occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires
Environment - current issues
deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires
Environment - international agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya are high risks in some locations
note
highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)
Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)
Languages
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese)
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
90.4%
male
94%
female
86.8% (2004 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Republic of Indonesia
conventional short form
Indonesia
local long form
Republik Indonesia
local short form
Indonesia
former
Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Jakarta
geographic coordinates
6 10 S, 106 48 E
time difference
UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note
Indonesia is divided into three time zones
Administrative divisions
30 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Irian Jaya Barat, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Barat, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Yogyakarta*
note: following the implementation of decentralization beginning on 1 January 2001, the 440 districts or regencies have become the key administrative units responsible for providing most government services
Independence
17 August 1945 (declared)
note: recognized by the Netherlands on 27 December 1949; in August 2005 the Netherlands announced it recognized de facto Indonesian independence began on 17 August 1945
National holiday
Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
Constitution
August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959; series of amendments concluded in 2002
Legal system
based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Executive branch
chief of state
President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20 October 2004); Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government
President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20 October 2004); Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20 October 2004)
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the president
elections
president and vice president were elected for five-year terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote of the citizenry; last held 20 September 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results
Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%
Legislative branch
House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (550 seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House of Regional Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD), constitutionally mandated role includes providing legislative input to DPR on issues affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and impeaching president and in amending constitution; consists of popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate national policy
elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P 18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others 19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN 53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50
note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not always follow the percentage of votes received by parties
Judicial branch
Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the president from a list of candidates selected by the legislature); a separate Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi was invested by the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Labor Court under supervision of Supreme Court began functioning in January 2006
Political parties and leaders
Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [MS KABAN]; Democratic Party or PD [Hadi UTOMO]; Functional Groups Party or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA]; Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle or PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri]; National Awakening Party or PKB [MUHAIMIN Iskander]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Sutrisno BACHIR]; Prosperous Justice Party or PKS [Tifatul SEMBIRING]; United Development Party or PPP [Suryadharma ALI]
2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone
[1] (202) 775-5200
FAX
[1] (202) 775-5365
consulate(s) general
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John A. HEFFERN
embassy
Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka Selatan 4-5, Jakarta 10110
mailing address
Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520
telephone
[62] (21) 3435-9000
FAX
[62] (21) 3435-9922
consulate(s) general
Surabaya
consulate(s)
Medan; Denpasar (consular agency)
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red
Economy - overview
Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has struggled to overcome the Asian financial crisis, and still grapples with persistent poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, endemic corruption, a fragile banking sector, a poor investment climate, and unequal resource distribution among regions. The country continues the slow work of rebuilding from the devastating December 2004 tsunami and from an earthquake in central Java in May 2006 that caused over $3 billion in damage and losses. Declining oil production and lack of new exploration investment turned Indonesia into a net oil importer in 2004. The cost of subsidizing domestic fuel placed increasing strain on the budget in 2005, and combined with indecisive monetary policy, contributed to a run on the currency in August, prompting the government to enact a 126% average fuel price hike in October. The resulting inflation and interest rate hikes dampened growth through mid-2006, while large increases in rice prices pushed millions more people under the national poverty line. Economic reformers introduced three policy packages in 2006 to improve the investment climate, infrastructure, and the financial sector, but translating them into reality has not been easy. Keys to future growth remain internal reform, building up the confidence of international and domestic investors, and strong global economic growth. Significant progress has been made in rebuilding Aceh after the devastating December 2004 tsunami, and the province now shows more economic activity than before the disaster. Unfortunately, Indonesia suffered new disasters in 2006 and early 2007 including: a major earthquake near Yogyakarta, an industrial accident in Sidoarjo, East Java that created a "mud volcano," a tsunami in South Java, and major flooding in Jakarta, all of which caused additional damages in the billions of dollars. Donors are assisting Indonesia with its disaster mitigation and early warning efforts.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$948.3 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$264.7 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$3,900 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
13.1%
industry
46%
services
41% (2006 est.)
Labor force
108.2 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
43.3%
industry
18%
services
38.7% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate
12.5% (2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
17.8% (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
3.6%
highest 10%
28.5% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
34.8 (2004)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
13.2% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
20.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$75.58 billion
expenditures
$79.45 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism
Industrial production growth rate
2.6% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production
123.4 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
86.9%
hydro
10.5%
nuclear
0%
other
2.6% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
107.7 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2005 est.)
Oil - production
1.136 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption
1.168 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports
474,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports
424,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
4.85 billion bbl (2006 est.)
Natural gas - production
76 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
39.4 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports
36.29 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
2.76 trillion cu m (31 December 2005 est.)
Current account balance
$1.636 billion (2006 est.)
Exports
$102.3 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber
Exports - partners
Japan 19.3%, Singapore 11.8%, US 11.5%, South Korea 7.8%, China 7.7% (2006)
Imports
$77.73 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners
Singapore 30.3%, China 11.5%, Japan 9%, Malaysia 5%, Thailand 4.1%, Australia 4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$43.04 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$130.4 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
ODA, $67 billion (2006 est.)
note: Indonesia ended 2006 with $67 billion in official foreign debt (about 25% of GDP), with Japan ($25 billion), the World Bank ($8.5 billion) and the Asian Development Bank ($8.4 billion) as the largest creditors; about $6 billion in grant assistance was pledged to rebuild Aceh after the December 2004 tsunami; President YUDHYONO ended the Consultative Group on Indonesia forum in January 2007
Currency (code)
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Currency code
IDR
Exchange rates
Indonesian rupiah per US dollar - 9,159.3 (2006), 9,704.7 (2005), 8,938.9 (2004), 8,577.1 (2003), 9,311.2 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
12.772 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
46.91 million (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
domestic service fair, international service good
domestic
interisland microwave system and HF radio police net; domestic satellite communications system
international
country code - 62; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)
Radios
31.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations
54 local TV stations (11 national TV networks; each with their own group of local transmitters) (2006)
Televisions
13.75 million (1997)
Internet country code
.id
Internet hosts
170,834 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
24 (2000)
Internet users
16 million (2005)
Airports
662 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
159
over 3,047 m
4
2,438 to 3,047 m
15
1,524 to 2,437 m
49
914 to 1,523 m
49
under 914 m
42 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
503
1,524 to 2,437 m
6
914 to 1,523 m
26
under 914 m
471 (2006)
Heliports
23 (2006)
Pipelines
condensate 944 km; condensate/gas 135 km; gas 9,175 km; oil 7,684 km; oil/gas/water 89 km; refined products 1,367 km (2006)
Railways
total
6,458 km
narrow gauge
5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)
Roadways
total
368,360 km
paved
213,649 km
unpaved
154,711 km (2002)
Waterways
21,579 km (2007)
Merchant marine
total
824 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,773,771 GRT/4,887,614 DWT
by type
bulk carrier 43, cargo 451, chemical tanker 21, container 50, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 41, passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker 132, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 12, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned
30 (France 1, Germany 1, Japan 3, South Korea 1, Norway 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 17, Switzerland 3, UK 2)
registered in other countries
122 (Bahamas 4, Belize 2, Bermuda 1, Cambodia 1, Georgia 1, Hong Kong 4, Liberia 1, Panama 50, Singapore 56, Thailand 1, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang, Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok
Military branches
Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI)
Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, includes marines, naval air arm), Air Force (TNI-AU)
note
the TNI is directly subordinate to the president but the government is making efforts to incorporate it into the Department of Defense
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2002)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
60,543,028
females age 18-49
59,981,730 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
48,687,234
females age 18-49
50,252,911 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
2,201,047
females age 18-49
2,139,573 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
3% (2005 est.)
Disputes - international
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 200,000-350,000 (government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most IDPs in Aceh, Central Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi Provinces, and Maluku), 300,000 (December 2006 floods in Aceh regions) (2006)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of methamphetamine and ecstasy
