Indonesia Government

The official language of Indonesia is Indonesian (also known as Bahasa Indonesian) and has been the primary tool of communication since independence in 1945. The dialect is a local standardized version of the Malay language which is part of the Austronesian language family. Indonesian is used in formal education, government administration, and mass media throughout the country. Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation on the planet; this large population contributes to Indonesian becoming one of the most widely spoken languages in the world.

In the 2010 national census of Indonesia, it was found there were 210 million speakers of the Indonesian language. This equates to approximately 80% of the population, but many citizens know multiple languages. Indonesian is also spoken in some parts of Australia, Brunei, New Caledonia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Thailand. Citizens of Indonesia are often multilingual and can communicate in different dialects.

The Indonesian language is hard to read, but a lot easier to speak. Pronunciation is very similar to Malay with some Selamat pagi is the common greeting for "good morning", and "selamat malam" means good night. People in the country are extremely friendly and talkative and many phrases may be picked up during interactions with locals. "Do you speak English?" is said as "anda bisa bicara bahasa inggris". Thank-you is said as "terima kasih" and will be used a lot during a trip to Indonesia.

Javanese and Sundanese are the most prolific minority languages in Indonesia. Javanese is spoken throughout Java Island and several provinces in Kalimantan and Sumatra by over 80 million people. Sundanese is a popular communication method in Banten, Jakarta, and West Java with approximately 42 million speakers. Balinese is another minority language and is spoken by over 3 million people, mainly in Bali island. All three of these dialects are often spoken within homes and the local communities across the whole country. Indonesia has over 700 indigenous languages, many are highly localised and vary according to the region.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Jakarta
Languages	Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (of which the most widely spoken is Javanese)
Ethnic Groups	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.)
Religion	Muslim 87.2%, Christian 7%, Roman Catholic 2.9%, Hindu 1.7%, other 0.9% (includes Buddhist and Confucian), unspecified 0.4% (2010 est.)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	17 August 1945 (declared)
Area	1,904,569.00 km²
Water Area	93,000.00 km²
Land Area	1,811,569.00 km²
Population	258,316,051.00 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 noteworthy
Location	Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
No. Bordering Countries	3
Bordering Countries	Timor-Leste 253 km, Malaysia 1,881 km, Papua New Guinea 824 km
GDP(PPP)	$3,030,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$11,700.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Japan, the United States, and China.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are mineral fuels, animal or vegetable fats, and electrical machinery.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Singapore, and Japan.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include mineral fuels, boilers, machinery, and mechanical parts.
Climate	Tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain	Mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
Learn More	Indonesia

Indonesia Government

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