Brazil. Nigeria. Russia. Mexico. Japan. These are some big names as far as countries go. But what if I told you that Indonesia is more populated than all of them? For whatever reason, the archipelago nation can be an afterthought, an Asian beast that tends to float under the radar. So it’s time to set things straight. Here are 10 facts about Indonesia to get you rolling.
1
With a population of about 276 million, Indonesia is the fourth most-populated country in the world. Over half its population lives on one island, namely Java. That island is home to the country’s capital of Jakarta, which, depending on the exact borders used, is sometimes listed as the second most-populous urban area (over 30 million) in the world after Tokyo.
2
The number of islands comprising Indonesia seems to be up for debate, but the country itself says it has 17,508, of which about 6,000 are inhabited. From east to west, the archipelago spans about 3,200 miles (or one-eighth the circumference of Earth), and the total land area makes it the 14th largest nation in the world. The country is divided into 34 provinces, five of which have special status (a greater degree of autonomy). It shares land borders with Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor. Here’s a map.
3
When it comes to describing Indonesia’s history, heterogeneous and assorted are a couple words that come to mind. In the most oversimplified form possible, the native Melanesians were confined to the eastern islands by the Austronesians, who came from Taiwan. Enter years of Hindu and Buddhist influences from India starting early in the Common Era, followed in the 13th-16th centuries by the introduction of Islam thanks to traders and missionaries. Next came the Europeans, first the Portuguese and then the Dutch (with a dose of the British mixed in). Independence was declared from the Netherlands in 1945 (after a World War II invasion by Japan) and achieved in 1949.
4
About 86 percent of the country adheres to Islam, placing Indonesia in competition with Pakistan for the title of most populous Muslim-majority country in the world.
5
The official language of the country is Indonesian, known as bahasa Indonesia, which is a standardized form of Malay that over the years has absorbed regional history in the form of loanwords from a variety of languages such as Sanskrit, Arabic, Dutch, English, and Javanese. It is not uncommon for residents to speak a local language, Indonesian (which serves as a lingua franca for the nation), and English (in larger cities). Estimates suggest that the country has over 700 living languages, which is not surprising given the presence of over 1,300 ethnic groups.
6
Indonesia has the 16th largest nominal GDP in the world. When adjusted for for purchasing power parity, the country jumps to number seven, but if this number is expressed per capita, the nation plummets to number 98.
7
Indonesia lies on the Ring of Fire, the horseshoe-shaped belt on the rim of the Pacific Ocean that accounts for the majority of Earth’s volcanoes and earthquakes. The country has around 130 active volcanoes, and it unfortunately accounted for about 170,000 of the approximately 230,000 deaths caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
8
The most popular sport in Indonesia is arguably…badminton. In fact, of Indonesia’s 37 total Olympic medals (through 2021), 21 have been in badminton, with 15 being in weightlifting and one in archery. All eight of the country’s gold medals have been accounted for by the shuttlecock.
9
After Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia, Indonesia is the fourth largest coffee producer in the world, with the plants having been brought over by the Dutch from the Middle East in the late-17th century. So the next time you down a Sumatra, remember that’s actually the name of the Indonesian island from which the coffee originated.
10
When a country is made up of a potpourri of ethnic groups, languages, islands, and history, you know its music can be nothing but eclectic. Here’s a song by Voice of Baceprot (VoB), an all-female, hijab-wearing, Muslim heavy metal band. The lyrics are in Sundanese and English and gently comment upon the educational system.
If you’re looking to turn these facts about Indonesia into an experience, go ahead and set up that badminton net you haven’t used in years. Then make some Indonesian fried rice (you can pretty much put whatever in it) and grab a cup of java. And, of course, don’t forget to blast some VoB.
2 Responses
Very interesting article on Indonesia. About 86% of the population follow the muslim faith, however the island of Bali is an exception where about 87% of its people identify as Hindu (about 1.7% of the total Indonesian population).
Great point. Despite the significant Muslim majority, Indonesia has religious diversity (much like it has diversity in many arenas), and Bali is a great example.