Largest Cities in Indonesia

Facts about Indonesia

Official languages: Indonesian, English, Dutch, Javanese
Capital: Jakarta
Area: 1,919,440 km²
Population: 243.0 million residents
Population density: 126.58 residents per km²
Currency: IDR
Internet TLD: .id
ISO : ID, IDN, 360
The prefix for Indonesia is +62

Flag of Indonesia

The flag of Indonesia, which is very similar to the flag of Monaco, was adopted after independence in 1945. It is composed of two horizontal stripes, the upper one being red and the lower one being white. The colors may refer to the widely used cotton and a red dye made from mollusc shells. Another interpretation speaks of the duality of heaven-earth, purity-justice or courage-freedom. The flag originated around the 13th century, when Indonesia was ruled by the Majapahit royal dynasty. It reappeared during the struggles against Dutch rule. It is unofficially called “Sang Saka Merah Putih”, which translates to “The Noble Red and White Flag”.

Indonesia (Indonesian Indonesia) is a republic and with more than 17,500 islands the world’s largest island nation. The name Indonesia is made up of the Latin word indus for India and the Greek word nesos for island. Indonesia is largely part of the Asian continent, but its part of the country on the island of New Guinea belongs to the Australian continent. Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and volcanic eruptions occur again and again, with sometimes devastating consequences.

With around 240 million residents, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world. Islam is not the state religion, but with around 200 million Muslims, Indonesia is the state with the largest Muslim population in the world. In total, almost 360 different peoples live in Indonesia, most of whom are of Malay origin. The population density is very different on the Indonesian islands. If the population density on the Indonesian part of Borneo is between 10 and 100 residents / km², it is highest on Java with over 1,000 residents / km². The most densely populated provinces Jakarta and Yogyakarta are also located there.

Indonesia is one of the largest rainforest areas in the world and is characterized by a special biodiversity. In addition to valuable forest ecosystems, Indonesia is also home to large stocks of tropical corals. Numerous nature conservation organizations from Indonesia and western countries are committed to the preservation of nature on site. Nevertheless, 2 million hectares of primeval forest are currently being cleared annually in Indonesia, mainly in the lowland rainforest of Sumatra, and converted into palm oil plantations.

The economy of Indonesia is based on the principle of the market economy, but is influenced in many places by the government. Some large corporations are state-owned. Many multinational companies take advantage of Indonesia’s natural wealth and have offices here. Tourism is an important source of income for the country. Bali alone is visited by around four million tourists each year, mainly from Australia, the USA and Europe. However, tourism in Indonesia has suffered significant losses in recent years due to bomb attacks on Bali and repeated terror warnings.

The Republic of Indonesia was proclaimed on August 17, 1945 and independent from the Netherlands on December 27, 1949. After independence, the military ruled for three decades until a democratically elected government took power after the fall of the corrupt Suharto regime in 1998. In the outlying areas, the previously violently suppressed demands for autonomy arose and brought new violence with them. East Timor, annexed by Indonesia in 1976, voted for independence in 1999 and became a sovereign state in 2002 (see Timor-Leste ). Since the 2004 elections, Indonesia has been recognized as a democratic state in the world.

Biggest Cities of Indonesia by Population

Indonesia is an archipelagic country located in the Malay-Indonesian archipelago, with a population of over 267 million people. Its capital city is Jakarta which is the largest city in Indonesia and home to more than 10 million people. The city has a vibrant atmosphere with its many shopping malls, street markets and nightlife venues.

Other major cities in Indonesia include Surabaya which is known as the ‘City of Heroes’; Medan located on Sumatra Island and known for its colonial architecture; or Bandung located near Jakarta and known as ‘Paris of Java’ for its European-style buildings.

Indonesia also contains some smaller cities such as Yogyakarta known for its temples and traditional art; Semarang located near Jakarta and home to many Chinese temples; or Padang located on the west coast of Sumatra Island and known for its beaches.

Throughout Indonesia there are plenty of attractions to explore including volcanoes, hot springs, waterfalls, caves and coral reefs. Visitors can also enjoy activities such as surfing or diving along coasts through forests or take part in water sports on Lake Toba.

Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia.

Neighboring countries of Indonesia

• Malaysia
• Papua New Guinea
• Timor Leste