Land area:
2 million sq. km. (736,000 sq. mi.)
Maritime area:
7,900,000 sq. km. The world's largest archipelago with more than 17,000 islands; 6,000 are inhabited; 1,000 of which are permanently settled.
Major islands:
Sumatera, Java, Kalimantan, Bali, Sulawesi, Papua.
Terrain:
Coastal plains with mountainous interiors.
Capital:
Jakarta (around 10 million of population, largest city).
Other major cities:
Surabaya (2nd largest city), and Bandung (3rd largest city), Medan, Batam, Padang, Palembang, Semarang, Yogjakarta, Denpasar, Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Makassar, Manado.
Climate:
Tropical; cooler in the highlands 16-35°C(77°-90°F)
Population:
245 million (Indonesia is currently the world's fourth-most populous nation), 110 million of which live on the island of Java.
Ethnic:
300 ethnic groups, which include numerous related but distinct cultural and linguistic groups, many of which are ethnically Malay.
Major ethnic groups:
Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, coastal Malays 7.5% and others 33.5%.
National language:
Bahasa Indonesia (a form of Malay language). English is the most widely spoken foreign language.
Religion:
87% Islam, 6% Protestant, 3% Catholic, 2% Hindu, 1% Buddhist and other.
Literacy:
85%.
