Indonesia is located in South East Asia. On the 26th of December 2004 an earthquake struck off the Western coast of Indonesia and caused a tsunami (which killed more than 260,000 people in 14 countries). The Indonesian city of Banda Aceh (on the island of Sumatra) was the city closest to the earthquake’s epicenter (which was in the Indian Ocean). The tsunami caused major damage to the city. There is much more to Indonesia than this. Today’s 10 facts topic on Running Wolf’s Rant is Indonesia. Hope you find these facts insightful.
- Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands in 1945 but it was only acknowledged in 1949.
- According to 2009 estimates Indonesia has a population of 238 million.
- Indonesia is the world’s 16th largest country (based on total land area) and is also the world’s largest Muslim country. An estimated 87% of the population is Muslim.
- Indonesia is comprised of 17,508 islands. Only 6,000 of these islands are inhabited by humans though. The largest islands are Java, Sumatra, New Guinea, Sulawesi and Kalimantan.
- Indonesia is the home of the Javan rhinoceros (which is not found anywhere else in the world). The species is on the Critically Endangered Species list.
- Bali is the most popular tourist destination in Indonesia.
- Jakarta (Indonesia’s capital city) is the 11th largest city in the world with a population of more than 14 million people living in its metropolitan area. More than 9 million people live in the Jakarta urban area.
- The name Indonesia is derived from a Latin word-Indus. Indus means India and the Greek term nesos means islands. The name Indonesia became popular in the year 1900. Indonesia is also known as Tanah Air Kita (meaning “Our Land and Water”).
- Indonesia has quite a diverse culture. +/- 580 languages and dialects are spoken in the country.
- Punkcak jaya is said to be the highest point in Indonesia situated in the highlands of Papua.
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