About Indonesia

Indonesia at a Glance

The word of “Indonesia” is coined from Latin word “Indos”, means ‘India’ and “Nesos”, means ‘island’. Both words mean Island of India, or islands existing in India. And event those two words are suitable with Indonesia condition having 17.508 islands, in where about 6.000 islands are occupied which are stretching along 5.510 kilometer between Australia and Asia Continent and divide Pacific and Indian Ocean on the equator line.Indonesia comprising 33 provinces has five big and main islands, namely Sumatera (473.606 km2), Kalimantan 1539,400 km2), Sulawesi (189,216 km2), Papua (421,981 km2), and Java (132,187 km2).

Those five islands are occupied by about 70 % of Indonesian people. Geographically, Indonesia is also grouped into four specific territories. First, Sunda Besar (Big Sunda) Island consisting of Sumatera, Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi.Second, Sunda Kecil (Small Sunda) Island comprising smaller islands ranging from Bali Island to the East territory. Third, Maluku Island covering all islands situated between Irian Jaya and Sulawesi territory. And the last is Irian Jaya, the island situated in the most eastern part of Indonesia.

The capital city of Indonesia is Jakarta, a city with impressive histories and backgrounds. At the beginning, Jakarta was known as a seaport named Sunda Kelapa. The anniversary of Jakarta on 22nd June 1527 was stipulated based on the conquest history of Demak soldiers under the commander Sultan Fatahillah to subjugate the territory from Portuguese. The name of Jayakarta donated by Fatahillah for the conquered territory means “city with big triumph”. But the name of this city was changed from Jayakarta to become Batavia during the Dutch colonial.

As the capital city of the nation, Jakarta also plays role as governmental center, business and industrial hub. The city with 660 kilometer width is occupied by about 8 million populations and now Jakarta is growing as a metropolitan city that reflects the advancement of the nation economic, politic, social and industry.

History of Indonesia

Fossil of “Java Human” or Pithecanthropus Erectus was found in Trinil village, East Java by Dr. Eugene Dubois in 1809 giving rise to assumption that Indonesian land had been occupied since 500,000 thousand years ago.As recorded in the history that extensive migration to the Indonesian islands was known to have occurred in 3.000-5.000 before Gregorian Calendar by Mongoloid tribe from China and Tonkin. This nation brought in new stone culture, bronze, iron and Austronesian language. The arrival of traders mainly from China and India also brought in Hindu and Buddha religion.

The legacy traces of both religions cover Hindu and Buddha temple heritages that were supposedly constructed during the kingdoms epoch. Borobudur temple constructed in Central Java, for instance, is one of the glorious evidence of Buddha and Sriwijaya Kingdom. Other temples like Prambanan, Penataran, and Dieng Plateau were the glorious evidence of Hindu religion in the history of Indonesia. And Islam entered into Indonesia since the arrival of merchants and traders.Second, Sunda Kecil (Small Sunda) Island comprising smaller islands ranging from Bali Island to the East territory. Third, Maluku Island covering all islands situated between Irian Jaya and Sulawesi territory. And the last is Irian Jaya, the island situated in the most eastern part of Indonesia.

After the arrival of Portuguese in 1509, Dutch also invaded to control Indonesia as a colonial region at the beginning of 17th century. Initially Dutch controlled the region via VOC, which was then directly controlled by Dutch government since the beginning of 19th century to the World War II era.By 1942, Japan was the only Asian nation colonizing Indonesia but surrendered in 1945 at the end of the World War II in Asia and also this was the opportunity for Indonesian to proclaim its independence on 17th August 1945.