INDONESIA
Indonesia is the largest island state in the world. Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Bali were part of the Asian mainland, New Guinea was part of Australia; this is still visible in the flora and fauna. Indonesia has over 267 million inhabitants. The official language is Bahasa Indonesia. The climate is tropical, with a rainy season and a dry season (April – November). There are active volcanoes. The rainforest has been partly cut down by population growth and economic activities, especially on Java. Raw materials include petroleum, natural gas, bauxite, tin, copper and nickel.
There has been shipping between China and India since the 7th century. In the 16th century Portuguese, British and Dutch traders came to buy spices. Until 1947 Indonesia was a Dutch colony and export products included rice, rubber and sugar. In the Second World War Indonesia was occupied by Japan. Dutch people were interned in camps or put to work as forced labourers. Indonesian nationalists declared independence in 1945.The Netherlands sent soldiers to restore colonial authority but their efforts failed. Indonesia has been independent since December 27, 1949.
Medan and Padang are situated on Sumatra. The island is sparsely populated and covered with rainforest and rubber and palm oil plantations. The nature reserve Gunung Leuser is home to elephants, tigers, bears and orangutans. Lake Toba is located in the crater of a volcano. Dutch fort De Cock is located in Bukittinggi.
Java is home to 124 million people. 86% of the population is Muslim, 8.7% Christian, and Hinduism and Buddhism are also important religions. The capital is Jakarta. Other important cities on Java are Bandung and Surabaya.
Jakarta (formerly Batavia) is a port city and from 1619 to 1799 was home to the headquarters of the United East India Company (V.O.C.) in Asia. The colonial economy relied on slavery. Slaves were collected in India, Burma, Bali and Celebes and, in the 18th century, 60% of the inhabitants were slaves. Batavia was located in an unhealthy swamp so, in the 19th century, Weltevreden was built. The old town with its Dutch colonial architecture and the Chinese quarter are well worth a visit. The town hall was built in 1710 and the Maritime Museum was once a warehouse of the V.O.C.
Bogor (Buitenzorg) is a high altitude resort. The hills have been formed into terraces where rice is grown. The home-grown industries supply krupuk, tempe, palm sugar and coconut products.
Traditional cultural expressions include Javanese dance and Wayang, accompanied by gamelan music, batik textile decoration and woodcarving. There are many batik and silver workshops in villages around Yogyakarta. The Mera volcano is in the vicinity too.
Borobudur (Barabudhur), a Buddhist temple complex from 750 – 850, which was rediscovered in the jungle in 1814, is world famous. It was restored between 1973 and 1984 and has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1991. Prambanan, a Hindu temple, is also well known.
Surabaya in East Java, is the second port city. It was conquered by the Dutch East India Company in 1743. Nowadays, it has more than 3 million inhabitants, and a large Chinese community.
Since the 5th century the island of Bali has been Hindu and you can see little temples and flower sacrifices wherever you go. International tourism started in the 30s in Kuta. Other seaside resorts include Lovina and Jimbaran. There are palm-tree lined beaches on Lombok.
Indonesian cuisine is very varied. In Sumatra the food is spicier, in East Java it is generally sweeter.
$1362,-
| Capital | Jakarta |
|---|---|
| Population | 264.000.000 |
| Language | The official language is Indonesian and there are about 750 regional languages |
| Currency | Indonesian Roepia |
| Visa required | www.visum.nl |
| Vaccination(s) | Vaccination against yellow fever is required. Other vaccinations are recommended. |
| Voltage | 230 V |
| Traffic | Left-hand traffic |
