The
world's largest archipelago, Indonesia's constellation
of islands straddles the divide between the Asian and
Australian continental plates. As a result, the islands
offer a stunning variety of topographies and ecologies
Mist-shrouded volcanoes and mountains, unexplored rain
forests, thousands of miles of beaches, and endless offshore
reefs support a dazzling abundance of wildlife, making
Indonesia an ideal destination for adventure and eco-travel.
The
great majority of the country's constituent islands are
of negligible size, but it does hold--wholly or in part--several
islands that are enormous. These include Sumatra, Kalimantan
(formerly Borneo, and shared with Malaysia), Sulawesi,
and Java. The Indonesian state of Irian Jaya occupies
the western half of New Guinea, which is the world's second
largest island (behind Greenland). The most populous of
the Indonesian islands by far is Java, home to the sprawling
capital city of Jakarta. Other notable islands include
the exotic, popular resort island of Bali, Lombok, Catholic
Flores, and Komodo, home of dragons.
There
are two discernible seasons in Indonesia: the dry season,
which extends from June to October, and the rainy season,
which lasts from November to March. Both are hot. The
coastal regions, however, are often cool, and in the mountains
the air is often chilly.
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Major
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Country Fact*: |
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Full
country name:
Republic of Indonesia
Area: 1,919,440 sq km
Population: 238,452,952
Capital city: Jakarta (pop 9.3 million)
People: There are 365 ethnic and
tribal groups. The principal ones are Acehnese, Bataks,
Minangkabaus (Sumatra); Javanese, Sundanese (Java);
Balinese (Bali); Sasaks (Lombok); and Dani (Irian
Jaya)
Language: Bahasa Indonesia (official,
modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects,
the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Religion: Muslim 88%, Protestant
5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other
1%
Government: Republic
Business Hours:Business hours are
generally 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday,
with additional hours on Friday and Saturday mornings.
Some businesses have a full workday on Fridays, although
Muslim employees will take at least one hour off on
Friday to pray. Saturday hours generally end by 1:00
p.m
Major
industries: Oil, gas, textiles, timber, coffee,
rubber, coal, tin, copper, rice, pepper, palm oil
Major trading partners: Japan, USA,
Singapore, South Korea, China
Internet
domain : .id
International
dialling code : +62
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Calendar of Events*: |
January/February:
1st - New Year's Day
Chinese New Year
March/April:
21th - Kartini Day
Nyepi, Balinese saka New Year
Good Friday and Easter Sunday
May:
Idul Adha (Hajh), Muslim Day of Sacrifice
Waisak Day, anniversary of the birth, death and elightenment
of Buddha
June:
Ascension Day
Muharam, Muslim New Year
July:
Maulid Nabi Muhammad, the anniversary of birth of Mohammed
August:
17th - Independence Day (Hari Proklamasi Kemerdekaan)
celebrates the proclamation of Indonesian Independence
in 1945 by Dr.Sukarno
November:
26-28 th - Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
December:
Ascension Day of Mohammed
25th - Christmas Day
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