I Love Indonesia

Bandung, Indonesia Since Indonesia achieved independence in 1945, the city has experienced rapid development and urbanisation, transforming Bandung from idyllic town into a dense 16,500 people/km2 metropolitan area, a living space for over 2 million people. Natural resources have been exploited excessively, particularly by conversion of protected upland area into highland villas and real estate. Although the city has encountered many problems, Bandung still attracts immigrants and weekend travelers. The northern part of the city is more hilly than the rest; the distinguished truncated flat-peak shape of the Tangkuban Perahu volcano can be seen from the city to the north. Long-term volcanic activity has created fertile andisol soil in the north, suitable for intensive rice, fruit, tea, tobacco and coffee plantations. In the south and east, alluvial soils deposited by the Cikapundung river are mostly found. In 1880, the 1st major railroad between Batavia and Bandung was completed, boos...

Indonesia : Government and politics The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders brought the now-dominant Islam, while European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolize trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratization process, and periods of rapid economic change. Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and lingu...

Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Alas, Kluet, Singkil, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and customs. In North Sumatra, Toba people typically assert their identity as ' Batak ', while other ' Batak s' may explicitly reject that label, preferring instead to identify as specifically 'Simalungun', 'Karo', etc. Linguistic and archeological evidence indicates that Austronesian speakers 1st reached Sumatra from Taiwan and the Philippines through Borneo and/or Java about 2,500 years ago, and the Batak probably evolved from these settlers. While the archaeology of southern Sumatra testifies the existence of neolithic settlers, it seems that the northern part of Sumatra was settled by agriculturalists at a considerably later stage. Althou...

Pontianak, Indonesia The city was formerly the capital of the independent Sultanate of Pontianak and was founded in 23 October 1771 around an old trading station on the Borneo coast. It is built on swampy ground that is subjected to regular flooding by the river, requiring buildings to be constructed on piles to keep them off the ground. It has its name due to the story that the founder had seen an appearance of Pontianak ghost at the place to be built for the palace, which he fought to save the people. There are colleges and universities operated by both state institutions as well as private and religious institutions. The University of Tanjung Pura, a state university, was established in Pontianak in 1963. In addition to this, there are other universities maintained by private institutions: Muhammadiyah University, University of Widya Dharma, University of Panca Bhakti, STMIK, State Islamic college (STAIN), POLNEP (Politeknik Negeri Pontianak), AKBID St Benedicta, etc. The 2010 cen...

Ende, Indonesia Ende is the seat capital of the Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Ende is located on the southern coast of Flores Island. The city has a population of 60,000 residents. Ende was the site of a kingdom that existed around the end of 18th century. The people of the area therefore known as Lio-Ende people. For many decades Ende has been a center of government, trade, education, and political activities. Rebellion against the Dutch was led by a certain Nipa Do known as the wars of Watu Api and Mari Longa. In 1934, the nationalist leader, Soekarno, who later became Indonesia's 1st president was exiled to eastern Indonesia by the Dutch colonial government. The Bung Karno Museum is the old house occupied by Soekarno during his years of exile in Ende. Most of the old furniture are still there. While he was exiled in Ende, Soekarno wrote and held several plays, together with Tonel Kelimutu Theatre Group. Among the plays were Rendorua Ola Nggera Nusa an...

Bagansiapiapi Bagansiapiapi is a small town near Dumai, Riau, Indonesia. The town is the capital of Rokan Hilir Regency in the Riau Province and is located on the east coast of Sumatra, on the Rokan River delta across the strait west of Malacca. The town was originally populated mainly by Chinese immigrants:pp xii who arrived at the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century. Initially eighteen Chinese nationals sailed to Bagansiapiapi around 200 years ago and settled on the delta. All were from the family named Ong / Ang. More followed, searching for a new life and seeking to avoid the economic hardships prevalent in Hokkien at that time. Every year, the Chinese community celebrates the anniversary of Bagansiapiapi , on the 16th day, of the 5th month of the Lunar year, believing that the initial immigrant group landed at Bagansiapiapi on that day. Most of the Chinese population are Hokkien, originating from Tang-Ua, Kim-Mng (JinMen/Kinmen), and Cin-Kang (JinJiang/Jinjiang). S...

Sabang, Indonesia The Japanese occupied the island and installed numerous bunkers, fortifications and gun emplacements. Their remnants can still be seen, though most have been re-purposed or removed. The city is divided into 2 subdistricts : Sukakarya and Sukajaya. Sabang is served by the Maimun Saleh Airport. The airport is located southeast of the central city on Weh Island. Sabang Municipality hosted an international sail tourism event in September 2011. The sail race was participated in by around 50 ships with 15 crew members each. Besides sailing they visited interesting places packed in a 'tsunami' tourism, visit Gapang and Iboih Beach with enchanting underwater scenery. Related Sites for Sabang, Indonesia Visit Sabang - The Sabang Island Official Tourism Information read Sabang, Indonesia Sabang: Indonesia at KM 0 | The Jakarta Post read Sabang, Indonesia Sabang Indonesia - Sabang Island, heaven on earth and under … read Sabang, Indonesia Map of Sabang, Indones...

Mount Agung Mount Agung or Gunung Agung is a mountain in Bali, Indonesia. This stratovolcano is the highest point on the island. It dominates the surrounding area, influencing the climate. The clouds come from the west and Agung takes their water so that the west is lush and green and the east dry and barren. The Balinese believe that Mount Agung is a replica of Mount Meru, the central axis of the universe. One legend holds that the mountain is a fragment of Meru brought to Bali by the 1st Hindus. The most important temple on Bali, Pura Besakih, is located high on the slopes of Gunung Agung. Gunung Agung last erupted in 1963-1964 and is still active, with a large and very deep crater which occasionally belches smoke and ash. From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical, despite the existence of the large crater. From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Mount Rinjani on the island of Lombok, although both mountains are frequently covered in ...

Teluk Cenderawasih National Park Teluk Cenderawasih National Park is the largest marine national park of Indonesia, located in Cenderawasih Bay, south-east of Bird's Head Peninsula. It includes the islands of Mioswaar, Nusrowi, Roon, Rumberpon and Yoop. The park protects a rich marine ecosystem, with over 150 recorded coral species, for which it is considered a potential World Heritage Site. Extending over 14,535 kmx, the national park includes coastal and mangrove ecosystems, coral reefs (5.5%), island tropical forest ecosystems (3.8%), and marine waters (89.8%). Some 46 species of plant have been recorded on the islands, dominated by Bruguiera and Avicennia species, Nypa fruticans, Metroxylon sagu, Casuarina equisetifolia, and Terminalia catappa. The coral reef ecosystem forms part of the Coral Triangle region. In the park, 150 species of coral have been recorded, consisting of 15 families and distributed on the shores of 18 islands. Among these are colonies of blue coral, bl...

Kakaban Kakaban island is part of the Derawan Islands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The most distinctive feature is the huge brackish water lake in the middle of the island, in the local dialect Kakaban means "hug" as the island hugs the lake from the surrounding seawater. In the middle of this island is a mangrove-fringed lake, slightly above sea level, where thousands of non-stinging jellyfish live making it interesting for diving. The jellyfish consist of four different species which have lost their natural defense system because of the lack of major predators in the lake. They are: Aurelia aurita with transparent body, Tripedalia cystophora which only has a tip finger size, Mastigias papua is likes a green-brown bulb, Cassiopea ornata which is upside-down jellyfish with their tentacles upright. Similar lakes exist in the Philippines Palau, with Jellyfish Lake being the best known. The lake has warm brackish water and the bottom is covered with marine green algae. Ther...

Jimbaran Jimbaran is a fishing village and tourist resort in Bali, Indonesia. Located south of Ngurah Rai International Airport, the beach has seafood restaurants and luxury hotels, including the five-star Kayumanis Private Estate & Spa, Intercontinental Hotel Bali, Ayana Resort and Spa, Four Seasons and Jimbaran Puri Bali and the casual dinning restaurant Cuca, helmed by award winning Chef Kevin Cherkas, beside the Kayumanis Private Estate & Spa. Tourism in Jimbaran has increased rapidly so that it has boosted the local economy, but was devastated by the 2005 Bali bombings when suicide bombers struck at two popular warungs along the beach. However, the tourism industry has recovered. Diners select the live seafood that they wish to eat, and it is immediately prepared, generally grilled over a fire of coconut husks rather than charcoal. It is administered under Kuta South District along with Nusa Dua peninsula. Jimbaran lies on the peninsula in Bali. 'neck' of the...

Purwokerto Purwokerto is a city on the island of Java, Indonesia. It is the capital of Banyumas Regency, Central Java region. The estimated population of the city in 2005 was 249,705. Purwokerto is located near the base of Mount Slamet, the tallest volcano in Central Java. The city is bisected by the Kali Kranji. It lies near two major east-west roads, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Gatot Subroto. The history of Purwokerto as the capital of the Banyumas Regency is intertwined with the history of Banyumas itself. Banyumas was established in 1582 by Raden Joko Kahiman. He later became the came the 1st regent, Duke Mrapat. Train is one of the main modes of transport to Purwokerto . All classes of ticket, from economy to 1st class, are available for trips on trains from Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya. The total journey from Jakarta is 6 hrs and 10 hrs (economy class). Intercity buses connect Purwokerto to other cities on the island. The Purwokerto bus terminal is the 3rd large...

Golkar The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. Originally known as Sekber Golkar (Sekretariat Bersama Golongan Karya, or Joint Secretariat of Functional Groups), it was the ruling party from 1966 to 1999, under Suharto's New Order regime (1966-98) and the brief presidency of B. J. Habibie (1998-99). It has been a part of the ruling coalition of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling coalition since 2004. In 1959, President Sukarno introduced his concept of Guided Democracy, in which so-called functional groups would play a role in government in place of political parties. The Army supported this because it believed these groups would balance the growing strength of the Communist Party of Indonesia. In 1960, Sukarno awarded groups such as teachers, the Army, workers and artists seats in the Mutual Cooperation - People's Representative Council. As some of these functional groups were linked to political parties, this gave the army politi...

Asian-African Conference The 1st large-scale Asian-African also known as the Bandung Conference was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent, which took place on April 18-24, 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia. The twenty-nine countries that participated at the Bandung Conference represented nearly one-fourth of the Earth's land surface and a total population of 1.5 billion people. The conference was organised by Indonesia, Burma, Pakistan, Ceylon, and India and was coordinated by Ruslan Abdulgani, secretary general of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference's stated aims were to promote Afro-Asian economic and cultural cooperation and to oppose colonialism or neocolonialism by any nations. The conference was an important step toward the crystallisation of the Non-Aligned Movement. The conference of Bogor Conference. Bandung was preceded by the - The conference reflected what the organisers regarded as a reluctance by the Western...