Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania that lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is made up of more than seventeen thousand islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. The archipelago is divided among 34 provinces with Jakarta being the capital city. indonesia has a vast collection of natural resources like tin, gold and oil.
Rafflesia Arnoldii, an indigenous flower to the islands of Sumatra, is the largest individual flower weighing up to 8kgs.
The name “Indonesia” is derived from two words the Latin word Indus meaning “Indian” and the Greek word nesos meaning “island.”
Indonesia is home to about 400 smouldering volcanoes, of which 127 are active right now.
Indonesia located in a region called “The Ring of Fire”, world’s greatest earthquake belt, named because is home to over 400+ active volcanoes.
Islam is the dominant religion in Indonesia.
Indonesia is the biggest shovel importer in the world.
Bahasa Indonesia is the national language of Indonesia.
Indonesia is home to animal species such as Komodo dragons, Sumatran tiger, Sumatran rhinoceros, and Orangutan.
There are over 700 different dialects of Bahasa Indonesia which can be heard in various islands of the country.
Indonesia banned public kissing in 2004.
The national language is similar to Bahasa Malay since it was adopted by national leaders from the Malay language.
Homo sapiens arrived in the region of Indonesia nearby 45,000 years ago.
Java is the most populous island in the world, with over 140 million people.
The national animal of Indonesia is the Komodo dragon.
Indonesia has the fourth-largest population in the world, with over 240 million people.
The Indonesian people are the shortest people in the world.
Ujung Kulon National Park is the natural habitat of the endangered Javan Rhinos with only about 50 of them are left in the entire world.
Indonesia is the only nation with no language legacy.
It is the sixteenth largest country in terms of nominal GDP.
Krakatoa, a volcano in Indonesia, is the site of the largest volcanic eruption ever recorded on August 27, 1883.
The country’s economy mainly relies on its indigenous and foreign companies.
Indonesia discovered 200 new species of animals in 2010.
Indonesia is the world’s leading exporters of frog legs which many European countries like France, Netherlands and Belgium being the major importers.
Indonesia is the third worst emitter of greenhouse gases in the world because of deforestation, peat land degradation, and forest fires.
Indonesia exported more than 4000 tonnes of frog legs to the European Union in 2015.
The first European to visit Indonesia was Marco Polo in 1292.
Mount Tambora is the most volcanic mountain in Indonesia.
One of the longest snake ever found with a length of 10 meters was discovered in Sulawesi, Indonesia in 1912.
Amorphophallus Titanium is the most odorous flower in the world which is native to Sumatra island.
Indonesia is the only Southeast Asian country to have been a member of OPEC, although it left the cartel in 2008 due to the decline in world oil prices.
The first team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in South East Asia was from Indonesia.
Indonesia has the largest Chinese population in the world consisted of Hakka Chinese, Han Chinese, Wu Chinese etc.
Indonesia became the first developing country to operate its indigenously made satellite which was launched by the USA in 1976.
Indonesia ranks fourth among the most visited countries in the world.
The Pasola is a harvesting festival in Sumba, Indonesia. This is one of the most extravagant celebrations because it involves throwing of wooden spears with blunt tips on the rival team members.
Indonesia is also known as the most populous island nation in the world.
Indonesia is the largest producer of palm oil. It overtook Malaysia as the largest palm oil producer in 2006, and it now produces 21 million tonnes of palm oil every year.
Borobudur is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Indonesia.
An Indonesian company Indomie made the Guinness Book of World Record by making the ‘Largest Packet of Instant Noodles’. It had a whopping 665 kgs of noodles.
Indonesia has the second longest coastline in the world after Canada.
Papua Island belonging to the Indonesian island has the most diverse flora and fauna with over 200 animals, 2300 types of different orchids, and 600 breeding birds.
Indonesian President Suharto was the most corrupt leader, according to the 2004 Global Corruption Report.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama spent a part of his childhood in Indonesia. He visited Yogyakarta on the Java island in 2017.
The Grasberg mine located near Puncak Jaya is the largest gold mine in the world.
Indonesia is the world’s 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity.
Indonesia’s national dish is Nasi Campur.
Two individuals with different religions are not allowed to marry in Indonesia, unless one of them converts.
