Indonesia - Geography
Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Indonesia.
note 1: according to Indonesia's National Coordinating Agency for Survey and Mapping, the total number of islands in the archipelago is 13,466, of which 922 are permanently inhabited (Indonesia is the world's largest country comprised solely of islands); the country straddles the equator and occupies a strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
note 2: Indonesia is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire; 80% of tsunamis, caused by volcanic or seismic events, occur within the "Pacific Ring of Fire"
note 3: despite having the fourth largest population in the world, Indonesia is the most heavily forested region on earth after the Amazon
note 4: two major food crops apparently developed on the island of New Guinea: bananas and sugarcane
Geographical data of Indonesia
| Location | Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean |
|---|---|
| Geographic coordinates | 5 00 S, 120 00 E |
| Map references | Southeast Asia |
| Tarrain | mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains |
| Natural Resources | petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver |
| Natural Hazards | occasional floods; severe droughts; tsunamis; earthquakes; volcanoes; forest fires volcanism: Indonesia contains the most volcanoes of any country in the world - some 76 are historically active; significant volcanic activity occurs on Java, Sumatra, the Sunda Islands, Halmahera Island, Sulawesi Island, Sangihe Island, and in the Banda Sea; Merapi (2,968 m), Indonesia's most active volcano and in eruption since 2010, has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; on 22 December 2018, a large explosion and flank collapse destroyed most of the 338 m high island of Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) and generated a deadly tsunami inundating portions of western Java and southern Sumatra leaving more than 400 dead; other notable historically active volcanoes include Agung, Awu, Karangetang, Krakatau (Krakatoa), Makian, Raung, Sinabung, and Tambora; see note 2 under "Geography - note" |
| Irrigated Land | 67,220 sq km (2012) |
| Major rivers (by length in km) | Sepik (shared with Papua New Guinea [s]) - 1,126 km; Fly (shared with Papua New Guinea [s]) - 1,050 km note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth |
| Major aquifers | |
| Land Boundaries | 2,958 km |
| Border Countries | Malaysia 1,881 km; Papua New Guinea 824 km; Timor-Leste 253 km |
| Coastline | 54,716 km |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
| Area | |
| Total Area | |
| Land Area | 1,811,569 sq km |
| Water Area | 93,000 sq km |
| comparative Area | slightly less than three times the size of Texas |
| Maritime Claims | |
| Territorial sea | 12 nm |
| Exclusive economic zone | 200 nm |
| Elevations | |
| Highest point | Puncak Jaya 4,884 m |
| Lowest point | Indian Ocean 0 m |
| Mean elevation | 367 m |
| Land Use | |
| Agricultural land | 31.2% (2018 est.) |
| Agricultural land: arable land | arable land: 13% (2018 est.) |
| Agricultural land: permanent crops | permanent crops: 12.1% (2018 est.) |
| Agricultural land: permanent pasture | permanent pasture: 6.1% (2018 est.) |
| Forest | 51.7% (2018 est.) |
| Other | 17.1% (2018 est.) |
Population Distribution
Major concentration on the island of Java, which is considered one of the most densely populated places on earth; of the outer islands (those surrounding Java and Bali), Sumatra contains some of the most significant clusters, particularly in the south near the Selat Sunda, and along the northeastern coast near Medan; the cities of Makasar (Sulawesi), Banjarmasin (Kalimantan) are also heavily populated
People and Society
In Indonesia, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Javanese 40.1%, Sundanese 15.5%, Malay 3.7%, Batak 3.6%, Madurese 3%, Betawi 2.9%, Minangkabau 2.7%, Buginese 2.7%, Bantenese 2%, Banjarese 1.7%, Balinese 1.7%, Acehnese 1.4%, Dayak 1.4%, Sasak 1.3%, Chinese 1.2%, other 15% (2010 est.)
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Pop growth rate | 0.73% (2024 est.) |
| Birth rate | 14.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Death rate | 6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Health expenditure | 3.4% of GDP (2020) |
| Physicians Density | |
| Hospital bed Density | 1 beds/1,000 population (2017) |
| Total fertility rate | 1.96 children born/woman (2024 est.) |
| Gross reproduction rate | 0.96 (2024 est.) |
| Contraceptive prevalence rate | 55.5% (2018) |
| Est married women (ages 15-49) | 70% (2023 est.) |
| Literacy | age 15 and over can read and write |
| Education expenditures | 3.5% of GDP (2020 est.) |
| Net Migration rate | -0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Nationality | Indonesian | Indonesian(s) |
| Languages | |
| Religions | Muslim 87.4%, Protestant 7.5%, Roman Catholic 3.1%, Hindu 1.7%, other 0.8% (includes Buddhist and Confucian) (2022 est.) |
| Age Structure | |
| 0-14 years | 23.8% (male 34,247,218/female 32,701,367) |
| 15-64 years | 68.3% (male 96,268,201/female 95,961,293) |
| 65 years and over | 8% (2024 est.) (male 10,284,628/female 12,099,758) |
| Dependency Ratios | |
| Total dependency ratio | 47.6 |
| Youth dependency ratio | 37.6 |
| Elderly dependency ratio | 10 |
| Potential support ratio | 10 (2021 est.) |
| Median Age | |
| Total | 31.5 years (2024 est.) |
| Male | 30.8 years |
| Female | 32.3 years |
| Urbanization | |
| Urban population | 58.6% of total population (2023) |
| Rate of urbanization | 1.99% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
| Major urban areas (Pop) | 11.249 million JAKARTA (capital), 3.729 million Bekasi, 3.044 million Surabaya, 3.041 million Depok, 2.674 million Bandung, 2.514 million Tangerang (2023). |
| Sex Ratio | |
| At birth | 1.05 male(s)/female |
| 0-14 years | 1.05 male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 1 male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.85 male(s)/female |
| Total population | 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.) |
| Infant Motality | |
| Total | 18.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) |
| Male | 21.3 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Female | 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life Expectancy at birth | |
| Total population | 73.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Male | 71.3 years |
| Female | 76 years |
| Drinking Water Sources | |
| Improved: urban | urban: 98.2% of population |
| Improved: rural | rural: 86.8% of population |
| Improved: total | total: 93.3% of population |
| Unimproved: urban | urban: 1.8% of population |
| Unimproved: rural | rural: 13.2% of population |
| Unimproved: total | total: 6.7% of population (2020 est.) |
| Sanitation facility acess | |
| Improved: urban | urban: 97.2% of population |
| Improved: rural | rural: 86.5% of population |
| Improved: total | total: 92.5% of population |
| Unimproved: urban | urban: 2.8% of population |
| Unimproved: rural | rural: 13.5% of population |
| Unimproved: total | total: 7.5% of population (2020 est.) |
| Alcohol consumption per capita | |
| Total | 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
| Beer | 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
| Wine | 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
| Spirits | 0.02 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
| Other alcohols | 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) |
| Tobacco use | |
| Total | 37.6% (2020 est.) |
| Male | 71.4% (2020 est.) |
| Female | 3.7% (2020 est.) |
| Child marriage | |
| Women married by age 15 | 2% |
| Women married by age 18 | 16.3% (2017 est.) |
Demographic profile
Indonesia has the world’s fourth-largest population. It is predominantly Muslim and has the largest Muslim population of any country in the world. The population is projected to increase to as much as 320 million by 2045. A government-supported family planning program. The total fertility rate (TFR) – the average number of births per woman – from 5.6 in the mid-1960s to 2.7 in the mid-1990s. The success of the program was also due to the social acceptance of family planning, which received backing from influential Muslim leaders and organizations.
The fertility decline slowed in the late 1990’s when responsibility for family planning programs shifted to the district level, where the programs were not prioritized. Since 2012 the national government revitalized the national family planning program, and Indonesia’s TFR has slowly decreased to 2.3 in 2020. The government may reach its goal of achieving replacement level fertility – 2.1 children per woman – but the large number of women of childbearing age ensures significant population growth for many years.
Indonesia is a source country for labor migrants, a transit country for asylum seekers, and a destination mainly for highly skilled migrant workers. International labor migration, both legal and illegal, from Indonesia to other parts of Asia (most commonly Malaysia) and the Middle East has taken place for decades because of high unemployment and underemployment, poverty, and low wages domestically. Increasing numbers of migrant workers are drawn to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US. The majority of Indonesian labor migration is temporary and consists predominantly of low-skilled workers, mainly women working as domestics.
Indonesia’s strategic location between Asia and Australia and between the Pacific and Indian Oceans – and its relatively easy accessibility via boat – appeal to asylum seekers. It is also an attractive transit location because of its easy entry requirements and the ability to continue on to Australia. Recent asylum seekers have come from Afghanistan, Burma (Rohingyas), Iraq, Somalia, and Sri Lanka. Since 2013, when Australia tightening its immigration policy, thousands of migrants and asylum seekers have been stranded in Indonesia, where they live in precarious conditions and receive only limited support from international organizations. The situation for refugees in Indonesia has also worsened because Australia and the US, which had resettled the majority of refugees in Indonesia, have significantly lowered their intake.
All Important Facts about Indonesia
Want to know more about Indonesia? Check all different factbooks for Indonesia below.
