INDONESIA

"Indonesia"

What are your first thoughts when you hear that name? Is it Bali? Rendang? Mi Goreng and Nasi Goreng? Batik? Wayang?

Yapp, Indonesia is synonymous with some of these things. It's not even strange if there are residents from abroad who don't know this country; for example, they actually think Bali is their own country and not part of Indonesia.

In this article, we will straighten out what needs to be straightened out and tell what the world wants to know about Indonesia, a country with all its cultural diversity and infinite heritage.

What is Indonesia?

Indonesia, commonly referred to as the Republik Indonesia (RI), and in full, namely Negara Kesatuan Republik Indonesia (NKRI), is one of the archipelagic countries included in the Asian region, precisely in Southeast Asia, or more specifically between the equator and between 2 continents, namely the continents of Asia and Australia. Even Indonesia is also located between two oceans, namely the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia is also the 14th largest country with an area of 1,904,569 km2 and the 6th most island country in the world with a total of 17,504 islands stretching from Sabang (Aceh) to Merauke (Papua). In addition, Indonesia has a population of more than 257 million. Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia's population is projected to be 275.77 million people in 2022.

Indonesian Flag

The Indonesian flag, also known as Sang Merah Putih, Sang Saka Merah Putih, Merah Putih, or sometimes also called Sang Dwiwarna (two colors), is a rectangular flag with a width of 2/3 (two-thirds) of the length, and the top is red and the bottom is white; both halves are the same size. The red color here is likened to a symbol of courage, and white is a symbol of purity.

From Sabang to Merauke, Indonesia has a variety of ethnicities, languages, religions, cultures, and many other diversity. In the 2010 census conducted by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), it was stated that the number of ethnic groups in Indonesia reached more than 1,340 ethnic groups with the largest group being the Javanese, which made up 41% of the entire population. Besides ethnicity, Indonesia also has other diversity, namely language. The number of languages that are still used by the community is 715 languages (according to the Ethnologue) with the national language, namely Indonesian. No wonder the people here can at least speak 2 languages, namely the Regional Language, as their mother tongue and Indonesian, as the national language. Indonesia is also a country that requires its inhabitants to recognize one of 6 recognized religions, including Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism with the current percentage according to indonesia.go.id including 87.2% adherents of Islam, 6 .9% Protestant, 2.9% Catholic, 1.7% Hindu, 0.7% Buddhist, and 0.05% Confucian. In addition to the diversity of ethnicity, language and religion, Indonesia also has another diversity, namely culture. Indonesian culture is all national, local and foreign cultures that have existed since before Indonesia's independence. Indonesia has a variety of cultures such as regional dances, traditional clothing, traditional houses, typical food, and many other characteristics from each region.

Something unique?

There are some unique things, and maybe they can only be found in Indonesia.

1. The biggest Buddhist temple in the world?

Yapp, Indonesia has the Borobudur Temple, which is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and located in Magelang, Central Java. This temple is estimated to have been built around the 8th and 9th centuries. The British Governor General in Java, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, discovered the Borobudur Temple in 1814. He wrote this story in a book entitled "The History of Java" or "The History of the Island of Java." This temple has an area of about 2,500 m2 with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

2. Cerita Rakyat (Folklore) 

Not only foreign countries have legendary stories such as Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Pinocchio, etc. In addition to its diverse culture, Indonesia also has literary works in the form of folk stories, which are still being preserved from generation to generation. Usually the stories raised are legends from a place, myths, and fables, where each story has its own meaning and is believed by the community. This folklore is still spread in society today. There are also various ways of spreading, namely through word of mouth, books, or animated films. Some well-known folk stories include the story of Malin Kundang, which tells of a child who is disobedient to his mother and will be repaid in the future; the story of Sangkuriang, which tells the legend of Mount Tangkuban Parahu; the story of Roro Jonggrang, who is believed to be the legend of the construction of the Prambanan Temple; and many other stories that have spread throughout the archipelago.

3. Komodo

Besides the world's largest temples and folklore, Indonesia also has a variety of unique flora and fauna. One of them is Komodo. This animal, which can only be found in Indonesia, is an ancient species that can be found in the Komodo National Park, which includes the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami. Known as the largest reptile in the world, Komodo dragons can weigh up to 90 kg and measure more than two meters.

4. Wayang

Wayang is one of the typical Indonesian cultural arts. Wayang itself is a performing art that uses statues or puppets that play characters and are controlled by a puppeteer. Wayang performances are a blend of voice, acting, music, painting, and literature. There are various types of Wayang in Indonesia, namely Wayang Kulit, Wayang Golek, and Wayang Wong, and there are still others.

5. Raflesia Arnoldi

Indonesia also has the largest flower, the Rafflesia Arnoldi flower. This flower was first discovered in the forests of Sumatra by Dr. Joseph Arnold and Stanford Raffles. Therefore, it is called Raflesia Arnoldi. Uniquely, of the many species that grow around the world, there are 14 species that grow in the forests of Indonesia, especially Sumatra.

The things above are a description of some of the uniqueness that can be found in Indonesia.

We will discuss other unique things in the next chapter, namely the provincial chapter. In this provincial chapter, provincial aspects related to their characteristics and uniqueness will be discussed.

For the following discussion, we will introduce the characteristics of all regions in Indonesia, from Sabang to Merauke. Whether it's about culture, society, or tourist destinations in the area. 

So, stay tuned!☺