The most interesting facts about Indonesia, from the worldโs smelliest plant to the largest packet of instant noodles ever created.
Fast facts
Official name: Republic of Indonesia
Capital city: Jakarta
Population: 281,562,465
Area: 1,904,569 sq km
Major languages: Bahasa Indonesia, English, Dutch
Time zone: UTC+7-9 (Western, Central, Eastern Indonesia Time)
Interesting facts about Indonesia
1. Archaeology suggests that humans inhabited the island ofย Javaย for approximately 1.3 to 1.7 million years.ย
2. Indonesia is a transcontinental country as it is positioned across the two continents of Oceaniaย andย Asia and is widely considered a core nation within the Asia-Pacific region.
3. At one point, the archipelago of Indonesia was all linked by land bridges. Then, around 6,000 years ago, a quick rise in sea level submerged these bridges.
4. Indonesia is made up of over 17,000 islands. The exact number is unclear with one survey suggesting there are as many as 18,307. Only Canada, Norway, Sweden and Finland have more.
5. As such, Indonesia is the largest archipelagic state โ island nation โ in the world. An island nation is a country whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands.
6. Indonesia is the worldโs fourth-most populous country after China, India and the USA.
7. Indonesia is the worldโs largest Muslim-majority nation with an estimated population of 242 million Muslims living there.
8. This helps explain its low alcohol consumption, which averages just 0.1 liters per person annually, a reflection of strict regulations and cultural norms that discourage drinking.
9. After Papua New Guinea, Indonesia is the worldโs second most linguistically diverse country, with over 700 native languages spoken.
10. The largest species of lizard alive, the Komodo dragon, is endemic to Indonesia. The Komodo dragon can grow to over 3m (10ft) long and weight 150kg.
11. Indonesia is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world. Megadiverse countries are the worldโs most biodiversity-rich countries.
12. The 1,500 remote islands of Raja Ampat in Indonesia are considered a biological hot spot. It is thought that the reef systems there replenish the reef systems throughout the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.
13. Discounting continental landmasses such as Australia, Indonesia is home to three of the worldโs ten largest islands. After Greenland, New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea) is the worldโs second-largest island; Borneo (shared with Brunei and Malaysia) is the worldโs third-largest island; Sumatra (entirely within Indonesia) is the worldโs sixth-largest island.
14. The worldโs most populous island is the Indonesian island of Java. In 2010, it had a population of 136 million. A 2023 report now indicates that the population is estimated to be over 150 million.
15. From 1670 to 1900, the Netherlands colonized the region and brought the whole of what is now Indonesia under one colony known as the Dutch East Indies.
16. Indonesia has a simple horizontally divided red and white national flag. Coincidentally, the flag is identical to Monacoโs (apart from its dimensions).
See how Indonesiaโs flag compares to other Asian flags.
17. Indonesia proclaimed independence in 1945. However, it was not until 1949 that the Netherlands recognized Indonesiaโs sovereignty following four years of guerrilla warfare between the two sides.
18. With 116 volcanoes, Indonesia has the third-highest number of volcanoes in the world, after the USA and Russia.
19. In 1883, Krakatoaโone of the most catastrophic volcanic eruptions in historyโoccurred in Indonesia. The island of Krakatoa and its surrounding archipelago were largely destroyed as it collapsed into a caldera. In all, at least 36,000 people died from the eruption and the resulting tsunamis.
20. The eruption led to the creation of a new island called โAnak Krakatauโ which means โChild of Krakatauโ. This also erupted in 2018, killing over 400 people and injuring over 7,000, displacing nearly 47,000.
21. Critically endangered orangutans can be found in Indonesia. The two islands of Sumatra and Borneo are the only places left in the world where they can be found in the wild.
22. Indonesia is one of the worldโs shortest countries according to the average height of its male citizens. The average height for women is 147 cm (4 feet 10 inches), and the average height for men is 158 cm (5 feet 2 inches).
23. Indonesiaโs estimated depression rate is 2.61%, placing it among the lowest globally.
24. Indonesia is the most heavily forested region on earth after the Amazon. It contains several of the worldโs largest rainforests.
25. The worldโs largest flower can be found in the Indonesian jungle. The Rafflesia tuan-mudae can grow up to 111cm (3.64ft) across.
26. The worldโs smelliest plant can also be found in Indonesia. Known as the corpse flower, the Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum) supposedly smells like the โessence of rotting fish combined with the essence of rotting onion.โ
27. Indonesia has the worldโs largest Buddhist temple. Dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Borobudur is home to 72 stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha.
28. Indonesiaโs highest mountain is Puncak Jaya, which, at 4,884m (16,024ft), is also the highest mountain in Oceania. As such, it is one of the Seven Summits โ the tallest mountains on every continent.
29. At 54,716km, Indonesia has the second-longest coastline in the world, after only Canada.
30. In 1976, Indonesia became the first developing country to operate its own domestic satellite system when it launched the Palapa satellite.
31. Indonesians have some of the highest smoking rates in the world. The gap between genders is extreme: around 60% of men smoke daily, compared with only 1% of women.
32. In 2005, the largest packet of instant noodles was created by an Indonesian food company. The packet measured 340cm x 235.5cm x 47cm and weighed 664.94kg.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.