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
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
Religions
Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census)
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 15%
Languages
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese)
Spanish (official), English 14%; note - many Panamanians bilingual
Exports
oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber
bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee, clothing
External Debt
$187,100,000,000 $
$14,200,000,000 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)
balboas (PAB) per US dollar - 1 (2008 est.), 1 (2007), 1 (2006), 1 (2005), 1 (2004) note: the US dollar is the legal currency
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.900%
1.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
5
1
Location
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Colombia and Costa Rica
Area
1,904,569 km sq
75,420 km sq
Coastline
54,716 km
2,490 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
tropical maritime; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
