2018 Festival’s Countries – INDONESIA

INDONESIA

Indonesia straddles the Equator between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. While it has land borders with Malaysia to the north as well as East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the east, it also neighbors Australia to the south, and Palau, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand to the north, India to the northwest.

With 18,110 islands, 6,000 of them inhabited, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. About 240 million people live in this fourth most populous country in the world — after China, India and the USA — and by far the largest country in Southeast Asia. Indonesia also has the largest Muslim population in the world. Indonesia’s population is on course to overtake the US and become the third largest before 2044.

Indonesia’s republican form of government includes an elected parliament and president. Indonesia has 34 provinces, of which five have Special status. Its capital is Jakarta, which is the second most populous urban area in the world.

Indonesia’s economy is the world’s 16th largest by nominal GDP and the 7th largest by GDP at PPP.

The country has abundant natural resources like oil and natural gas, tin, copper and gold. Agriculture mainly produces rice, palm oil, tea, coffee, cacao, medicinal plants, spices and rubber. Indonesia’s major trading partners are Japan, the United States, China and neighbours Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.

Indonesia is a very ethnically diverse country, with around 300 distinct native ethnic groups. More than 742 different languages and dialects are spoken in the country. Each ethnic group has their own arts, architecture and housing, cuisine, traditional dresses, festivals, music and dance, rituals, myths, philosophies, and language.

Indonesian cuisine is one of the most diverse, vibrant and colorful in the world, full of intense flavour. Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon indigenous culture and foreign influences such as Chinese, European, Middle Eastern, and Indian precedents. Indonesia has around 5,350 traditional recipes, with 30 of them considered the most important. Rice is the main staple food and is served with side dishes of meat and vegetables. Spices (notably chili), coconut milk, fish and chicken are fundamental ingredients.

In 2011, Indonesian cuisine began to gain worldwide recognition, with three of its popular dishes, make it to the list of ‘World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods (Readers’ Pick)’, a worldwide online poll by 35,000 people held by CNN International. Rendang top the list as the number one followed closely by nasi goreng in number two, and stay in number fourteen.