Indonesia is a country found in South Asia. It is identified with many islands and for that attracts a lot of tourists. The neighboring countries are Malaysia, Timor-Leste, and Papa New Guinea. Indonesia has 34 provinces, and Jakarta is the capital city. There is a lot to learn about Indonesia, but this article will discuss a list of interesting facts you did not know about Indonesia.
1. Home to the Komodo dragon
A komodo dragon is the largest lizard in existence. These lizards are very big and have a flat head, long bowed legs, and very thick legs. They were given the name Komodo dragon because people of Indonesia believed a creature resembled the dragon that lived on the Komodo Island. The female Komodo dragons can reproduce in the absence of the male dragons. The females have two chromosomes, the male and female, and they can reproduce asexually for that.
2. Has one of the largest stadiums in the world
Gelora Bung Karno is the largest stadium in Indonesia but the 7th largest in the world. It is a football arena with a capacity of 150 000 people. The stadium has hosted various world events such as the Asian Athletics Championship, Tiger cup matches, the AFC championship, and more.
3. The world’s largest flower is found in Indonesia
Rafflesia arnoldii is the scientific name of the world’s largest flower. The plant is said to exist in the rainforest of Indonesia. The flower can weigh up to 15 pounds and grow 3 feet across. The flower has the worst scent when it blooms. The scent is equivalent to that of rotting meat. The bad odor is significant t the flower as it attracts insects which helps in its pollination process.
4. Has the second-longest coastline worldwide
Indonesia’s coastline is well known for its beautiful beaches and diverse biodiversity (Fauna and Flora). The coastline length is 99,083km or 61,567 miles long. The longest coastline in the world is that of Canada that is 202,080 km or 125,567 miles long.
5. Experienced the world’s deadliest volcanic events
Indonesia has three deadly volcanic eruptions, which took place in 1883, 1815, and 1586. The volcanic eruptions took place in Krakatau, Tambora, and Kelut, respectively. A Tsunami caused the Krakatau eruption, and more than 36 000 people were affected.
6. The world’s largest Muslims population
Almost all the citizens of Indonesia are Muslims, around 222 million in number. It is ranked as one of the countries with the largest population, with ¾ of them being Muslims. The other countries that follow most Muslim populations include; Pakistan with 195 million Muslims and India with 183 million Muslims.
7. The world’s largest archipelago
An archipelago is a group of islands that are scattered in a water mass. Indonesia is an archipelago, and the largest for it contains 18,108 other islands within it. Three other islands within Indonesia are classified as the second, third, and sixth largest islands globally. They are New Guinea, Borneo, and Sumatra, respectively. Indonesia may be the world’s largest archipelago, but Canada beats it in terms of its number. Canada has 36,643islands while Indonesia has 18,108.
8. Has the largest goldmine worldwide
The Grasberg mine is one of the largest gold mines globally, and it’s located in Papua province in Indonesia. The mine is both an open pit with four other underground mines. The underground mines in the mine are; Big Gossan, DOZ, Grasberg Block Cave, and DMLZ. The mine is operated by both the Indonesian government and Freeport Indonesia.
9. Home to the largest volcanic lake in the world
Lake Toba is the largest volcanic/Crater Lake in the world. It is located on the Island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The lake was created after the volcanic eruption that erupted over 75 000 years ago. The volcanic eruption left a crater that overflows with water from Lake Toba. The crater is deep and thus making the lake the deepest that is 1,656 ft. deep. Lake Toba is a place to visit for every tourist visiting Indonesia.
10. The world’s largest Buddhist temple
The word biggest Temple is Borobudur, whose physical location is central java. The temple was constructed in the early years of 750AD and 842. The temple is 113 ft. tall, while its base has measurements of 123 by 123m. The UNESCO helped in restoring the temple and added it to a list of the world’s heritage.
11. It’s the home to the second and third islands in the world.
The third-largest Island in the world is Borneo, governed by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei governments. The Island is well identified with diverse Flora and Fauna. The Island is home to the oldest rainforest in the world, which is 40 million years old. Initially, during the colonial Era, Brunei controlled the Island fully, but after world war two, all the countries restored their independence, and they secured their fair share of the Island. The share of ownership starts with Indonesia, with the largest, followed by Malaysia and Brunei.
12. The worst smelling flower is found here
The worst-smelling flower is known as the Titan arum. It’s also one of the largest flowers. In Indonesia, the flower was often referred to as the corpse flower because of its foul smell. The flower smells like a rotten corpse.
13. One of the longest snakes in the world was found in Indonesia
The longest snake in the world was first found in Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia, in 1912. The length of the snake was 32 ft. simply 9.75m.
14. Recorded the highest number of deaths caused by natural disasters
In December 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami destroyed around 230,000 people’s lives. Then disaster struck in a short time, thus making it difficult for people to flee to safety. This disaster not only affected people’s lives physically but also destroyed people’s livelihood.
15. Has similar flags with Monaco
Both Monaco and Indonesia have the same flags. The two flags have red and white colors, with red at the top and white at the bottom. One may easily mistake the two, but the only difference that may help differentiate is the flags’ widths. The flag of Indonesia is wider than that of Monaco. Poland flag has the same colors, but the top is white while the bottom is red.
16. It Has the world’s most populous Island.
Java is rated as one of the most populous islands, with about 141 million people. The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta and has a big impact on the population of the Island. The other most populous Island is still in Indonesia, Bali, with 4 million people. The third Island in Indonesia that can be ranked with a higher population is Flores Island, with a population of around 1.7 million people.
17. One of the first countries to develop a domestic satellite system.
The Indonesian satellite was started in 1976 and was known as Palapa A1. The satellite’s main purpose was to connect the telecommunication system for different nations. Three other nations had established the domestic satellites before Indonesia. These nations are Soviet Union, Canada, and the United States, and then Indonesia came in fourth.
18. the government recognizes only six religions
Indonesia has a right to freedom of worship; however, it only recognizes six religions officially. These religions include; Hinduism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Protestantism. Other religions are not tolerated since all official documents need to be identified with one of the six religions, unlike other countries free to be atheists. In Indonesia, that is not tolerated.
19. One of the biggest online markets in the world
Indonesia is a country that has embraced online businesses or rather digital technologies. Roughly each Indonesian uses four hours of their day on the internet. Two cities of Indonesia, Jakarta, and Surabaya have users who are more active on Twitter in the whole world.
20. Third richest in flora and fauna
Indonesia has many islands, more than 10, 000 and each different biodiversities. The rainforest, for example, is home to various animals such as rhinos, elephants, tigers, orangutans, and bears. It also has a variety of bird species, about 1600.
21. Has over 700 different languages and dialects.
The official language in Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia. The population of Indonesia is around 242 million, with a Muslim majority. With the population, you can get a province with about 270 languages spoken. A good example is Papua province, with 270 dialects.
22. History of head-hunting
The history of head-hunting entailed people hunting others and cutting off their heads. The heads would then be brought as trophies. The practice is no longer done. Some families have the trophies of their ancestors stored in their homes.
23. The second-largest producer of instant noodles
A company in Indonesia broke the Guinness Book of World Records by making the largest packet of instant noodles. The name of the company is Pt Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk that was in 2005. The packet weighed 664,938 kilograms. The packaging resembled normal instant noodles with seasoning sachets that were proved healthy for human consumption.
24. Home to most endangered animals
Some of the rare animals and face extinction if poached include; the anoa, Komodo dragon, Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Rhinoceros, and sea turtles. More animals than around a hundred of them are endangered, and all have their habitats in the Indonesian mangrove forest.
25. Home to the wild orangutans
The wild orangutans are the wild people who live in the forests. The word orang means a person while Utan is forest and therefore the forest person for utan. These people are found in Sumatra in Indonesia, and the other place they can be seen is Borneo.
26. Firing squad death penalty
Unlike most countries that have abolished capital punishment, Indonesia still punishes murder and drug offenders to death by firing squad. The process involves blindfolding the prisoners at night and executing their penalty through a firing squad of soldiers.
27. Most Instagrammed capital in Asia
Jakarta is Indonesia’s capital, and it’s one of the cities that Instagram users in Asia have used. The city has a serene environment that Instagram chose for its photographic material.
28. Has coffee beans extracted from Civet poo
An Asian Palm civet is a mammal that resembles a cat. The animal is fed with ripe coffee berries, and when they release their feces, the coffee beans are extracted, and coffee is made from them. The coffee made is of high quality and sold for very high prices.
29. Fastest growing economy
Indonesia has many foreign companies established in the land that generate revenue. It is ranked as of the G20 countries that has a fast-growing economy.
30. Leading frog-leg exporter
Indonesia has the largest mangrove forest and the highest fauna and Flora. These factors have contributed to the availability of frogs—the frog legs of high demand in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Indonesia exports around 4000 tonnes of frog legs to the European Union; to be specific, this import was done in 2015. The frog legs are exported to others countries for consumption purposes.
Conclusion:
Indonesia is one of the best countries to tour if you are a nature lover. The Komodo dragon, for example, is one that few know of its existence. The largest flower in the world, the deepest volcanic lake, all amazing things that make Indonesia interesting. Part of the head-hunting culture is weird but interesting as well.
It’s just fascinating to know that Indonesia is home to more than 100 endangered species. Most volcanoes are read in history books; people can visit Indonesia and see the various volcanoes. There are just endless interesting facts one may need to know about Indonesia.
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