INDONESIA IN SOME WORDS

Indonesia or Republic of Indonesia (Republik Indonesia) is born in 1945 with the independence of India oriental Dutch. It is the biggest State archipelago and the fourth State most populated in the world after China, India, and USA. It is located between the peninsula of Asia of the Southeast and Australia, so as to meeting between the Indian and peaceful oceans.

Indonesia is very various cultures. The official language is the Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), a variety of Malay that alone small minorities of the population speak as first language. Numerous regional languages are used as the Javanese (spoken by 80 millions of persons), the Sundanese (35 millions) and the Madurese (about 17 millions), the Balinese (about 3 millions). Indonesia counts about 242 millions persons .Her capital Jakarta counts among the first megalopole of the world.

The national emblem of Indonesia is the eagle Garuda, wonderful bird of Indian mythology and vâhana (vehicle) of the God Vishnu. The Indonesian archipelago is with Amazon and the Basin of Congo one of three zones the richest in the world for biodiversity, but this heritage regresses fast owing to impacts of human activities in strong increase, with for consequence a degradation of the air, water resources, and ground, flora and fauna, and alarming retreat of the forests. Very wide space and with the very varied populations, Indonesia is a unit State which, in 1999, granted a certain autonomy to the Kabupaten(departments), which is in addition subdivisions of the provinces. These last are today 33, 7 having been created since 2000, generally on the basis of cultural and historical identity. Indonesia is made up of more than 17 000 islands, including approximately 6 000 inhabited.

They are serious and of very diverse nature. The Small Islands of the Probe, with east of Java, are formed of multitude islands small or average. They count approximately 12 millions persons. Among them are in particular Bali, the only true tourist Indonesian center, and Timor, from which the Eastern part, old Portuguese colony and not Dutchwoman, acquired her independence in 2002, after a referendum in 1999 which was followed violence.

HISTORY
The elements known to date show that the ancestors of current Aborigene of New Guinea arrive at the neighbourhoods of the last glaciation, approximately 21 000 years ago, at one time when the island was connected to the Australian continent, forming the continental mass called “Sahul”. There are 5 000 to 6 000 years, the sea level went up to reach the current situation, cutting these populations of the Asian continent and preventing others migrations for a certain time.

Towards 2 000 before J.-C. took place starting from the Philippines of the migrations of population austronesians towards current Indonesia. One found in various places of Indonesia of the objects of bronze related to the Dong culture Its of the Vietnam (Xe-Ie centuries before J.-C.), from which celebrates it bronze drum of Penjeng (Bali) would result. Of VIIIe in XIIIe century, the quote-State of Sriwijaya in the south of Sumatra is the dominant power of the archipelago. Thanks to its agriculture thrives, Java is the attic with rice. We One finds traces of the Hinduism in writings engraved in the stone towards IXe, the language adopted about this time is Kawi resulting from the Javanese aristocracy which maintained the important relations with Bali. Of XIVe to XVe centuries, it’s with the turn of Java to be the principal power of the archipelago, with the kingdom of Majapahit in the east of the island, this Majapahit dynasty will know a dismantling due to the Islamization of the country, causing the escape of intelligentsia towards Bali.

About 1400, prince de Palembang (new name of Sriwijaya) melts Malacca, which quickly becomes the largest port of South-east Asia. The power of Malacca, whose kings convert with Islam, involves the diffusion of this religion through the archipelago. The composition of the indonesian GDP by sector is: Agriculture: 13,1% Industry: 46% Services: 41% principal exports of Indonesia are oil and the liquified natural gas, the electrical appliance, wood and plywood, the textiles, rubber. Its principal imports are the machines and industrial plants, the chemicals, the fuels, the foodstuffs. The composition of the GDP of Bali east in party resulting from agriculture, tourism and services.

Tourist attract of Indonesia can be declined in two aspects.

Nature: Larger archipelago of the world, Indonesia has some 17 000 islands, many beaches, of many coral reefs, a great navy of the world. With horse on equator, archipelago enjoys a hot and wet climate throughout of the year. A great part of its territory is still covered of tropical forests, it also the seat of a large biodiversity. Located on the belt of fire of the Pacific, Indonesia has many volcanoes.

Culture: Nation of a great diversity ethnic, Indonesia still has many alive cultural traditions, with their architecture, their dances, their music, their craft industry. Cultural crossroads, Indonesia has a history which left many religious monuments, in particular Buddhist and hindouist. The national language (bahasa kebangsaan), the indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), is in fact the Malasyan one, which is enriched since the independance, in the dynamic and creative context of a various nation and still young person, in particular by contributions of the regional languages. Indonesian is not the first language that for a small majority. The languages of Indonesia belong to the austronesian family.

DANCE
Bali is very known for its traditional dances like Legong, Pendet, Baris, Kecak…..you will have the occasion to assist at the time of your stay, not to miss.

MUSIC
The most known music in Indonesia and in Bali east that of the gamelan, instruments unit of metal percussion. It belongs to the traditions Balinese, Javanese and sundanese.

DIVING
Indonesia one of the places is very appreciated for its sea-beds, in particular in Bali, of the centers of diving’s are present on the island and members PADI, FFESSM thus very serious and professional.