Portal:Indonesia
The Indonesian Portal
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a nation of islands consisting of almost 18,000 islands located in the South East Asian Archipelago. It covers the distance from Sabang in the west to Merauke to east (about 5,000 kilometres [3,100 mi]) and from the island of Miangas in the north to the islands of Rote to south (about 1,000 kilometres [620 mi]). The country respects its diversity with the motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika or "Unity in Diversity". Jakarta, the nation's capital city, is located on island of Java, which is one of the five most populous islands in the nation, along with Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi and New Guinea. Europeans first started visiting the archipelago in the Sixteenth Century. For example the famous British circumnavigator, Sir Francis Drake arrived in Ternate in the Moluccas Islands in November 1579. Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and British continued to arrive over the next century. Later, these countries demanded more than spices and began colonising the archipelago. The Dutch ruled the area for more than 300 years and, in 1942, the Japanese arrived in Indonesia and ruled for three years. Indonesia declared its independence on 17 August 1945. It is the world's fourth most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority nation, with more than 250 million citizens. Selected article The Komodo dragon is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2–3 metres (6 ft 7 in–9 ft 10 in). Komodo dragons are a member of the monitor lizard family and only inhabit the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Padar, Flores, Gili Motang, Owadi, and Samiin in eastern Indonesia. In the wild, large adults tend to weigh around 70 kilograms (154 pounds). Their saliva will frequently be blood-tinged, because their teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue and this tissue is naturally lacerated during feeding. Komodo Dragons are carnivorous. Although they eat mostly carrion, studies show that they also hunt live prey. When suitable prey arrives near its ambush site, it will suddenly charge at the animal and go for the underside or the throat. (Read more...) Selected biographyPong Tiku (1846–1909) was a Torajan leader and guerrilla fighter who operated in southern Sulawesi, part of modern-day Indonesia. The son of the lord of Pangala', after Tiku captured the neighbouring kingdom Baruppu' he became its leader. By exploiting the coffee trade and allying with the lowlands Buginese, Tiku was able to compile large amounts of wealth, land, and power. When the Dutch colonials, based in Java, invaded Sulawesi in the early 1900s, Tiku and his soldiers utilised fortresses to withstand and launch attacks. Captured in October 1906, in January 1907 he escaped and remained at large until June. He was executed several days later. Since his death, Tiku has been used as a symbol of Torajan resistance. Long commemorated in Sulawesi, he was officially declared a National Hero of Indonesia in 2002. (Read more...) Did you know
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In the newsSelected picture Photographer: Stephen Kennedy on Flickr; License: Creative Commons CC-BY Indonesia TopicsWikiProjectsWant to help?: Related portalsAssociated Wikimedia
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