Indonesia
Geography - People - Economy - Government - Communications - Transportation - Military - Transnational IssuesCountry name - conventional long form : Republic of Indonesia
Country name - conventional short form : Indonesia
Country name - local long form : Republik Indonesia
Country name - local short form : Indonesia
Country name - former : Netherlands East Indies, Dutch East Indies
Government type : republic
Capital - name : Jakarta
Capital - time difference : UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
National holiday : Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
Population : 237,512,352 (July 2008 est.)
Nationality - noun : Indonesian(s)
Nationality - adjective : Indonesian
Languages : Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese)
Currency (code) : Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Currency code : IDR
Major infectious diseases - degree of risk : high
Major infectious diseases - note : highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2008)
Indonesia is located Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The climate is tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands. The terrain is mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains.
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current issues and may include a statement about one or two key future trends.Background : 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
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