Indonesia

WonderfuI Indonesia

Overview of Indonesia

History

Indonesia has a long history that began with organized civilizations on the islands of Java and Sumatra. A Buddhist kingdom called Srivijaya grew on Sumatra from the seventh to the 14th century, and at its peak, it spread from West Java to the Malay Peninsula. By the 14th century, eastern Java saw the rise of the Hindu Kingdom Majapahit. Majapahit's chief minister from 1331 to 1364, Gadjah Mada, was able to gain control of much of what is present-day Indonesia. However, Islam arrived in Indonesia in the 12th century, and by the end of the 16th century, it replaced Hinduism as the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra.

In the early 1600s, the Dutch began growing large settlements on Indonesia's islands. By 1602, they were in control of much of the country (except East Timor, which belonged to Portugal). The Dutch then ruled Indonesia for 300 years as the Netherlands East Indies.

By the early 20th century, Indonesia began a movement for independence which grew particularly large between World Wars I and II. Japan occupied Indonesia during WWII; following Japan's surrender to the Allies, a small group of Indonesians proclaimed independence for Indonesia. On August 17, 1945, this group established the Republic of Indonesia.

In 1949, the new Republic of Indonesia adopted a constitution that established a parliamentary system of government. It was unsuccessful, though, because the executive branch of Indonesia's government was to be chosen by parliament itself, which was divided among various political parties. which was divided among various political parties.

Indonesia struggled to govern itself in the years following its independence, and there were several unsuccessful rebellions beginning in 1958. In 1959, President Soekarno re-established a provisional constitution that had been written in 1945 to provide broad presidential powers and take power from the parliament. This act led to an authoritarian government termed "Guided Democracy" from 1959 to 1965.

In the late 1960s, President Soekarno transferred his political power to General Suharto, who eventually became Indonesia's president in 1967. The new President Suharto established what he called the "New Order" to rehabilitate Indonesia's economy. President Suharto controlled the country until he resigned in 1998 after years of continued civil unrest.

Indonesia's third president, President Habibie, then took power in 1999 and began rehabilitating Indonesia's economy and restructuring the government. Since then, Indonesia has held several successful elections, its economy is growing, and the country is becoming more stable.

Geography

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago with 13,677 islands (6,000 of which are inhabited). Indonesia has a long history of political and economic instability and has only recently begun to grow more secure in those areas. Today, Indonesia is a growing tourist hotspot because of its tropical landscape in places such as Bali.

"Indonesia- Country Quick-facts
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Visa requirements: No visa required for South Africans with a valid passport for stays of up to 30 days at select ports of entry. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months and have at least 2 blank pages.

Continent: South-east Asia

Capital: Jakarta

Medical requirement: Malaria preventative measures in the area joined with Papua New Guinea

Currency / Exchange Rate: Indonesian Rupiah (Weaker than the rand)

National Carriers: Garuda Indonesia

Main airports: Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Jakarta), Ngurah Rai International Airport (Bali), Juanda International Airport (Surabaya), Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (Makassar), Kuala Namu International Airport (Sumatra)

Time Zone: Jakarta - 5 hours ahead of SA; Bali - 6 hours ahead of SA; Jayapura: 7 hours ahead of SA

Plugs: European style two-round pins

Public transport: Between islands there are ferries available to travel between islands, and there are trains available on Java and parts of Sumatra. You can also hop on busses between main cities and within cities you can take a bicycle taxi that's normally quite cheap.

Best time to visit: May to September, but September is in-between busy seasons and makes for smaller crowds and cheaper deals.

Climate: Tropical with extreme humidity with no real change of seasons - only varies between rainy and dry seasons.

Food specialties: One of the best dishes in Indonesia is gado gado, a peanut satay in stir fry. The most common dish is nasi goreng, fried rice with seasoning and vegetables, sometimes including an egg. For vegetarians, tempeh is their version of tofu, which is fermented soy beans fried with spices and onions. Noodles is also quite common and satay grilled chicken or lamb. Be wary of durian - it's a foul-smelling fruit banned in most public spaces.

Language: Indonesian (Official), Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese