Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which is white (top) and red.
31 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 1 special region* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), 1autonomous province**, and 1 special capital city district*** (daerah khusus ibukota): Aceh**, Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Papua Barat, Jakarta Raya***, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kepulauan Riau, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Barat, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, and Yogyakarta*. Following the 30 August 1999 provincial referendum for independence which was overwhelmingly approved by the people of Timor Timur and the October 1999 concurrence of Indonesia's national legislature, the name East Timor was adopted as a provisional name for the political entity formerly known as Propinsi Timor Timur, East Timor gained its formal independence on 20 May 2002, with the implementation of decentralization on 1 January 2001, the 357 districts (regencies) have become the key administrative units responsible for providing most government services.
Population:
234,693,997 (July 2007 est.)
Languages:
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Geographic coordinates:
5° 00' S, 120° 00' E
Area total:
1,919,440 sq. km Indonesia has more then 17 000 islands and only about 9000 have names.
Land area:
1,826,440 sq. km
Water area:
93,000 sq. km
Total land boundaries:
2,830 km
Borders with neighbor countries:
East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km
Coastline:
54,716 km
Elevation extremes:
Indian Ocean 0 m - Puncak Jaya 5,030 m
Internet country code:
.id
Currency:
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Name - conventional long form:
Republic of Indonesia
Name - conventional short form:
Indonesia
Name - local long form:
Republik Indonesia
Name - local short form:
Indonesia
Former name:
Netherlands East Indies, Dutch East Indies
Independence:
17 August 1945 (proclaimed independence, on 27 December 1949, Indonesia became legally independent from the Netherlands)
Constitution:
August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959