| Country Profile The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and home to the world's largest Muslim population. Current issues include: alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing financial sector reforms, stemming corruption, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, and controlling avian influenza. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, which led to democratic elections in December 2006. Indonesia continues to face a low intensity separatist movement in Papua. Disputes many refugees from Timor-Leste who left in 2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; a 1997 treaty between Indonesia and Australia settled some parts of their maritime boundary but outstanding issues remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002 left the sovereignty of Unarang rock and the maritime boundary in the Ambalat oil block in the Celebes Sea in dispute; the ICJ decision has prompted Indonesia to assert claims to and to establish a presence on its smaller outer islands; Indonesia and Singapore continue to work on finalization of their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining unresolved areas north of Indonesia's Batam Island; Indonesian secessionists, squatters, and illegal migrants create repatriation problems for Papua New Guinea; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait; maritime delimitation talks continue with Palau; Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to Ashmore Reef; Australia has closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catches
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Population and Demographics
Indonesia has a population of 237,512,355 (July 2008 est.) .
| Capital | Jakarta |
| Main urban areas | Bandung, Jayapura, Medan, Palembang, Surabaya |
| Ethnic groups | Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26% |
| Languages spoken | Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese |
| Population age 0-14: 28.4% (m 34,343,198/f 33,175,135) |  | | |
| 0-14 | 15-64 | 65+ | |
| Gender ratios At birth: 1.05 m/f , 0-14: 1.04 m/f , 15-64: 1.01 m/f , 65+: 0.8 m/f | |||
Changing Population (Life expectancy, births, deaths and fertility)
The population growth rate for Indonesia is 1.175% (2008 est.) (world growth rate at 2006 is 1.14%). The country also saw migration of -1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.). The median age of the country is total: 27.2 years male: 26.7 years female: 27.7 years (2008 est.).
Note: on the graphs, world figures are represented by a red bar, figures for Indonesia are illustrated with a green bar.
| Life Expectancy: | Total population: 70.46 years Male: 67.98 years Female: 73.07 years (2008 est.) |  [70.46] [64.77][Male:, m] [63.16, m][, f][66.47, f] |
| Fertility: | 2.34 children born/woman (2008 est.) | [2.34][2.59] |
| Births: | 19.24 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) | [19.24][20.05] |
| Deaths: | 6.24 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) | [6.24][8.67] |
| Infants: | Total: 31.04 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 36.14 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 25.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) | [31.04][48.87][36.14, m][50.98, m][25.68, f][46.65, f] |
Geographic Data
Indonesia is located in Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, in the timezone GMT 7 to 9. The country has boundaries of 2,830 - East Timor 228, Malaysia 1,782, Papua New Guinea 820 (km), and a coastline of 54,716 (km). Major urban areas: Jakarta, Bandung, Jayapura, Medan, Palembang, Surabaya.
Elevations
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m
Physical Features
Awu volcano, Krakatoa, Tambora volcano, Galunggung volcano
Hazards
Occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires
Climate
Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Natural Resources
Petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
Land Use
Arable land: 11.03% permanent crops: 7.04% other: 81.93% (2005)
Renewable Water Resources
2,838 cu km (1999)
Fresh Water Withdrawal
total: 82.78 cu km/yr (8%/1%/91%) per capita: 372 cu m/yr (2000)
Environmental Issues
Deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires
Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has been undergoing significant economic reforms under President SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO. Indonesia’s debt-to-GDP ratio has been declining steadily, its foreign exchange reserves are at an all-time high of over $50 billion, and its stock market has been one of the three best performers in the world in 2006 and 2007, as global investors sought out higher returns in emerging markets.
The government has introduced significant reforms in the financial sector, including tax and customs reforms, the introduction of Treasury bills, and improved capital market supervision. Indonesia’s new investment law, passed in March 2007, seeks to address some of the concerns of foreign and domestic investors. Indonesia still struggles with poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, a complex regulatory environment, and unequal resource distribution among regions. Indonesia has been slow to privatize over 100 state-owned enterprises, several of which have monopolies in key sectors.
The non-bank financial sector, including pension funds and insurance, remains weak. Capital markets are underdeveloped. The high global price of oil in 2007 increased the cost of domestic fuel and electricity subsidies, and are contributing to concerns about higher food prices. Located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" Indonesia remains vulnerable to volcanic and tectonic disasters. Significant progress has been made in rebuilding Aceh after the devastating December 2004 tsunami, and the province now shows more economic activity than before the disaster.
Unfortunately, Indonesia suffered new disasters in 2006 and early 2007 including: a major earthquake near Yogyakarta, an industrial accident in Sidoarjo, East Java that created a "mud volcano," a tsunami in South Java, and major flooding in Jakarta, all of which caused additional damages in the billions of dollars. Donors are assisting Indonesia with its disaster mitigation and early warning efforts.
Debt and Aid
Debt: $140.7 billion (31 December 2007)
Aid Given: N/A
Aid Received: ODA, $2.524 billion (2006 est.) note: Indonesia ended 2006 with $67 billion in official foreign debt (about 25% of GDP), with Japan ($25 billion), the World Bank ($8.5 billion) and the Asian Development Bank ($8.4 billion) as the largest creditors; about
Labour Force
Number in labour force: 109.9 million (2007 est.)
Sectors: agriculture: 43.3% industry: 18% services: 38.7% (2004 est.)
Unemployment: 9.6% (2007 est.)
GDP Facts and Figures
Currency: Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
GDP: $837.8 billion (2007 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $3,700 (2007 est.)
GDP Real Growth: 6.3% (2007 est.)
GDP Composition: agriculture: 13.8% industry: 46.7% services: 39.4% (2007 est.)
Production Growth Rate: 4.7% (2007 est.)
Industries, Land Use and Resource Consumption
Industries: petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism
Land use: arable land: 11.03% permanent crops: 7.04% other: 81.93% (2005)
Exports: oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber
Electricity Consumption: 108 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Natural Gas Consumption: 37.5 billion cu m (2006 est.)
Oil Consumption: 1.1 million bbl/day (2006 est.)
A selection of key transport and communications information for Indonesia
Number of main telephone lines
14.821 million (2006)
Mobile (cellular) phones
63.803 million (2006)
Radio stations
AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)
Television stations
54 local TV stations (11 national TV networks; each with their own group of local transmitters) (2006)
Internet users
16 million (2005)
Country internet code
.id
Railways
total: 6,458 km narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)
Highways
total: 368,360 km paved: 213,649 km unpaved: 154,711 km (2002)
Waterways
21,579 km (2005)
Pipelines
condensate 850 km; condensate/gas 128 km; gas 8,506 km; oil 7,472 km; oil/gas/water 66 km; refined products 1,329 km (2004)
Ports and harbours
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok
Airports
652 (2007)
17 (2007)
