Located in Southeast Asia and Oceania, Indonesia is one of
the favorite destinations for travelers all over the world who
like the lush, island life. At 230 million people, it's the
world's fourth largest nation by population. Because it is
spread over many islands, Indonesia actually has a quite diverse
range of people, beliefs, dialects and customs. This is yet
another reason the country is such a popular destination.
There's so much to experience.
Scattered over both sides of the equator, Indonesia consists of
over 17,000 islands. Around 6,000 of them are inhabited.
Large Indonesia Islands:
Java - Jakarta, the capital
of Indonesia, is located on this island.
Sumatra - Sixth largest
island in the world and the largest island in Indonesia that
is fully under their control.
Kalimantan - This island is
the Indonesian part of Borneo.
New Guinea - This island is
shared with Papua New Guinea.
Sulawesi - Some say the
name of this island roughly translates as "hard to reach."
Top Cities in Indonesia:
Jakarta - Indonesia's
largest city is located on the island of Java.
Surabaya - Second largest
city in Indonesia, located on Java.
Medan - This is the third
largest city in Indonesia, and the capital of the North
Sumatra province.
Bandung -The fourth largest
city, this is the capital of West Java.
Semarang - Capital of the
Central Java province, and the fifth largest city in
Indonesia.
Beyond Brazil, there is not a more biologically diverse place
on the planet. This is actually one of the main reasons so many
people travel to Indonesia. With around 60% of the country
covered in forests, there's still quite a bit of natural life
left in Indonesia. That said, Rhinos, elephants, tigers and
other large game are becoming less common in the country.
As you might imagine, with so much coastline, there's a lot of
diversity in the geography as well. From sand dunes to pristine
beaches to coral reefs and sea grass, there's many different
types of areas you can visit in Indonesia. You might think all
islands are the same, but that just isn't the case. Once you
begin to explore all that Indonesia has to offer, you can see
the country is diverse in many different aspects - not only
flora and fauna.
Interesting Indonesia Facts:
Indonesia is divided into
Greater Sunda Islands, Smaller Sunda Islands and East
Indonesia - for the most part.
Three of the world's top 10
largest islands are in Indonesia.
Unity in Diversity is the
motto of Indonesia.
Some of the rarest animals
in the world are found in Indonesia, including a miniature
deer.
Being part of the "ring of
fire," Indonesia is home to around 400 active volcanoes and
frequently experiences earthquakes.
If you enjoy the ocean, beaches and lush, tropical forests,
Indonesia is going to be a paradise on Earth for you. With so
many islands and different places to see, it's going to be
difficult to limit your trip there, but it may be a necessity.
To fully discover all Indonesia has to offer would take many
months at least. This is good news too, though, because it means
planning a trip to Indonesia won't be plagued by a lack of
places to see or things to experience while in the country.
About Indonesia