Geography
Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. It consists of five major islands and about 30 smaller groups.
The figure for the total number of islands is 17,508 according to the Indonesian Naval Hydro-Oceanographic Office.
The archipelago is on a crossroad between two oceans, the Pacific and the Indian, and bridges two continents, Asia
and Australia. This strategic position has always influenced the cultural, social, political, and economic life
of the country.
The territory of the Republic of Indonesia stretches from 6°08’ north latitude to 11°15’ south latitude,
and from 94°45’ to 141°05’ east longitude. The Indonesian sea area is four times greater than its land
area, which is about 1.9 million sq. km. The sea are is about 7.9 million sq. km (including an exclusive economic
zone) and constitutes about 81% of the total area of the country. |
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The archipelago is divided into three groups:
- The islands of Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan, and the small islands
in between, lie on the Sunda Shelf which begin on the coasts of Malaysia and Indo China, where the sea depth does
not exceed 700 feet
- Irian Jaya which is part of
the islands of New Guinea, and the Aru Islands lie on the Sahul Shelf, which stretches northwards from the Australian
coast Here the sea depth is similar to that of the Sunda Shelf.
- Located between these two shelves is the island group of Nusa Tenggara,
Maluku, and Sulawesi, where the sea depth reaches 15,000 feet. Coastal plains have been developed around the islands
of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, and Irian Jaya.
Located between these two shelves is the island group of Nusa Tenggara,
Maluku, and Sulawesi, where the sea depth reaches 15,000 feet. Coastal plains have been developed around the islands
of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya
The land area is generally covered by thick tropical rain forest,
where fertile soils are continuously replenished by volcanic eruptions like those on the island of Java.
The five main islands are :
- Sumatra,
473,606 sq km
- Java/Madura, 132,107sq km the most fertile and densely populated islands,
- Kalimantan,
539,460 sq km, which comprises two-thirds of the islands of Borneo
- Sulawesi,
189,216 sq km
- Irian Jaya,
421,981sq km, which is part of the world's second largest island, New Guinea.
Indonesia’s other islands are smaller in size.
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