclamation was broadcast overseas.

The Religion

Religion in Indonesia became a volatile issue in the early 1990s as a result of the government discouraging religious groups from playing a political role.  Feelings of repression led to riots and conflict between Christians and Muslims.

 

Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. More than 80 per cent of the Indonesians are Muslims, and about 10 per cent are Christians.  Many of Indonesia's Muslims do not follow the practices of their religion, Islam, as strictly as the Muslims in Arab countries.  And, many Indonesians believe in spirits, and therefore they have combined their ancestors’ worship with Islam or Christianity.

People in Bali and western Lombok follow a religion called Bali-Hinduism.  It is based on Hinduism but includes ancient Balinese and Javanese beliefs.  The Bali Hindus worship the spirits of prominent natural features, such as mountains and large trees.  They also honor the spirits of their ancestors, whom they believe are capable of visiting them.  Bali has thousands of Bali-Hindu temples, where many of their religious holidays are celebrated.  These celebrations include colorful dances and dramas

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Buddhism and Hinduism were important religions on the island a hundred years ago, but Indonesia now has relatively few Buddhists and Hindus.  People in some isolated areas still follow the ancient local religions.  In part of Borneo, for example, people worship ancestors, idols, and natural features.  

 

The government respects the religious holidays of Moslems, Christians, and other established religions in Indonesia and has made efforts to reduce tension between the religious groups.  Sunday is the regular weekly holiday in Indonesia, and on Friday, government offices close at 11.30 a.m. to allow the faithful of the Muslim religion to congregate for prayer at the mosque.

The National Heroes of Indonesia

Pattimura, from Saparua, Maluku Island (1817)

During British colonialism, Pattimura joined the army as a sergeant.  In 1817, he led the people of Mollucas in a rebellion against the Dutch.  Unfortunately, there was a traitor among the Mollucas people, and consequently, Pattimura and friends were caught by the Dutch.  On December 16, 1817, he was hanged in front of Victoria Fort in Ambon, the capital city of the province of Maluku.  Many main streets throughout Indonesia bear his name.