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
Religions
Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)
Muslim 85%, Christian 8%, indigenous beliefs 7%
Languages
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese)
French (official); note - each ethnic group has its own language
Exports
oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber
External Debt
$186,900,000,000 $
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)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
3.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
5
0
Location
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone
Area
1,904,569 km sq
245,857 km sq
Coastline
54,716 km
320 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
