Indonesia: Background & Geography
| Introduction | Indonesia |
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Background:
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Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago; it achieved independence from the Netherlands in 1949. Current issues include: alleviating widespread poverty, preventing terrorism, effecting a transition to a popularly-elected government after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing reforms of the banking sector, addressing charges of cronyism and corruption, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, and resolving separatist pressures in Aceh and Papua. |
| Geography | Indonesia |
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Location:
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Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean |
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Geographic coordinates:
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5 00 S, 120 00 E |
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Map references:
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Southeast Asia |
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Area:
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total: 1,919,440 sq km
water: 93,000 sq km land: 1,826,440 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than three times the size of Texas |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,830 km
border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km |
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Coastline:
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54,716 km |
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Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
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measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
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Terrain:
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mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver |
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Land use:
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arable land: 9.9%
permanent crops: 7.2% other: 82.9% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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48,150 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation |
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Geography - note:
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archipelago of more than 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean |