Category: Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is an island country in Southeast Asia, made up of thousands of islands. It has several volcanoes, some still active, and the highest point is Puncak Jaya (4,884 m). With 258 million residents (2016), it is the fourth most populous country in the world. The official language is Indonesian, but about 40% of the population speaks Javanese. The capital is Jakarta, on the island of Java. The islands were already inhabited about 1.5 million years ago, according to the dating of Homo erectus found in Java. In the Middle Ages, Hinduism and Buddhism were the main religions on these islands. The Arabs brought Islam in the 12th century, and today it is the main religion in the country. In 1511, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to land on these islands. The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the 17th century, which later became the Dutch East Indies. The islands were occupied by the Japanese during World War II. Independence was achieved in 1945.