Indonesia: 16 Interesting Facts You Might Not Know

Indonesia is located in South East Asia. On the 26th of December 2004 an earthquake struck off the Western coast of Indonesia and caused a tsunami (which killed more than 260,000 people in 14 countries).

The Indonesian city of Banda Aceh (on the island of Sumatra) was the city closest to the earthquake’s epicenter (which was in the Indian Ocean). The tsunami caused major damage to the city. There is much more to Indonesia than this, so keep on reading find out more about this interesting country.

Here are 16 Interesting Facts About Indonesia

1. The country declared independence from the Netherlands in 1945 but it was only acknowledged in 1949.

2. According to 2023 estimates the country’s has a population of 277 million.

3. Indonesia is the world’s 16th largest country (based on total land area) and is also the world’s largest Muslim country. An estimated 87% of the population is Muslim.

4. The country is comprised of over 17,000 islands. Only 6,000 of these islands are inhabited by humans though. The largest islands are Java, Sumatra, New Guinea, Sulawesi and Kalimantan.

5. It’s the home of the Javan rhinoceros (which is not found anywhere else in the world). The species is on the Critically Endangered Species list.

6. Bali is the most popular tourist destination in the country.

7. Jakarta (the country’s capital city) has a population of 35 million (according to 2021 estimates). It’s the 2nd largest urban area on the planet (behind Tokyo in Japan).

8. The name of the country is derived from a Latin word-Indus. Indus means India and the Greek term nesos means islands. The name Indonesia became popular in the year 1900. The country is also known as Tanah Air Kita (meaning “Our Land and Water”).

9. The country has quite a diverse culture. +/- 700 languages and dialects are spoken in the country.  Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of the country. Just the Papua Province alone boasts over 270 spoken dialects.

10. Punkcak jaya is said to be the highest point in the country, situated in the highlands of Papua.

11. Indonesia is home to over 100 endangered animals. These animals include, the Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Komodo Dragon, Orang-utans, the anoa (the smallest buffalo in the world), the beautiful Merak or Peafowl, sea turtles and the Tarsius Tarsier (a small, adorable, big-eyed primate not unlike Dobby the house elf in Harry Potter).

12. It’s also home to the largest volcanic lake on earthLake Toba is the world’s biggest natural, volcanic lake and is located inside a super-volcano in northern Sumatra. The lake is simply enormous and has been measured to be roughly 500 metres deep, 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide. Lake Toba is thought to be the site of a monster eruption that occurred around 70,000 years ago and is thought to be the largest-known explosive eruption on earth and killed the majority of humans alive at that time.

13. At 54,716 kilometers, Indonesia’s coral-fringed, palm-tree edged coastline is second to Canada for being the longest coastline on earth.

14. The country has a macabre and bizarre history with head-hunting. Head-hunting is the grisly practice of killing a person by cutting off their head and then preserving the ‘trophy’ and displaying it. Indonesian head-hunters have a long history of enjoying a terrifying reputation as fierce and unforgiving warriors. Although not practiced today, some Indonesian families with head-hunting ancestors have kept their grandfather’s ‘trophies’ and are stored today in modern-day homes.

15. Indonesia and Monaco have the exact same flag. A strip of red at the top and a strip of white at the bottom, the Indonesian flag hardly seems the most creative or the most painstakingly thought-out in the world. While Poland’s flag is the reverse flag (white on top and red on the bottom), Indonesia and Monaco have completely identical flags, the only difference being that Indonesia’s flag is slightly wider.

16. Indonesia is known for the Rafflesia arnoldii, which is the largest flower in the world, reaching up to 3 feet (0.9 metres) in diameter and emitting a strong odor similar to that of rotting flesh, hence its nickname “corpse flower”.

There you have it, 16 interesting facts about Indonesia. If you have anything else to add please comment on this blog post.

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