About Indonesia

Everything in Indonesia is divided between different things. The country is divided between eight main islands, although there are over 13,000 in total. The population, which is the fifth highest in the world, is made up of two groups – the Malayan and the Papuan. There are also more than 300 languages spoken, but the most widely used is Bahasa Indonesia.

The Asian country is the largest archipelago in the world and is full of tropical islands to visit. North and west is divided by the equator with the northern half sitting beside Malaysia and the southern half closer to northern Australia.

In the past Indonesia has been under rule from different nations. The Majapahit Empire was founded in the 13th Century and ruled most of the country, although not all the islands. By the early 16th century the Portuguese arrived and made their mark. The Dutch soon followed, taking over in the 17th Century, and eventually the British ruled for a short period before handing it back to the Dutch.

Today Indonesia is ruled under a constitution which was drawn up in 1945. The House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat) is made up of 500 members, 75 of which are put forward by the military. They meet up with another 500 members who get selected indirectly and make up the People’s Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawartan Rakyat) and review the country’s policies every five years as well as select a president and vice-president.

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