Indonesia
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Jakarta
- Population
- 283,587,097 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 1,904,569 sq km
- Government
- presidential republic
- Religions
- Muslim 87.4%, Protestant 7.5%, Roman Catholic 3.1%, Hindu 1.7%, other 0.8% (includes Buddhist and Confucian) (2022 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Javanese 40.1%, Sundanese 15.5%, Malay 3.7%, Batak 3.6%, Madurese 3%, Betawi 2.9%, Minangkabau 2.7%, Buginese 2.7%, Bantenese 2%, Banjarese 1.7%, Balinese 1.7%, Acehnese 1.4%, Dayak 1.4%, Sasak 1.3%, Chinese 1.2%, other 15% (2010 est.)
- Currency
- Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
- Life Expectancy
- 73.6 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .id
- Climate
- tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
- Terrain
- mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
- Major Exports
- coal, palm oil, iron alloys, lignite, garments (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
The archipelago was once largely under the control of Buddhist and Hindu rulers. By around the 7th century, a Buddhist kingdom arose on Sumatra and expanded into Java and the Malay Peninsula until it was conquered in the late 13th century by the Hindu Majapahit Empire from Java.