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 on 17 August 1945
13 August 1960 (from France)
Religions
Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)
indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Languages
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese)
French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Exports
oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber
diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
External Debt
$186,900,000,000 $
$483,900,000 US
Exchange Rate
Indonesian rupiah (IDR) per US dollar - 9,558.1 (2008 est.), 9,056 (2007 est.), 9,159.3 (2006), 9,704.7 (2005), 8,938.9 (2004)
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 438.77 (2008 est.), 481.8 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
3.000%
0.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
5
0
Location
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Area
1,904,569 km sq
622,984 km sq
Coastline
54,716 km
0 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers