Traveling To INDONESIA

Here is Indonesia in the big picture.

Now, let's take a closer look at the country of Indonesia...

Indonesia is surrounded by 2 Continents: Australia and Asia; and 2 oceans: the Indian and the Pacific Ocean.
It is bordered by Malaysia and Papua New Guinea.

Indonesia is an archipelago, meaning it is comprised by lots of islands. As the matter of fact, it has more than 13,000 islands, 6,000 of which are inhabited.
The country streches approximately 5,600 km (3,500 miles) from the west to the east. The total land area is more than 1.9 million sq.km (770 thousand sq.miles).

The five largest islands are (from left to right): Sumatera, Java, Kalimantan (used to be called Borneo), Sulawesi, and Irian Jaya.

Sumatera accounts for 25% of Indonesia's total land area. Besides its importance in contributing to Indonesia's economy, it is known for its various animal life.

Often called as the "land of opportunity" most probably because the capital city of Jakarta lies here, approximately 63% of the population make their home in Java. It becomes the most densely populated island as well as the most modern island in Indonesia. However, agricultural area such as paddy farms and volcanoes, some of which are still active, can still be found in Java. Here are pictures of GUNUNG BROMO (Mt.Bromo), which is a favorite place to see the sunrise, and CANDI BOROBUDUR, one of the seven wonders in the world.

Many area of Kalimantan is still untouched and undeveloped. However, anybody looking for adventure of rain forests and wildlife, this is the place to go.

Sulawesi is known for its beautiful underwater views. With its clear water surrounding the island, diving becomes the favorite activity for tourists.

Irian Jaya is the least densed island in Indonesia. Although it accounts for 22% of the country's land area, only about 1% of the population live there.

BALI

Many of you may have heard about the island of Bali with its beautiful beaches and unique culture. Well...Bali is indeed a part of Indonesia! Located just next to Java, this beautiful small island of Bali is probably more recognized than the name 'Indonesia'.

Unlike the majority of Indonesians whose religion is Islam , most people in Bali believe in Hinduism. The unique architecture of the temples as well as observing the way people worship make these temples as points of interest for many tourists. Here is a picture of PURA BESAKIH (i.e. Besakih temple) in Bali.

CLIMATE

Well, if you like sun, you are definetely in the right place. As you can see from the map of Indonesia above, Indonesia is located along the equator. This means Indonesia has tropical climate (high humidity and temperature).

Basically there are only 2 seasons: the dry (May through September) and the wet season (October through April). Average temperature throughout the year ranges between 20 and 33 degree Celcius (68 and 92 degree Fahrenheit).

PEOPLE AND CULTURE

With its population of over than 200 million, Indonesia ranks fifth of the most populous countries in the world.

Indonesia is broken down to 27 autonomous provinces in which there are approximately 365 ethnic and tribal groups, speaking in 583 dialects. Imagine how rich Indonesian culture is with its various different ethnic and tribal groups! Indonesians are joined together by the unifying official language: BAHASA INDONESIA (Indonesian language). Indonesia's motto is Unity in Diversity.

Although the Indonesian Constitution recognizes freedom of religion, every Indonesian is required to have one religion. Five religions are acknowleged by the government: Islam, Protestan, Catholic, Hindu, Buddha. 87% of the population are Muslim, 6% Protestan, 3% Catholic, 2% Hindu (mostly in Bali), 1% Buddhist, and 1% other.

MORE INFORMATION....

To know more about Indonesia, here are some links that I've found useful:

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