Geography of Indonesia. Economic, geographical and geopolitical position of the EGP of Indonesia

Indonesia (Indone. Indonesia), the official name - Republic of Indonesia (Ind. Republik Indonesia) is a state in Southeast Asia. The population, according to the results of the 2010 census, is more than 237.5 million people (according to estimates for July 2011 - more than 245.6 million people), the territory - 1 919 440 km?, According to both these indicators is the largest country in the region. It is the fourth largest in the world in terms of population and the fourteenth in terms of territory.

The capital is Jakarta. The state language is Indonesian.

Unitary state, presidential republic. It is subdivided into 34 administrative-territorial units, 32 of which are provinces and 2 are special districts, equated in status to provinces.

Located on the islands of the Malay Archipelago and the western part of the island of New Guinea. Washed by the waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is the largest island nation in the world. A significant part of the islands belongs to the Sunda Islands, which in turn are subdivided into the Greater Sunda and Lesser Sunda Islands. It has a land border with Malaysia (on the island of Kalimantan), Papua New Guinea (on the island of New Guinea) and East Timor (on the island of Timor).

Differs in significant ethnocultural diversity. About 88% of the population is Muslim, making Indonesia the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

An agrarian-industrial country with a dynamically developing economy. The volume of GDP in purchasing power parity for 2011 was 1.125 trillion US dollars (about 4700 US dollars per capita). The monetary unit is the Indonesian rupee.

The country's independence was proclaimed on August 17, 1945. In 1942-1945, it was under Japanese occupation, and before that it was the colonial possession of the Netherlands, which began to develop it in the first half of the 17th century and united the bulk of the territory of modern Indonesia under their rule by the beginning of the 20th century.

Population.According to the results of the national census conducted in May - June 2010, the population of Indonesia was 237,556,363 people, and according to estimates derived from the calculation of the current population growth rates, by July 2011 its number increased to 245,613,043 people. Indonesia is thus the most populous country in Southeast Asia and ranks fourth in the world in terms of population.

The average population density is (based on the 2010 census) about 124 people per km2, while the population is extremely unevenly distributed: 57.5% of Indonesians live in Java, which is less than 7% of the territory, as a result of which this island is one of the most densely populated places on the planet (more than 1000 people per km?). The lowest density in the Moluccas is 0.8% of the population (34 people per km?). Among the administrative-territorial units, the highest population density is registered in the Special Capital District - more than 14,400 people per km?, The lowest - in the province of Papua - less than 8 people per km?.

To ensure a more even distribution of the population throughout the country, the Indonesian authorities have been carrying out a large-scale transmigration program since the 1950s - resettlement of residents of densely populated areas (Java, Madura, Bali) to sparsely populated islands (Kalimantan, New Guinea, Molucca). Under this program, by the early 2000s, at least 5.5 million people were resettled, of which almost half - in the 1970s - 1980s.

The share of the urban population is 44%. As of 2010, 11 cities have a population of over 1 million people, the largest of which is the country's capital Jakarta with a population of 9,607,787.

Growth rates, age and gender structure.Over the entire period of independent development of Indonesia, it was characterized by a fairly high population growth, slightly decreasing since the 1980s as a result of the implementation of the state family planning program. According to estimates for 2011, the population growth rate was 1.069% (110th in the world) with a birth rate at 18.1 (104th in the world) and mortality at 6.1 (155th in the world). According to the forecasts of UN specialized experts, in the coming decades, the rate of population growth in Indonesia will gradually decline and, reaching its maximum in 2055 (295 million people), the population of Indonesia will begin to decline (Table 1.).

Table 1. Dynamics of population growth in Indonesia

The age structure of the population is typical for developing countries: the main feature is the high proportion of young people - the average age of a resident of Indonesia is 28 years. 27.3% of Indonesians are under the age of 15, 66.5% are between the ages of 15-65 and 6.1% are over 65.

The gender composition of the population is practically equal, the sex ratio is 1.01 in favor of men. Changes in this indicator in different age groups generally correspond to the global trend: 1.05 at birth, 1.04 for persons under 15 years old, 1.01 - from 15 to 64 years old, and 0.79 - over 65 years old. At the same time, its fluctuations in various regions of the country are very noticeable: if in the provinces of Papua and West Papua it is 1.12-1.13, then in the province of the Western Lesser Sunda Islands - 0.94.

Economy.The monetary unit is the Indonesian rupee (Indonesian Rupiah), the average rate for 2010 is 9170 rupees per 1 US dollar. The exchange unit is sen (Indone sen), one hundredth of a rupee. The emission of money is carried out by the central bank of the country - the Bank of Indonesia.

The inflation rate at the end of 2011 was 5.4% (140th place in the world). The volume of national gold and foreign exchange reserves as of July 2011 amounted to USD 122.7 billion.

The economy, with its market character, is characterized by an active role of the state: it owns about 140 large enterprises in various sectors of the national economy, and also controls the prices of a number of goods, including basic food products and fuels and lubricants. In the volume of GDP, the share of industrial production in 2010 is 47%, services - 37.6%, agriculture - 15.4%. At the same time, industry employs 12.8%, agriculture - 38.3% and services - 48.9% of the working population. The total working-age population is 116.5 million people (5th in the world), the unemployment rate is 7.1% (70th in the world).

The population is characterized by significant socio-economic stratification, the incomes of the wealthiest 10% are almost 11 times higher than the incomes of the poorest 10% of Indonesians. More than 13% live below the poverty line.

Corruption is a serious economic problem - Indonesia has long been ranked at the top of the second hundred in the rankings compiled by the organization "Tranperance International".

Industry.In 2010, the share of industrial production in the structure of GDP was 47%, more than two thirds of this volume accounted for by the processing industries. At the same time, the number of people employed in industry is relatively small - less than 13% of the working-age population. Growth rates are noticeably lower than in the economy as a whole - about 4.3% in 2010.

In the manufacturing sector in 2009, more than 25 thousand enterprises were registered with the status of large or medium-sized and more than 3.2 million small enterprises and home-based producers. The most significant industries are the food industry (about 19% of the total non-resource production, almost 6,000 large and medium-sized events), the chemical industry (16%, about 900 enterprises), the textile industry (7%, about 2,000 enterprises), the tobacco industry (7%, more than 1600 enterprises), production of machinery and equipment (7%, about 600 enterprises), automobile industry (6%, more than 270 enterprises), pulp and paper industry (6%, more than 530 enterprises), production of ready-made clothes (4%, more than 2000 enterprises). Most of the small businesses and home-based producers operate in various sectors of the light and food industries, including traditional crafts: the production of batik, ceramics, weaving of mats, the manufacture of wood and bone carvings, and other popular souvenirs.

In the extractive industry, there are mainly large national companies, a significant part of which are owned by the state, as well as Western raw material corporations. The largest of the national companies is the state monopoly Pertamina, which controls oil production and refining.

Oil production (in 2009) amounted to more than 1.02 million barrels per day (37th place in the world), natural gas - 85.7 billion cubic meters per year (8th place in the world). Also, all the mineral resources listed in the section "Relief, inland waters, minerals, soils" are mined on an industrial scale.

Foreign trade and foreign investment.The volume of foreign trade in 2010 amounted to $ 285.3 billion, with a surplus of $ 31.1 billion.The volume of exports - $ 158.2 billion, imports - $ 127.1 billion (for both indicators - 30- e place in the world).

The main export items are gas, oil, electrical equipment, textiles, timber, plywood, rubber. Mainly imported are machinery and equipment, oil, products of the chemical industry and oil refining, certain types of food. At the same time, the volume of imported oil since the mid-2000s has increasingly exceeded the volume of exported oil - this was the reason for Indonesia's withdrawal from OPEC in 2008, in which it was a member since 1962.

The volume of foreign direct investment in the Indonesian economy in 2010 is about $ 85.6 billion (38th place in the world). Indonesian investors have placed over $ 33 billion abroad (37th in the world).

Having studied the economic and geographical characteristics of Indonesia, we can draw the following conclusion: the economic and geographical position of Indonesia is quite advantageous, but there are a number of problems there too. Indonesia's economic development has been complicated by many vestiges of the colonial past. Indonesia continues to be an underdeveloped country with relatively low industrial potential. The absence of the main manufacturing industries has caused a constant need for the import of industrial equipment and consumer goods. All this predetermined the dependence of Indonesia on foreign markets.

Indonesia

Indonesia
The official name is the Republic of Indonesia - a state in Southeast Asia. Population 237.5 million people, territory - 1 919 440 km²

Indonesia
Date of independence - August 17, 1945 Official languages \u200b\u200b- Indonesian Capital - Jakarta The largest cities - Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Bekasi, Medan, Tangerang, Depok, Semarang, Palembang, Makassar, Tangerang-Selatan Form of government - Presidential republic President - Joko Vidodo Vice - President Yusuf Kalla

EGP
Located on both sides of the equator on the islands of the Malay Archipelago and the western part of the island of New Guinea and washed by the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Indonesia has a land border with Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor. There are sea borders with Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and India.

Relief
The interior regions of all large islands are mountainous: Java and Sumatra are characterized by rectilinear continuous mountain ranges practically along the entire length of the island, while Sulawesi and the Indonesian territories of Kalimantan and New Guinea have more complex configurations of mountain systems. The highest peak in Indonesia (it is also the highest peak in Oceania) is Mount Punchak Jaya (4884 m), located in the western part of New Guinea.

Agroclimatic resources. Soil
The climate in most of Indonesia is equatorial, humid, in some regions it has signs of subequatorial. The humidity level is 80% on average. About 80% of the territory of Indonesia is dominated by red-yellow laterite and mountain laterite soils.

Minerals
Oil reserves in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Seram, as well as on the shelf of these islands. Natural gas fields are located in North Sumatra and East Kalimantan, as well as on the coastal shelves of West Irian and Java. There are deposits of iron ores on Kalimantan and Sulawesi, bauxite and aluminum on Bintan Island, nickel on Sulawesi, and manganese on Java.

Population
Indonesia is home to about 300 peoples, most of which belong to the Austronesian group. the most numerous peoples of the country are the Javanese. Among the non-indigenous peoples of Indonesia, the Chinese are the most numerous

Religious composition
The absolute majority of the population - more than 88% - are Muslims. Almost all Indonesian Muslims are Sunnis, with a small number of Shiites. About 2% of the population are Hindus, 1% are Buddhists and Confucians, 8.7% are Christians.

Economy
Indonesia belongs to the category of agro-industrial countries. In 2010, it ranked 44th in the world in terms of national competitiveness. The monetary unit is the Indonesian rupee. Corruption is a serious economic problem. The economy, with its market character, is characterized by an active role of the state: it owns about 140 large enterprises in various sectors of the national economy, and also controls the prices of a number of goods, including basic food products and fuels and lubricants.

Industry
The most significant industries are the food industry, the chemical industry, the textile industry, the tobacco industry, the manufacture of machinery and equipment, the automotive industry, the pulp and paper industry, and the production of ready-made clothes.

Tourism
Since the 1980s, significant funds have been invested in the modernization and expansion of the hotel stock and other related infrastructure, as well as in the popularization of national tourist sites. A stable growth in the number of foreign tourists visiting the country began only in 2007, while the dynamics of the corresponding budget revenues remains rather unstable.

Economic and geographical position of Indonesia

Among the island states, Indonesia is the largest. It is located in Southeast Asia. It consists of more than 18 thousand islands and only 1000 islands have a permanent population.

Singapore and West Malaysia in the northwest are separated from Indonesia by the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea.

The Sulu and Sulawesi seas are located between the Philippines and Indonesia in the northeast.

It is separated from the island of Palau by the Pacific Ocean.

The southeastern border with Australia runs along the Timor and Arafura Seas.

On the island of Kalimantan, the Indonesian border runs with East Malaysia.

Since the 16th century, this state has been in the sphere of interests of the Netherlands East India Company.

Remark 1

Since 1816 Indonesia has been turned into a colony called the Netherlands East Indies. Independence was proclaimed in 1945, and official sovereignty was transferred only in 1949.

Sea and air transport has received great development here not only for domestic communication, but also international.

Sea transport after air transport is the second most important. Major ports of the country:

• Jakarta,
• Surabaya,
• Semarang,
• Medan et al.

Regular sea lines connect these ports with each other and are transit points for international lines. With its help, local transportation and flights to the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia are carried out. It plays a very important role in the country's economy.

Rail transport only operates in Java and Sumatra.

The warm and humid climate allows the cultivation of coffee, peppers, tobacco, tea, coconut and oil palm, nutmeg, and cloves.

Indonesia is a major exporter of cinchona bark.

Rice, corn, soybeans are grown from food crops in the country. peanuts, sweet potatoes.

Of the Asian states, Indonesia's trade partners are Taiwan, Singapore, and China.

In the 90s, the countries of the European Union - Holland, France, Great Britain - became a major trade partner. The main export goods were textiles, rubber and rubber products, palm oil, timber, footwear, spare parts for cars, shrimp, coffee, cocoa.

Indonesia continues to develop trade, economic, financial ties with international organizations ASEAN, APEC, IMF.

In this region of our planet, the potential for conflicts due to territorial disputes remains high.

Conflicts are typical for China, Vietnam, Brunei, Philippines, Malaysia.

Remark 2

The economic and geographical position of Indonesia is quite favorable, but its economic development is complicated by the remnants of the colonial past.

Today it is still an underdeveloped country, and its industrial potential is very low. The need for industrial equipment and consumer goods makes Indonesia dependent on foreign markets.

Natural conditions of Indonesia

A huge number of Indonesian islands have different sizes, but the largest are New Guinea, Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java.

The geological structure of the islands is different. The western group of islands is confined to the Sunda platform and in the past was a land mass that connected with Southeast Asia.

Indonesia is a region with increased seismicity and intense volcanic activity, the reason for this is the location at the junction of two tectonic zones.

Of the 220 active volcanoes, the most famous is Krakatoa in the Sunda Strait.

The mountainous relief of most of the islands is combined with plain forms. On the western coast of Sumatra, the Barisan mountains stretch and rise with peaks up to an altitude of 3800 m - this is the peak of the Kerinchi volcano.

The east coast of Sumatra is a swampy alluvial plain with rivers flowing through it. The plain is home to dense tropical rainforests.

The mountains on the island of Java stretch from west to east and are crowned with volcanic cones - there are 38 known volcanoes on the island.

Indonesia is located in two climatic zones - equatorial and subequatorial. Climatic regional differences are insignificant.

Precipitation comes from the western monsoon and falls from December to March. From June to the end of September, the eastern monsoon blows, which originates in the arid regions of Australia and brings an abundance of moisture to the mountainous southwestern coast of Sumatra.

A large amount of precipitation has a beneficial effect on the formation of a dense river network.

Natural resources of Indonesia

Despite the fact that the subsoil of Indonesia is not fully explored, its mineral resources are quite diverse.

The deposits of fuel and energy resources are significant. In terms of hydrocarbon reserves, the country occupies a leading position in Southeast Asia. The largest deposits are located on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, New Guinea.

Oil reserves account for 2/3 of the total reserves of Southeast Asia. There are deposits in the Java Sea. Gas reserves account for 1/3 of the total reserves of the sub-region and are estimated at 865 billion cubic meters. m. Gas fields go along with oil.

Bituminous coal is scarce, of poor quality and is found mainly in Sumatra. There is brown coal in Kalimantan. Uranium and peat are found.

The country stands out for its reserves of tin, the deposits of which are on the islands of Bangui, Belatung, Sinkep. These islands are often referred to as “tin islands”.

Large bauxite deposits with a high alumina content. They are mined in an open way.

Iron ore reserves are concentrated in Sulawesi, gold and silver in Sumatra, and diamonds in Kalimantan.

There are deposits of sulfur, phosphorites and other minerals in the country.

The largest area of \u200b\u200bforest resources in Southeast Asia is concentrated in Indonesia. They cover 59.7% of the country's territory.

High forest cover is noted in Kalimantan, Sumatra, and low in Java. The species composition of forest resources is diverse.

Damp evergreen forests are widespread, occupying 2/3 of the forested area. The wood of many trees is valuable and the fruits are edible.

Monsoon deciduous forests cover the southeast of the country, teak and eucalyptus forests are valuable here. The wood of the mangrove forests growing on the coast is used as fuel, and bamboo is harvested for local needs. Exported species of trees with durable and beautiful wood.

The country's soil resources are also diverse. In the south-east of the country, where the climate is arid, red-brown soils of dry savannas prevail. In the rest of the country, red-yellow ferralite soils formed.

Alluvial and tropical bog soils are common in coastal areas, and saline mangrove soils in mangrove thickets.

Soils of volcanic origin are the most fertile and most suitable for use in agriculture.

The rivers are full-flowing all year round. Mountain rivers are potential sources of hydropower.

In addition, rivers carry a huge amount of silty material, which makes navigation difficult. The largest rivers are Kapuas in Kalimantan, Mahakam in East Kalimantan, Martapura and Barito in South Kalimantan.

In the eastern part of the island of Sumatra, there is the world's largest tropical swamp, with an area of \u200b\u200b155 thousand square meters. km.

The rivers of Sumatra are navigable. More than 30 large rivers flow in the Indonesian part of the island of New Guinea. Some of them carry their waters north to the Pacific Ocean, the other part carries water south to the Arafura Sea.

The main rivers Tarum and Manuk are on the island of Java. There are many lakes in Indonesia, most of which are of volcanic or tectonic origin.

Symbolism

Views of Indonesia

INDONESIA, Republic of Indonesia (Republik Indonesia), a state in Southeast Asia, on the islands of the Malay archipelago (Big and Small Sunda Islands, Moluccas) and the western part of New Guinea (Irian Jaya). It shares borders with Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. The area is 1904.5 thousand km2. Population 234.89 million people (2003, 4th place in the world). The capital is Jakarta. Largest cities: Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung.

State structure of Indonesia

Unitary republic of the presidential type. The head of state and government is the president. The highest organ of state power is the People's Consultative Congress. It meets in session at least once every five years. Half of the members are appointed by the president. The other half are members of the unicameral council of people's representatives (parliament). 400 of them are elected by universal suffrage and 100 are appointed by the president. These are the military (the army does not vote).

Administrative divisions of Indonesia

24 provinces and special administrative units equivalent to provinces - Greater Jakarta (capital city district), Yogyakarta, Aceh (2 special units).

Indonesia population

97% of Indonesians are more than 150 close peoples who speak more than 1000 different languages \u200b\u200band dialects (Javanese, Sundanese, Madurians, Batak, Malays, Balinese, etc.). Many tribes still do not know agriculture and live mainly by hunting (for example, the Papuans of New Guinea). There are also Chinese, Arabs and people from South Asia. The official language is Indonesian.

Indonesia is the world's largest Islamic state. Most believers are Muslim, ch. arr. Sunni persuasion (87.2%), there are Christians (9.6%), Hindus (mainly on the island of Bali), Buddhists, Confucians; traditional local beliefs have been preserved.

2/3 of the population lives on the islands of Java and Madura. In some areas of the island of Java, the rural population density reaches 2500 people per 1 km2 (the highest in the world for rural areas). 78% of the population lives in rural areas.

The nature of Indonesia. Geographical position of Indonesia

Indonesia is the world's largest island state, ranking 6th in area among the largest countries in Asia. In total, Indonesia includes 13667 islands, of which slightly less than 1000 are inhabited (the largest are Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, New Guinea). Most of the other islands are isolated cliffs or small atolls. More than half of the islands' area is occupied by mountains (height up to 5029 m, the city of Jaya on the island of New Guinea). The islands are located approx. 400 volcanoes, including St. 100 active. The highest of them is Kerinchi (3800 m) in Sumatra. There are especially many volcanoes on Java Island. In 1883, as a result of the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano, located on a small island between Java and Sumatra, a 20-meter sea wave arose, and volcanic ash covered almost a third of Indonesia.

Indonesia is located in equatorial latitudes: most of it is in the Southern Hemisphere, and the northern part of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and the Moluccas is in the North. The climate is equatorial and subequatorial, with an abundance of precipitation falling in the form of powerful showers, often accompanied by thunderstorms. In most of the country, precipitation falls evenly (up to 4000 mm per year), in the south - a short dry season. Rivers almost everywhere form a very dense network. The largest of them are: Kapuas and Barito in Kalimantan; Hari, Kampar and Musi in Sumatra; Mamberamo and Digul in New Guinea. Due to the abundant sedimentation of river sediments in the lower reaches, the lowland rivers constantly change their channels,

St. 1/2 of the territory is covered with humid evergreen tropical forests with a wide variety of flora and fauna. Along the coasts there are mangroves. In the south, there are areas of savannah, in the mountains - high-altitude zonation. In numerous reserves and national parks (Gunung Leser, Komodo-Padar-Rinko, Ujung-Kulon, etc.), the Sumatran rhinoceros, elephants, Malay bear, tapir, crocodiles, giant monitor lizards, orangutans are protected. A significant part of the virgin forests has been reduced to agricultural use. lands (especially on the island of Java). In the west of Java, in the city of Bogor, there is a world famous botanical garden, which displays a wide variety of forms of equatorial flora.
Indonesia is rich in minerals. There are large deposits of oil and gas, lignite and hard coal, iron ores, copper, nickel, and tin; bauxite, sulfur; medium and small - ores of manganese, chromium, lead, zinc, gold, silver, molybdenum; diamonds, phosphorites, pumice, asbestos, etc.

Indonesia Economy

Indonesia is an industrial and agrarian country with the largest plantation economy in Asia and a developed mining industry. GNP per capita fell from $ 980 in 1995 to $ 580 in 1999. The fall of the rupee in late 1997 - early 1998. led to a reduction in GDP by 13.7% in 1998, the IMF offered aid to the country in the amount of 42 billion dollars. in exchange for meeting a number of requirements. The government initially refused to comply with the requirements of the IMF, but fearing a further outflow of capital from the country, it agreed to conclude an agreement. The petrochemical industry is controlled by the state-owned Pertamina company. The basis of the economy is the extraction and processing of oil and gas (mainly for export) in Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and in the western part of Irian Jaya. The main industrial centers are Jakarta, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Palembang (oil and gas processing, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, chemical industry, etc.). 2/3 of the employed are in the food and textile industry.

Almost 1/3 of the cultivated land is irrigated. Major export crops: rubber plants (one of the leading places in the world), coconut and oil palms, tea, coffee, tobacco, cocoa, pepper, ceiba (kapok), agave (sisal); spices - nutmeg, cloves, etc.; cinchona bark (Indonesia is the main supplier in the world). The main food crops are rice (the staple food of the population), corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and soybeans. Livestock raising is underdeveloped. Fishing, catching lobsters, shrimps, trepangs is of great importance. Harvesting valuable timber.
Traditional crafts are preserved: the production of batik (both industrial and handicraft), chased items from silver, ceramic vessels, artistic bone carving, weaving of mats, hats, etc.). Foreign tourism, threatened by terrorist attacks, is of great importance.

The monetary unit is the Indonesian rupee.

History of Indonesia

The historical core of Indonesia is the islands of Java and Sumatra, on which since the 7th century. vast rival empires arose. Active trade with the Arabs, for whom Indonesia was an important mediator on the way to the Far East, was an important impetus for the adoption of Islam. In the 16th century. the Portuguese appeared, then the Dutch. In the 17th century. the Indonesian islands were colonized by the Portuguese and Dutch. The Europeans gave them the name of the Spice Islands. K ser. 18th century the Dutch captured almost all of Java, in 19 - early. 20th century completed the conquest of Indonesia. By the beginning. 20th century almost the entire territory of modern Indonesia became a zone of Dutch colonies called the Netherlands (Dutch) East Indies. In 1942, Indonesia was invaded by Japan. On the eve of its collapse, the founder of the National Party Sukarno, who collaborated with the Japanese, on August 17, 1945, proclaimed the independence of Indonesia, and himself - its president. In September 1945, the British landed in Indonesia, followed by the Dutch troops, but they were defeated in the fight against the army of Sukarno. In 1949, the UN recognized the independence of Indonesia. In August 1950, Indonesia was declared a unitary republic. Many foreign enterprises, plantations and banks were nationalized. Sukarno focused first on the United States, then on the USSR, was the main initiator of the Bandung Conference, which began the movement of the "third world" countries. In 1965, a group of army officers tried to organize a military coup, possibly with the knowledge of Sukarno, who wanted to crack down on the top military leadership. General Suharto suppressed the conspiracy, put Sukarno under arrest and became president in 1968. The Communist Party of Indonesia was defeated, hundreds of thousands of its supporters (or those who were declared as such) were executed and arrested. Suharto embarked on a course of industrialization and accelerated development, but the "Indonesian miracle" was carried out to a large extent on unsecured loans, given under the guarantees of the anti-communist course. An economic collapse followed in 1998, exacerbated by the extremely uneven distribution of income between different segments of the population and nations (2% of the Chinese owned 75% of the national wealth).

As a result of massive popular demonstrations, President Suharto resigned on May 20, 1998 and was replaced by B. Yu. Habibi. Under the influence of the ongoing struggle for the independence of East Timor and under the pressure of world public opinion, a referendum was held on August 30, 1999, in which 78.5% of the population of the territory voted for the independence of East Timor, which triggered a new outbreak of violence. On September 12, 1999, UN international forces entered the former province, and Indonesian troops left the territory. On October 20, 1999, the leader of the Islamic National Awakening Party A. Wahid became the country's new president, and Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of the country's first president and leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, became vice-president. Since 2001, as a result of the impeachment of Wahid, Sukarnoputri has become president.
National holiday - August 17 (Independence Day).

INDONESIA, Republic of Indonesia, the largest state in Southeast Asia and the largest island state in the world. The territory of Indonesia extends between 6 "11" N and 11 "15" S, between 94 "54" and 141 "05" E. According to the latest data, Indonesia includes islands, of which about 1000 have a permanent population. The country's borders are predominantly maritime. In the northwest, Indonesia is separated by the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea from West Malaysia and Singapore, in the northeast by the Sulu and Sulawesi seas from the Philippines and by the Pacific Ocean from Palau, in the southeast by the Timor and Arafur seas from Australia. In Kalimantan, Indonesia borders with East Malaysia, on about. Timor - with East Timor and on about. New Guinea - with Papua New Guinea. Indonesia. The capital is Jakarta. Population - 238.5 million people (July 2004). Density - 110 people per 1 sq. km. Urban population - 34%, rural - 66%. Area - 1,919.4 thousand sq. km. The highest point is Mount Jaya (5030 m). The state language is Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia). Major religions: Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Animism, Confucianism. Administrative division - 27 provinces. Monetary unit: Indonesian rupee \u003d 100 sen. National holiday: Independence Day - August 17.

NATURE Indonesia is located on the islands of the Malay Archipelago (Big and Small Sunda Islands), the Moluccas and the western part of the island. New Guinea, which stretch along the equator. The extreme western and eastern points of the country are separated by approximately 5150 km, and the extreme northern and southern - 1931 km. The total land area of \u200b\u200bIndonesia is 1919.4 thousand square meters. km, and the water area - 7.9 million square meters. km. The coastline is rather weakly indented, there are few natural bays; coral reefs and sandbanks are common along the coast. The coasts of the inland seas are low-lying, swampy almost everywhere with extensive mangrove thickets or flooded rice fields. The shores in the south of Sumatra, Java and the islands of East Indonesia, facing the Indian Ocean, on the contrary, are high and in places with rocky cliffs. Relief. The islands of Indonesia vary considerably in size. The largest of them are New Guinea (829 thousand sq. Km, of which the province of Papua accounts for 421.9 thousand sq. Km), Kalimantan (734 thousand sq. Km, Indonesia owns 539.5 thousand sq. Km. km), Sumatra (473.6 thousand sq. km), Sulawesi (189.2 thousand sq. km) and Java (126.5 thousand sq. km). The rest of the islands of Indonesia are significantly inferior in area to those listed, most belong to the Lesser Sunda and Moluccas. Indonesia also includes many tiny coral atolls and single rocks.

Area: total: sq. km. water: 4.85 sq km BER A. PAYEN. City

Indonesia's climate is equatorial and subequatorial. Indonesia, which stretches along the equator and is surrounded on all sides by the seas, is characterized by very insignificant regional climatic differences and high relative humidity (80%). The average monthly air temperature at sea level roughly corresponds to the average annual temperature of + 26-27 ° C. In the relatively distant from the equator of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Java and Bali, the balancing climatic effect of the ocean is quite strongly felt. So, in the coastal city of Kupang in Timor, where the country's southernmost meteorological station is located, the average annual air temperature is + 26 ° С, and the average monthly indicators fluctuate within + 24-27 ° С. Although in the elevated regions, not so high and more differentiated indicators are recorded air temperature, its monthly values \u200b\u200bremain stable. Frosts occur at altitudes above 1500 m.

Water resources. Climate and relief features favor the formation of a dense river network. Due to the abundance of atmospheric precipitation, the rivers are full-flowing almost all year round and play an important role in the irrigation system. In mountainous areas, rivers represent a potential source of electricity. At the same time, floods are frequent in the region, and rivers carry a significant amount of silty material, which impedes navigation and is deposited in the coastal zone. The largest rivers in Indonesia on Kalimantan are the Kapuas, or Kapuas Besar (1040 km, basin area - 97 thousand sq. Km) in West Kalimantan, Mahakam (715 km) in East Kalimantan, Martapura and Barito (650 km) in South Kalimantan. Most of the rivers originate in the central mountain range; on the plains, closer to the coast, they flow through vast swamps; the channels change frequently. Settlements are formed along many rivers, which also serve as transport arteries.

Vegetable world. Due to the hot and humid climate, the variety of relief, as well as the geographical position, Indonesia has a rich and varied flora, including approx. 40 thousand species (only Java has about 10 thousand species). Except for Java and Bali, approximately 90% of the country's territory is covered with forests, in which approx. 3 thousand species of trees. To a large extent, this is already a secondary forest (belukar), which is quite common in those parts of the Outer Islands where slash and burn farming is practiced. In drier areas, with this type of land use, natural vegetation was often completely displaced by a cover of tough lalang grass.

Animal world. A conventional line drawn by an English naturalist of the 19th century. A.R. Wallace along the outer edge of the Sunda continental shelf, east of Kalimantan and Java, corresponds to the approximate border of the Asian fauna in the west and the Australian fauna in the east. Accordingly, such large animals as an elephant, a rhinoceros (one-horned in Java and two-horned in Sumatra), a tiger and an orangutan live to the west of the designated border, and smaller monkeys are found to the east - on the islands of Sulawesi and Timor. Many Asiatic species of birds, reptiles and insects (including butterflies) penetrate further east. As the distance to the east of this line increases, the number of Australian animal species increases, which is primarily noticeable in the province of Papua, which is characterized by marsupials.

Protected areas. In total, there are over 35 national parks in the country (9.7% of the country's area, 1997), created to protect rare animals and preserve wildlife. Many species of animals, incl. orangutan, Javanese and Sumatrian rhinoceros are on the verge of extinction and can now be found almost exclusively in reserves. The following parks are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List: Ujung Kulon (West Java, 1206 sq. Km), Komodo (Komodo, 1817 sq. Km), Lorentz (West Papua, sq. Km), as well as parks of the project "Heritage of the tropical forests of Sumatra" - Kerinchi Seblat National Park (Central Sumatra, sq. Km), Gunung Loser National Park (North-West Sumatra, approx. Sq. Km) and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park (South Sumatra, 3650 sq. Km). Other natural parks are Siberut (West Sumatra, 4030 sq. Km), Tanjung Puting (Central Kalimantan, 3040 sq. Km), Kutai (East Kalimantan, approx. Sq. Km), Meru Betiri (East Java, 580 sq. Km), Alas Purvo (Southeast Java, 434 sq. Km). The protected area status also extends to an extensive network of marine reserves.

POPULATION The increase in population is due to natural growth, characterized by high birth rates and gradually decreasing mortality. The annual growth rate in 1963-1970 was estimated at 2.8% per year, in 1970-1980 - 2.34%, in 1985 - 2.9%, but thanks to the successful implementation of the family planning program in 1990-1995 decreased to 1.7 %. Now the population growth is 1.5%. The birth rate (2003) per 1000 people is 21.49 people. The mortality rate is 6.26 per 1000 people. Average life expectancy is 68.94 years. If the current growth rate is maintained, the population is expected to reach 287 million in 2025.

Languages. Indonesia ranks second in the world in terms of the number of living languages. 728 languages \u200b\u200band dialects are spoken here. The languages \u200b\u200bof the indigenous ethnic groups of the country differ significantly, although they all belong to the Malay-Polynesian (Austronesian) language family, including Javanese, which is most widely spoken in Indonesia. It is home to 75 million inhabitants, especially on about. Java. The only exceptions are the Papuan languages, which are spoken in West Papua and other parts of eastern Indonesia.

ECONOMY Indonesia is a developing industrial and agrarian country with a diversified economy and the world's largest exporter of raw materials. The economic development strategy is based on five-year plans. The period from 1969 to 1997 is characterized by high growth rates of industry and the service sector, attracting foreign investment and attempts to diversify the economy. After 30 years of steady economic growth, the Indonesian economy experienced a severe recession in 1998. The crisis hit Indonesia especially hard and undermined the position of President Suharto, creating the most acute political situation in the country since the mid-1960s. Although the crisis has highlighted many shadowy phenomena, most economists and businessmen believe that in the long term, Indonesia faces a favorable future based on the use of rich natural resources. There are significant shifts in the structure of the Indonesian economy, as evidenced by the distribution of the national product. The share of agricultural production in gross domestic product (GDP) gradually declined from about 45.5% in the early 1970s to 22% in the mid-1980s, and then to 16-17% in 1997 - The share of industry increased from about 7% in 1970 to 16% in 1985 and from 25% in 1997 to 43.6% in 2004 (including manufacturing - from 8.4% in 1970 to 13% in 1980 and up to 25% in 2002). The role of the oil and gas industry has especially decreased, in which, on average, 30% of GDP was created in x and only 14% in 1990 and 6% in. Over the same years, the service sector has noticeably strengthened, growing from 29.8% in 1970 to 39.9% in 2004 ...

Healthcare. Indonesia has made some progress in health care. The family planning program has succeeded in reducing the high birth rate. Life expectancy for men increased from 51.1 years in 1980 to 67 years in 2003, and for women - from 54.4 years to 71 years. Child mortality (per 1,000 live births) decreased from 105 cases in 1980 to 37. However, child mortality in rural areas is much higher than the average. Despite vaccinations, various diseases typical of tropical climates are ubiquitous. Malaria outbreaks persist in Kalimantan and Sumatra. The unsanitary living conditions of the majority of the population, especially on the overcrowded islands, also have a negative impact on the state of health care. According to data for 2000, 90% of urban and 69% of rural residents do not have access to safe drinking sources, and about 12 million people suffer from malnutrition.

CULTURE Cultural influences. The Malay-Polynesian origin of the indigenous population of the country is evidenced by the high social status of women and the symbolic importance attached to boats. As a result of the collective creative efforts of various peoples who came to the archipelago, a layering of different cultures occurred. Hinduism and Buddhism, which came to the islands primarily from India and from the 8th century onwards, had their effect successively. successfully entrenched in Java and Bali; Islam introduced in the 14th century merchants and preachers from the Middle East; European traditions that were introduced by the Portuguese in the 16th century. and then by the Dutch until the early 19th century. Music and dance. The famous Javanese shadow theater (Wayang Kulit), which is also popular in Bali, is an example of the combination of Hindu influence and local tradition. During the performance, the puppeteer (dalang) moves in front of a white screen the figures of dolls made of buffalo skin, at which the light of an oil lamp is directed. On the background of the screen, dolls are clearly visible, and on the screen itself, their shadows. The Wayang Kulit performance lasting all night is not only a performance, but also a kind of ritual performance. Playing scenes from the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata serves to glorify the gods, pacify spirits and enrich the souls of spectators. It is believed that the ancient art of Wayang Kulit may have originated in China