At 1,919,440 square kilometers (741,050 sq mi), Indonesia is the world's 16th-largest country in terms of land area. Indonesia consists of 17,508 islands, about 6,000 of which are inhabited.[60] These are scattered over both sides of the equator. The five largest islands are Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo), New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea), and Sulawesi. Indonesia shares land borders with Malaysia on the islands of Borneo and Sebatik, Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea, and East Timor on the island of Timor. Indonesia also shares borders with Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines to the north and Australia to the south across narrow straits of water. The capital, Jakarta, is on Java and is the nation's largest city, followed by Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, and Semarang.
Climate and Weather
Straddling the equator, Indonesia has a tropical climate characterized by heavy rainfall, high humidity, high temperature, and low winds. The wet season is from November to March, the dry season from April to October. Rainfall in lowland areas averages 180–320 cm (70–125 in) annually, increasing with elevation to an average of 610 cm (240 in) in some mountain areas. In the lowlands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, the rainfall range is 305–370 cm (120–145 in); the amount diminishes southward, closer to the northwest Australian desert. Average humidity is 82%.
Altitude rather than season affects the temperature in Indonesia. At sea level, the mean annual temperature is about 25– 27°C (77–81°F). There is slight daily variation in temperature, with the greatest variation at inland points and at higher levels. The mean annual temperature at Jakarta is 26°C (79°F); average annual rainfall is about 200 cm (79 in).
Population
With a population of 222 million people in 2006, it is the world's fourth most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority nation, although officially it is not an Islamic state. Across its many islands, Indonesia consists of distinct ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups. The population is officially classified into four main ethnic groups: Melanesians, who constitute the majority; Proto-Austronesians, including the Wajaks and the Irianese on Irian Jaya; Polynesians, including the Ambonese on the Maluku Islands; and Micronesians, found on the tiny islets of Indonesia's eastern borders.
Transportation
All transport modes play a role in Indonesia's transport system and are generally complementary rather than competitive. Road transport is the predominant mode, accounting for about 70 percent of freight ton-km and 82 percent of passenger km.
There are four unconnected railway networks in Java and Sumatra dedicated primarily to transport bulk commodities and long-distance passenger traffic. Sea transport is extremely important for economic integration and for domestic and foreign trade. It is well developed, with each of the major islands having at least one significant port city.
The role of inland waterways is relatively minor and is limited to certain areas of Eastern Sumatra and Kalimantan. The function of air transport is significant, particularly where land or water transport is deficient or non-existent, and well established, based on an extensive domestic airline network where all major cities can be reached by passenger plane.
Top Attractions
1. Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppets).
2. Prambanan Temple Complex.
3. Borobudur.
4. Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park.
5. Ubud.
6. Ampenan.
7. Bukit Lawang.
8. Bukittinggi.
Best Travel Time
Although Indonesia is scattered across the tropics and enjoys warm weather, the hot dry season is generally the best time to go, occurring between May and September. The farther southeast you go, the later the rains arrive. Indonesia is a vast archipelago of islands that stretches from the Malay Peninsula, southeast as far as Northern Australia and this has a determining factor on when the rainy season arrives. Temperatures in the wet season are more bearable, but the rain plays havoc with transport logistics, and the humidity is a killer.
Food and Drink
National specialties:
• Rijsttafel (a Dutch-invented smorgasbord of 12 various meat, fish, vegetable and curry dishes, sometimes served by 12 ‘maidens’).
• Sate (chunks of beef, fish, pork, chicken or lamb cooked on hot coals and dipped in peanut sauce).
• Rendang (west Sumatra; buffalo coconut curry).
• Gado-gado (Java; a salad of raw and cooked vegetables with peanut and coconut milk sauce).
• Babi guling (Bali; roast suckling pig).
National drinks:
• Es (ice drinks with syrups, fruits and jellies).
• Brem (Bali; rice wine).
• Tuak (palm-sap wine, a famously potent local brew).
• Arak (rice or palm-sap wine).
• Kelapa muda (young coconut juice).
Local Products/Shopping
Favorite buys are batik cloth, woodcarvings and sculpture, silverwork, woven baskets and hats, bamboo articles, krises (small daggers), paintings and woven cloth. At stalls and small shops, bartering might be necessary.
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1. Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppets).
Although Indonesia is scattered across the tropics and enjoys warm weather, the hot dry season is generally the best time to go, occurring between May and September. The farther southeast you go, the later the rains arrive. Indonesia is a vast archipelago of islands that stretches from the Malay Peninsula, southeast as far as Northern Australia and this has a determining factor on when the rainy season arrives. Temperatures in the wet season are more bearable, but the rain plays havoc with transport logistics, and the humidity is a killer.