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Jakarta street |
Comprising more than 17,500 islands, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic state. It is also the world’s fourth most populous country and has the world’s largest Muslim population, although it is not an Islamic state officially.
The country has experienced major falls in recent times with the Asian financial crisis, President Suharto’s fall after 32 years in office, the relentless independence demands from restive provinces, violent ethnic clashes and religious conflict and the catastrophic tsunami.
The post-Suharto Indonesia has restored democracy to the country and power has been transferred away from the central government, with the first direct presidential elections held in 2004. Terrorism remains a pressing threat to the country with a rising number of militant Islamic groups, accused of having links with the Al-Qaeda organisation.
Indonesia’s geographical location has left the country prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. A powerful undersea quake in late 2004 sent massive waves crashing into coastal areas of Sumatra, and into coastal communities across south and east Asia which left more than 220 thousand Indonesians dead or missing.
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