INDONESIA

Indonesia  is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago, the biggest archipelago in the world. There are 33 provinces and Jakarta as nation's capital city. It has over 238 million people , that’s make this country to be the  fourth most populous country in the world. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia. Indonesian people call they country as Equators Emerald.

     

       

    The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolize trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratization process, and periods of rapid economic change.

      Across its many islands, Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups. About 1128 ethnics, 583 vernaculars and 7 religion in Indonesia and it makes  the country so colorfully with so much culture. Both nature and culture are major components of Indonesian tourism. The natural heritage can boast a unique combination of a tropical climate, a vast archipelago of 17,508 islands, 6,000 of them being inhabited, the third longest shoreline in the world (54,716 km) after Canada and the European Union. It is the worlds largest and most populous country situated only on islands. The beaches in Bali, diving sites in Bunaken, Rinjani Mount in Lombok and various national parks in Sumatra are just a few examples of popular scenic destinations. These natural attractions are complemented by a rich cultural heritage that reflects Indonesia's dynamic history and ethnic diversity. One fact that exemplifies this richness is that 719 living languages are used across the archipelago. The ancient Borobudur and Prambanan temple , Toraja, Yogyakarta, Minangkabau, and of course Bali, with its many Hindu festivities, are some of the popular destinations for cultural tourism.

In next edition we’ll talk about ethnics , culture and tourism destination of each province in Indonesia.