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Portal:Indonesia

"WP:PID" redirects here. This is not about some esoteric image blacklisting tool, though I suppose some might find the concept of a restricted image library… limiting. This is about Indonesia. You wanted an article? Fine. Don't expect me to hold your hand.

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Selamat Datang / Welcome to the Indonesian Portal

This is where the vastness of Indonesia is laid bare. A country of islands, oceans, and an astonishing diversity of life and culture.

The flag of Indonesia – a simple red and white, yet it carries the weight of a nation. And there’s a map, of course. Because you’ll need one.

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a nation sprawled across Southeast Asia and Oceania, a strategic nexus between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Forget neat borders; this is a realm of over 17,000 islands. Think Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and the western fringes of Borneo and New Guinea. It’s the world's largest archipelagic state, a colossal entity that ranks as the 14th-largest country by area, covering an expanse of 1,904,569 square kilometers (735,358 square miles). And people? It has more than 280 million souls, making it the fourth-most-populous country globally, and notably, the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, its most populous island, acts as the demographic heart, housing over half the nation's inhabitants.

Indonesia operates under a presidential republic, its governance steered by an elected legislature. Administratively, it’s divided into 38 provinces, with nine of these enjoying special autonomous status. Jakarta, the sprawling capital, is not just a city; it’s the world's second-most-populous urban area. Indonesia’s land borders are shared with Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and East Malaysia. Its maritime reach extends to Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and India. Despite its dense population centers, Indonesia retains vast swathes of untouched wilderness, a sanctuary for some of the world's highest levels of biodiversity.

The fabric of Indonesian society is woven from hundreds of ethnic and linguistic groups, with the Javanese forming the largest thread. The national identity, however, is bound by the motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – "Unity in Diversity." This identity is shaped by a shared national language, a mosaic of cultural and religious expressions, and a history steeped in colonialism and the fierce struggle against it. As a newly industrialised country, Indonesia's economy is a significant force, ranking as the world's 17th-largest by nominal GDP and the 7th-largest by PPP. It stands as the world's third-largest democracy and wields considerable influence as a middle power on the global stage. Indonesia is an active participant in numerous multilateral organizations, including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, the G20, MIKTA, and BRICS. It was also a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the East Asia Summit, APEC, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. ( Full article... )


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Selected article

  • Refreshing this section is like sifting through sand for a specific grain. You might find something interesting, or you might just get dirty.

  • Malay language Areas where Malay is spoken:

    • Indonesia
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore and Brunei, where Standard Malay is an official language
    • East Timor, where Dili Malay is a Malay creole language and Indonesian is used as a working language
    • Southern Thailand and the Cocos Isl., where other varieties of Malay are spoken

    Malay (pronounced /məˈleɪ/ in the UK, /ˈmeɪleɪ/ in the US, with the endonym Bahasa Melayu and written in Jawi script as بهاس ملايو) is an Austronesian language spoken predominantly by Malays across various islands in Maritime Southeast Asia and the Malay Peninsula on mainland Asia. It holds official language status in Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore. Indonesian, a meticulously standardized variant of Malay, serves as the official language of Indonesia and one of the working languages in Timor-Leste. Malay is also spoken as a regional language by ethnic Malays in Indonesia, the southern Philippines, and the southern reaches of Thailand. In total, it’s spoken by approximately 60 million people throughout Maritime Southeast Asia.

    This language is a prime example of a pluricentric language and operates as a macrolanguage. This means it's a collection of speech varieties that are largely mutually intelligible, forming a dialect continuum. These varieties, despite their shared roots, often lack a single, traditional common name and may be considered distinct languages by their respective speakers. Several standardized forms of Malay have been designated as the national language ( bahasa kebangsaan or bahasa nasional ) in various nation-states, each with its own official designation: in Malaysia, it's referred to as either Bahasa Melayu ("Malay language") or, in certain contexts, Bahasa Malaysia ("Malaysian language"); in Singapore and Brunei, it's known as Bahasa Melayu ("Malay language"), where in the latter, it signifies a formal standard variety distinct from its own vernacular dialect; in Indonesia, a distinct normative variety named Bahasa Indonesia ("Indonesian language") is designated as the bahasa persatuan/pemersatu ("unifying language" or lingua franca). The term "Malay" (bahasa Melayu) in Indonesia, however, refers to the vernacular varieties indigenous to the regions of Central to Southern Sumatra and West Kalimantan, functioning as the ethnic languages of the Malay people within Indonesia. ( Full article... )


List of selected articles

A curated selection. Don't get too attached.


Selected picture

A Tongkonan, the ancestral dwelling of the Toraja people in central Sulawesi. Building one is a community affair, a testament to shared labor. The image itself is credited to Elma Roux. If you want more pictures, there's a More selected pictures link. Don't expect me to curate your visual experience.


Selected foods and cuisines

  • Another section to browse, if you're so inclined.

  • Bubur ayam Bubur ayam, or chicken congee, is a staple across Southeast Asia. It’s rice porridge, typically with shredded chicken, and adorned with various condiments. Think chopped scallion, fried shallot, celery, preserved vegetables (tongcay or chai poh), fried soybean, and crispy crullers (cakwe in Indonesia, cakoi in Malaysia). You'll find it served with both sweet and savory soy sauce. Sometimes it's topped with a rich yellow chicken broth and kerupuk (Indonesian crackers). Unlike many dishes, it's not inherently spicy; the sambal or chili paste is usually offered on the side. It’s a popular breakfast item, hawked by street vendors, found in small warung, and even offered in high-end hotels. The morning air often carries the calls of bubur ayam vendors. ( Full article... )


List of selected food/cuisine articles


Related portals


Religions in Indonesia


Southeast Asia


Other countries


Selected biography


List of selected biographies


Did you know

  • A little trivia to keep you vaguely entertained.

  • ... that the Javanese eat cat rice (pictured)? Don't ask me why. It's their business.

  • ... that a Muslim "pope" in Indonesia translated the Quran after being tried for blasphemy? An interesting twist of fate, wouldn't you say?

  • ... that Ismail Saleh served the longest tenure as Minister of Justice of Indonesia? Longevity is often overrated.

More did you know facts


More Did you know (auto generated)

  • ... that Indonesian ambassador Alfred Tanduk Palembangan found his calling in diplomacy through interactions with tourists? Apparently, small talk can lead to grand careers.

  • ... that medicine dean Sjahriar Rasad was implicated in a conspiracy to assassinate Indonesian president Sukarno? Intrigue is never far away.

  • ... that Indonesia's ambassador to Serbia, Andreano Erwin, joined the foreign ministry after his trading company went belly-up? A classic tale of ambition born from failure.

  • ... that a statue honoring German-born missionary Johann Gottlieb Schwarz was commissioned by Prabowo Subianto, who would later become president of Indonesia? History has a way of circling back.

  • ... that according to its president Said Iqbal, Indonesia's Labour Party intends to form "personal" coalitions with presidential candidates? A rather direct approach.

  • ... that a speech penned by [Wisaksono Wirjodihardjo] for Indonesian president Sukarno presciently cautioned against converting prime rice fields into golf courses? Foresight is a rare commodity.


In this month

  • A look back at significant events.

  • 7 December 1975 – Indonesian troops invade what is now East Timor, marking the commencement of a protracted 24-year occupation.

  • 13 December 1937 – The Indonesian state news agency Antara is established. A voice for the nation, I suppose.

  • 19 December 1948 – The Dutch launch Operation Kraai, successfully capturing the national capital at Yogyakarta.

  • 26 December 2004 – A catastrophic earthquake strikes north of Aceh. The subsequent tsunami claims at least 131,028 lives in Indonesia alone. A stark reminder of nature’s indifference.

  • 27 December 1949 – Following months of tense negotiations, the Dutch formally recognize Indonesian sovereignty, effectively ending the revolution.

More anniversaries...


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Provinces of Indonesia


Government of Indonesia


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