Essays on Indonesia

Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous nation, the world's 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, and a member of the G-20. Indonesia is a founding member of ASEAN and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Indonesia is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and a member of the G-20 major economies. The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia achieved independence in 1949. Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands, with a population of over 260 million people. The Indonesian economy is the world's 16th largest by nominal GDP and 7th largest by GDP at PPP. Indonesia is a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G-20 major economies, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century CE, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia achieved independence in 1949.Indonesia is a republic with a presidential system. The Indonesian economy is the world's 16th largest by nominal GDP and 7th largest by GDP at PPP. Indonesia is a member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the G-20 major economies, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders and Sufi scholars brought the now-dominant Islam, while European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, mass violence, corruption, separatism, a democratisation process, and periods of rapid economic change.The archipelago was first inhabited by Homo erectus around 1.5 million years ago and was reached by Homo sapiens around 35,000 years ago. Austronesian peoples, who form the majority of the modern population, migrated to Indonesia around 2000 BCE. They developed rice cultivation and a maritime trading network which brought influences from Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The archipelago's strategic sea-lane position fostered inter-island and international trade, including links with Indian kingdoms and Chinese dynasties, which were established several centuries BCE. Trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history.The first recorded history of the archipelago dates to the 2nd century CE, when a Chinese explorer reported seeing numerous small islands populated by dark-skinned peoples. Around the 7th century CE, the Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished as a result of trade and contact with China and India. Between the 8th and 10th centuries CE, the powerful Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya extended its influence across Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the Maluku Islands. The Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit empire subsequently succeeded Srivijaya and ruled the archipelago for four centuries.Islam was introduced to the archipelago by Muslim traders in the 13th century CE. Sufi scholars later helped spread the religion and establish royal houses inJava and Sumatra. In the early 16th century, the Dutch began seeking to establish trade outposts in the archipelago. Although initially rebuffed by the Javanese courts, the Dutch persevered and eventually established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1602. The VOC became immensely wealthy through the spice trade, and wielded great political and military power in the archipelago. In the early 17th century, the Dutch decisively defeated the last major native kingdom, Mataram, and divided the archipelago into numerous small colonies.Over the next two centuries, the Dutch expanded their control over the archipelago, culminating in the complete annexation of Indonesia by the Netherlands in the late 19th century. Indonesian nationalists began agitating for independence in the early 20th century, and the country finally secured its independence in 1949 after a four-year war of independence. The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders and Sufi scholars brought the now-dominant Islam, while European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, mass violence, corruption, separatism, a democratisation process, and periods

Indonesia is a country located in Southeast Asia. The country is known for its natural beauty, as well as its rich culture and history. Indonesia is also home to some of the world's most active volcanoes.