This is Indonesia

Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world that has 17,508 islands. Indonesia lies between 6 degrees north latitude to 11 degrees south latitude, and from 97 degrees to 141 degrees east longitude and is located between two continents, Asia and Australia / Oceania. This strategic position has a huge influence on cultural, social, political, and economic.Indonesia's territory extends along 3.977 mile between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

When the waters between the islands combined, the area of ​​Indonesia menjadi1.9 million square miles,Five major islands in Indonesia are: Sumatera with an area of ​​473,606 square km, Java with an area of ​​132,107 square km, Borneo (the third largest island in the world) with an area of ​​539,460 square km, Sulawesi, with an area of ​​189,216 square km, and Papua with an area of ​​421.981 square km.

GEOLOGICAL HISTORY

Indonesian islands formed in the Miocene Epoch (12 million years BC);

Palaeocene (70 million years BC), Eocene (30 million years BC); Oligacene (25 million years BC). In connection with the arrival of people from the mainland Asia, Indonesia is believed to have existed in the Pleistocene (4 million years BC). The islands are formed along the lines of the strong influence the changes in Australian and Pacific tectonic plates. Lamellar Australia changed slowly rose into the lane Pacific plate, which moves to the south, and between these lines terbentanglah islands of Indonesia.

This makes Indonesia as one of the most changing geological regions in the world. Mountains are located in the islands of Indonesia consists of more than 400 volcanoes, of which 100 are still active. Indonesia experiences three vibrations in the day, an earthquake at least once a day and at least once a volcanic eruption in the year.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Indonesia's population can be divided broadly into two groups. In the western part of the Indonesian population is mostly ethnic Malays while the east is a tribe in Papua, which has roots in the islands of Melanesia. Many of Indonesia's population stating themselves as part of a specific ethnic group, which is divided by language and region of origin, such as Javanese, Sundanese or Batak.There was also a minority population including immigrants who are ethnic Chinese, Indians and Arabs. They have long come to the archipelago with a trade route since the 8th century BC and settled into a part of the archipelago. In Indonesia, there are about 3% ethnic Chinese population. This figure varies because it is only in the 1930's the last time the government conducted a census to classify Indonesian society into tribes and descendants.Islam is the majority religion that is embraced by an estimated 85.2% of Indonesia's population, making Indonesia the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. The rest are Protestants (8.9%), Catholic (3%), Hinduism (1.8%), Buddhists (0.8%) and others (0.3%).Most of the population of Indonesia recalled in regional languages ​​as their mother tongue, but the official language of Indonesia, Indonesian language, taught in all schools in the state and controlled by virtually the entire population of Indonesia.

POLITICS

As well as in other democratic countries, Indonesia's political system was based on the Trias Politica that the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Legislative power is held by an organization called the People Permusyawatan Assembly (MPR), which consists of two bodies namely the Parliament whose members consist of representatives of political parties and DPD members representing the province in Indonesia. Each region is represented by the 4 people who elected directly by the people in their respective regions.

People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is the highest state institution. MPR membership changed after the 1945 amendment in the period 1999-2004. All members of the Assembly are members of Parliament plus members of the DPD (Regional Representatives Council). Previously, members of the Assembly are all members of the House of Representatives plus group representatives. Assembly members currently consists of 550 members of the House of Representatives and 128 members of the DPD. DPR and DPD members elected by popular vote and was sworn in a period of five years. Since 2004, the Assembly is a bicameral parliament, after the creation of the DPD as a second bedroom.

The executive is centered on the president, vice president, and the cabinet. Cabinet in Indonesia is that Presidenstil Cabinet ministers responsible to the president and do not represent the political parties in parliament.The judicial institution since the reform and the amendment of the 1945 Constitution is run by the Supreme Court, including the administration of the Judges.PROVINCESIndonesia has 33 provinces (including 2 Special Region (DI) and a Special Capital Region (DKI). Both are DI Aceh and Yogyakarta Special Region, while capital is Rizal. Before 1999, East Timor is one of the provinces in Indonesia, which is then split by referendum to the State of Timor-Leste.List of Provinces in Indonesia

Sumatra

(Aceh | North Sumatra | West Sumatra | Bengkulu | Riau | Riau Islands | Jambi | South Sumatra | Lampung | Island Pacific Islands)

Java

(Jakarta | West Java | Bantam | Central Java | Yogyakarta | East Java

Borneo

West Kalimantan | Central Kalimantan | South Kalimantan | East Kalimantan)

Nusa Tenggara

(Bali | Lombok | East Nusa Tenggara)

Sulawesi

(West Sulawesi | North Sulawesi | Central Sulawesi | South Sulawesi | Southeast Sulawesi | Gorontalo )

Moluccas and Papua

(Maluku | North Maluku | West Papua | Papua)

ECONOMY

Indonesia's economic decline in the late 1990s due to the economic crisis that hit most parts of Asia at that time. The economy has now been fairly stable at this time.Indonesia has vast natural resources outside Java, including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper and gold. Indonesia is the second largest natural gas exporter in the world, although lately it has become a net importer of crude oil. Major agricultural products include rice, tea, coffee, spices and rubber.Indonesia's largest trading partners are Japan, the United States and its neighboring countries, namely Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.Although rich in natural and human resources, Indonesia is still facing major problems in the field of poverty largely due to rampant corruption in the government.Indonesia's central bank is the Bank Indonesia.

ART CULTURES

Type of art in Indonesia is heavily influenced by several cultures. Traditional Javanese and Balinese are known, for example, contain aspects of Hindu culture and mythology.There are also many dance that contains the values ​​of Islam. Some of them can be found in areas such as Sumatra and Meusukat Saman Dance from Aceh Seudati.Besides well-known in the world is the shadow puppets featuring stories of mythological events. The art of verse, couplets, etc. from various areas such as Malay poem, and poem-poem more often used in certain events ie events, performing arts, and others.In the field of cultural heritage fashion is famous throughout the world is batik. Some areas are known for its batik industry include Yogyakarta, Solo, and Pekalongan.Pencak Silat is a unique martial art that originated in Indonesia. This martial art is sometimes displayed at events are usually followed by performances of traditional Indonesian music such as gamelan and other traditional musical arts according to region of origin.Musical arts in Indonesia, both traditional and modern so many stretches from Sabang to Merauke.

Traditional music as well as Java keroncong recognized by almost all the people of Indonesia, but it is more powerful in the face song in Indonesia which later modern art dangdut songs. Dangdut is Indonesia one of the music that has been unpopular in the archipelago, which combined elements of music from Malay, Indian, and Indonesian traditional music. Named dangdut because the music is heard is the sound of "dang" and "dut" dangdut music and more dominated by the sound of drums and flutes. Dangdut songs are usually sung by pedangdut with rocking a sexy and graceful adjusted to the tempo of the song.

There are various style of music Dangdut, among others dangdut Malay, Dangdut Modern (dangdut present a musical instrument has been coupled with modern instrument), and dangdut Coastal (dangdut songs traditional Javanese, Sundanese, etc.). In the 70's, better known as dangdut genre Malay orchestra, which was then in the early 80's he is better known as dangdut.Indonesia consists of distinct ethnic groups, religions and beliefs. such as Jawa (Javanese), Batak, Karo, Minangkabau, Malay, Sundanese, Buginese (Bugis), Makassar, Mandar, Toraja, Asmat and many more. There are many recognized religions in Indonesia, namely Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism belief even now well recognized. But most people prefer to Indonesia Islam as his religion.