Country Profile: Republic of Indonesia

News

Apr 2008: Chinese are feeling better about being citizens of Indonesia at the same time that they are identifying themselves more closely with mainland China and embracing Chinese culture. Chinese are starring on television, and there are Chinese in politics. It has been ten years since the last anti-Chinese riots, but fear among them has not completely dissipated.

Geography

Many islands in Southeast Asia, between Indian and Pacific Oceans, equivalent in size to 1,385 by 1,385 kilometers, or roughly 866 by 866 miles. Hot and humid. Capital: Jakarta.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Factbook: "Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has made significant economic advances under the administration of President YUDHOYONO, but faces challenges stemming from the global financial crisis and world economic downturn. Indonesia's debt-to-GDP ratio in recent years has declined steadily because of increasingly robust GDP growth and sound fiscal stewardship. The government has introduced significant reforms in the financial sector, including in the areas of tax and customs, the use of Treasury bills, and capital market supervision. Indonesia's investment law, passed in March 2007, seeks to address some of the concerns of foreign and domestic investors."

Per capita GDP (2009 U.S. dollars)

2009: $4,000
2008: $3,900
2007: $3,700

GDP annual real (not per capita) growth rate estimate

2009: 4.5%
2008: 6.1%
2007: 6.3%

Unemployment rate

2009: 7.7%
2008: 8.4%
2007: 9.1%

Public debt

2009: 29.8% of GDP

Military expenditures as a percentage of GDP

2005: 3%

Population

Living in an urban area: 52% (2008)

July 2009: 240.3 million. Growth rate: 1.136% (ranks 117th)
July 2008: 237.5 million
July 2007 234.69 million

Density for 2005: 132 persons per square kilometer.

Health

Infant mortality (deaths before the age of one year per 1,000 live births)

2009: 29.97
2008: 31.04
2005: 35.6

Average life expectancy at birth

2009: 70.76 years
2008: 70.46
2005: 69.57

Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 0.1 percent (2003)

Ethnicities

Javanese 45 percent, Sundanese 14 percent, Madurese 7.5 percent, coastal Malays 7.5 percent, other 26 percent

Religions

Muslim 88 percent, Protestant 5 percent, Roman Catholic 3 percent, Hindu 2 percent, Buddhist 1 percent, other 1 percent (1998). Hinduism is prominent on the island of Bali.Buddhism was prevalent before the arrival of Islam. It became adhered to mostly by Indonesia's Chinese. When General Suharto acquired power in 1965 everybody was required to have a religion, or they would be considered Communist, and Communists were being exterminated. So many Chinese made a show of adopting Christianity.

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/