An Introduction to Indonesia
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. Current issues include: alleviating widespread poverty, preventing terrorism, continuing the transition to popularly-elected governments after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing reforms of the banking sector, addressing charges of cronyism and corruption, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, and resolving armed separatist movements in Aceh and Papua.
Map of Indonesia ( Location ) : 5 00 S, 120 00 E, Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
For additional reports and educational information specific to Indonesia, refer to the Country Info menubar to the upper right.
The Indonesian Flag
Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red.
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Rankings of The Most Populous Countries in the World.
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Some interesting facts and figures about Indonesia.
Pop Growth Rate / Year:
• 1.49%
Avg. Life Expectancy:
• 66.84 yrs - Male
• 71.8 yrs - Female
Phone Lines:
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7.75 million (2002)
Televisions:
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13.75 million (1997)
Radios:
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31,500,000 (1997)
Internet Code:
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.id
Did you know ... People from Indonesia are called Indonesians
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