Comprising the
Malay Archipelago, the republic of
Indonesia, island republic of South East Asia, is the world's fourth most populated country after china, India and United states. More than 50 % of the population lives on Java Island where the capital of Indonesia and its largest city,
Jakarta is situated.
Surrounded by the South China sea, the Celebes Sea and the Pacific Ocean to the north and by the Indian Ocean to the south and west, Indonesia island covers 5100 km (1/8 of earth's circumference).The main islands of Indonesia are
Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi. Parts of
Borneo and
New Guinea also fall under Indonesia.
The islands can be divided as follows:
A string of islands that stretch out from east to Java build up this region. The most significant of these islands is
Bali. There are nine islands in this belt. The islands other than Bali are
Flores, Komodo Lombok, Nusa Tenggara, Sumba, Sumbawa, and Timor.
Sumatra, Java,
Kalimantan, Sulawesi and a couple of thousand more islands make up this region and carry the bulk of Indonesian population. The islands that fall in this region are Sumatra, Java, Madura, Kalimantan, Riau and Sulawesi.
This region contains
Maluku, Irian Java and a few smaller islands. Cut off from the rest of Indonesia in various ways this part of the archipelago is least populated and perhaps the least developed.
The second largest island in Indonesia, Sumatra abounds in natural resources and natural beauty. Culturally and historically rich and with a panoramic diversity, Java is heavily populated. Kalimantan promises a fascinating and unforgettable experience to everyone who visits it. Considered as the 'home of Gods' and enveloped in mystery, Bali is the most popular tourist destination. Sulawesi, a heaven of white beaches, mountains, volcanoes and beautiful coral gardens, too is coming up as a major tourist attraction.
