Even though Indonesia is affected from the global economy crisis, Indonesia still will be one of the countries with most favorable country in Southeast Asia for international tourist. Indonesia was known as an archipelago country with ± 17.500 islands and located between the Australian and Asian continental main lands and dividing Pacific and Indian Oceans at the Equator.
Looking back from history, Indonesia is famous as an archipelago that holds important region rules since the seven century. This us happened when Sriwijaya kingdom made a trade link with China. For century Indonesia’s natural resources has been drawn and strongly influenced by the foreign countries. Many our ancestor cultural was adapted under Indians influence, Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms from the early centuries. Muslim traders brought Islam and European Colony is fighting each other to monopolize trade in the Spice Island of Maluku during the age of discovery. Indonesia was under Dutch Colonialism for three and a half centuries and secured their Independence after World War II
Currently in 2007 Indonesia with over 242 millions of people is the fourth world most populous nation behind Republic of China, India and USA. However the spread of the population was not equal and well balance. On Java Island it contains 130 millions of people and Indonesia was able to slow down the average growth of the people 1, 5 % with family planning programs. Java population is over 1000 people per sq km ( four times more than United Kingdom) while in Papua is 126 people per sq km this shows that the big cities mostly in Java is keep on growing rather than outside Java. Many people move to big cities to try their luck for a better salary and better life.
Indonesia only has two seasons because it’s an tropical country. June to September the weather is relatively dry and hot and from December to March is rainy season. But even in rainy season the temperatures average is from 21 degrees C to 35 degrees.
Indonesia has at least 2/3 area is water territorial include 3, 1 million square kilometers pf tropical seas. Because of this strategic place fish population is overwhelm. In Papua there is an undersea place called Raja Ampat which is considered to be one of the richest marine habitat life in the world.
The main islands are Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua and Java. Indonesia shares two thirds of Borneo island with Brunei and Malaysia, Indonesia also shares New Guinea island with Papua New Guinea. In Sumatra the Weh island, Bintan island and Krakatau island are famous for diving activity. In Java they have 3 major dive spots Ujung Kulon, 1000 island, Karimun Jawa and each of those places is very unique and rich in marine habitat life.
Art and Culture
Since Indonesia have so many people from different cultural and habits so Indonesia is rich in art and has strong cultural influence. From Java you could find the traditional puppet played with both hands and accompanied with traditional gamelan music. The puppets usually perform some fragment from Hindu epics either Mahabrata or Ramayana. They played behind the white screen with lantern spotting the background that cast the shadow of the character and the audience could see the show from the other side. Do not forget that one of the seven wonder is in Yogyakarta the Borobudur temple. It is very hard to believe during the Stone Age people could build a temple that is so big and well architect. Another Indonesia t
rademark in culture is Batik. Batik is the cultural clothes from Java Island and created hundred years ago. You can see Batik in almost everywhere in Indonesia. The present Batik producers not only create the origin Batik but they also design many variant and combine the pattern between classic and modern. Most of the Batik comes from Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Pekalongan and Cirebon. For souvenir each province of Indonesia brings you different woodcarving and woods cultures for ornamentation and furniture, paintings are numerous in all over the country, filigree from South Sulawesi and Bali with different styles of clay, sandstone and wood sculptures.
Indonesia is also a millionaire in traditional dance styles. Ramayana epic is great to see in Yogyakarta. Wonosobo from Central Java has its Lengger Dance, which perform by a masked man dress as a women. Jaipongan comes from West Java kind of a modern dance that features swift movements to the rythms of traditional music. In Central Kalimantan you often find the Manasai dance to welcome guest. Mandai dance is also from Kalimantan, which is using shield and sword for ceremony. Bali also have the Barong, Kecak, Topeng and Baris dance.
Indonesia Cuisine
Most of Indonesia people are common to eat rice “nasi”. On the Eastern of Indonesia the main food traditionally ranges from corn, sago and cassava, to sweet potatoes. Fish is usually eat with fresh, salted, dried or smoked conditions. Spices and hot chilli peppers are the main ingredient of most cooking especially in West Sumatra and North Sulawesi. Despite of that each its own cuisine have many cooking method and ingredients. Sumatrans generally eat more beef than other. West Sumatra was well known for their Padang restaurants. Beside it hot and spicy food it also has special service. All the dishes are spread on the table before you choose which one you want. Javanese cuisine taste more general and consist vegetable, soybeans, beef or chicken.
Looking more to the East in Bali, Papua and Highlands of North Sumatra and Sulawesi pork dishes are specialties. Pork is usually served in Chinese restaurant or non-Moslem restaurant. They also like to consume seafood either grilled or made into curries.
Looking back from history, Indonesia is famous as an archipelago that holds important region rules since the seven century. This us happened when Sriwijaya kingdom made a trade link with China. For century Indonesia’s natural resources has been drawn and strongly influenced by the foreign countries. Many our ancestor cultural was adapted under Indians influence, Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms from the early centuries. Muslim traders brought Islam and European Colony is fighting each other to monopolize trade in the Spice Island of Maluku during the age of discovery. Indonesia was under Dutch Colonialism for three and a half centuries and secured their Independence after World War II
Currently in 2007 Indonesia with over 242 millions of people is the fourth world most populous nation behind Republic of China, India and USA. However the spread of the population was not equal and well balance. On Java Island it contains 130 millions of people and Indonesia was able to slow down the average growth of the people 1, 5 % with family planning programs. Java population is over 1000 people per sq km ( four times more than United Kingdom) while in Papua is 126 people per sq km this shows that the big cities mostly in Java is keep on growing rather than outside Java. Many people move to big cities to try their luck for a better salary and better life.Indonesia only has two seasons because it’s an tropical country. June to September the weather is relatively dry and hot and from December to March is rainy season. But even in rainy season the temperatures average is from 21 degrees C to 35 degrees.
Indonesia has at least 2/3 area is water territorial include 3, 1 million square kilometers pf tropical seas. Because of this strategic place fish population is overwhelm. In Papua there is an undersea place called Raja Ampat which is considered to be one of the richest marine habitat life in the world.
The main islands are Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Papua and Java. Indonesia shares two thirds of Borneo island with Brunei and Malaysia, Indonesia also shares New Guinea island with Papua New Guinea. In Sumatra the Weh island, Bintan island and Krakatau island are famous for diving activity. In Java they have 3 major dive spots Ujung Kulon, 1000 island, Karimun Jawa and each of those places is very unique and rich in marine habitat life.
Art and Culture
Since Indonesia have so many people from different cultural and habits so Indonesia is rich in art and has strong cultural influence. From Java you could find the traditional puppet played with both hands and accompanied with traditional gamelan music. The puppets usually perform some fragment from Hindu epics either Mahabrata or Ramayana. They played behind the white screen with lantern spotting the background that cast the shadow of the character and the audience could see the show from the other side. Do not forget that one of the seven wonder is in Yogyakarta the Borobudur temple. It is very hard to believe during the Stone Age people could build a temple that is so big and well architect. Another Indonesia t
rademark in culture is Batik. Batik is the cultural clothes from Java Island and created hundred years ago. You can see Batik in almost everywhere in Indonesia. The present Batik producers not only create the origin Batik but they also design many variant and combine the pattern between classic and modern. Most of the Batik comes from Yogyakarta, Surakarta, Pekalongan and Cirebon. For souvenir each province of Indonesia brings you different woodcarving and woods cultures for ornamentation and furniture, paintings are numerous in all over the country, filigree from South Sulawesi and Bali with different styles of clay, sandstone and wood sculptures.Indonesia is also a millionaire in traditional dance styles. Ramayana epic is great to see in Yogyakarta. Wonosobo from Central Java has its Lengger Dance, which perform by a masked man dress as a women. Jaipongan comes from West Java kind of a modern dance that features swift movements to the rythms of traditional music. In Central Kalimantan you often find the Manasai dance to welcome guest. Mandai dance is also from Kalimantan, which is using shield and sword for ceremony. Bali also have the Barong, Kecak, Topeng and Baris dance.
Indonesia Cuisine
Most of Indonesia people are common to eat rice “nasi”. On the Eastern of Indonesia the main food traditionally ranges from corn, sago and cassava, to sweet potatoes. Fish is usually eat with fresh, salted, dried or smoked conditions. Spices and hot chilli peppers are the main ingredient of most cooking especially in West Sumatra and North Sulawesi. Despite of that each its own cuisine have many cooking method and ingredients. Sumatrans generally eat more beef than other. West Sumatra was well known for their Padang restaurants. Beside it hot and spicy food it also has special service. All the dishes are spread on the table before you choose which one you want. Javanese cuisine taste more general and consist vegetable, soybeans, beef or chicken.
Looking more to the East in Bali, Papua and Highlands of North Sumatra and Sulawesi pork dishes are specialties. Pork is usually served in Chinese restaurant or non-Moslem restaurant. They also like to consume seafood either grilled or made into curries.
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