Tag: Indonesian people

What is the good manners in Indonesia

Here is some advice to build good relationship with Indonesian people. If you come for short visit, local people won’t expect you to follow all good manners in Indonesia, but  if you will stay longer they will appreciate if you will follow some main “rules”.
By the way in different islands can be other good manners than written here.

  • After you will know less or more Indonesian language, communicate with unfamiliar and elder people in formal language.
  • In Indonesia, when you address someone, it would consider more polite if you use these specific terms before mentioning the name: Bapak (in short – Pak) for Mr., Ibu (in short – Bu) for Mrs., Mas for young man and Mbak for Miss/ young woman.
  • If you disagree with someone, or if you want to express your dissatisfaction, avoid to raise your voice, and to lose your composure.
  • Don’t shake a hand, or give some things to Indonesians with left hand, it’s disrespectful. Because left hand Indonesian use usually for “dirty” works.
  • Smile and say “hello” for everyone that you pass, even if you don’t know that person (especially in Java island).
  • Remember to remove your shoes or sandals at the door to a house. In some shops, public places you will see as well that people removes their shoes – so just follow the locals and will be easy to know when to remove it.
  • Don’t wear translucent clothes, slippers, shorts, very open T-shirts, or short skirt/dress in the formal places (university, office room, immigration office and etc.). It’s impolite and disrespectful.
  • In Indonesia, people are more discreet than in Europe or other countries. Usually, girls wear a T-shirt, rarely a low-cut or a sleeveless T-shirt. Nobody will criticize you because of your clothes; nobody will do anything but don’t feel harassed when you get stares.
  • One-piece swim costume better to wear in beaches where comes not a lot of tourist or just swim with shorts and T-shirt – like its common between Indonesian people. Separate swim costume can wear in touristic beaches.
  • Don’t act in public too intimate – kissing, hugging, excessive touching (especially in Muslim islands).
  • When pointing at something, people (especially Javanese) tend to use the thumb rather than an index finger.
  • Avoid standing with hands on hips as it can be construed as anger or a threat (especially in Java island).
  • Avoid touching or passing object over the top of anyone’s head as it is viewed as the most sacred body part.
  • If you visiting Indonesian people (especially in Java island) is polite to stay in his/her place till 9:00-10:00 pm, if this person is very close friend, relative you can stay till 11:00 pm (on Saturday, during celebrations as well you can stay till this time). If in the house lives only foreigners, local people are more flexible with visiting hours – but they will be appreciate if loud music, activities that makes noise after 10:00-11:00 pm would be reduce.
  • If you are guy and visiting Indonesian girl it’s much better if you stay with her outside in terrace or inside with a bit open entrance doors – it will help avoid gossips that inside something happen. As well don’t be surprised if you are foreigner girl and Indonesian guy during visit will suggest to sit outside open area, not inside the house. These things are more common in Java island.

As well Indonesians (especially kids, teenagers) when they greet and elder (a respected person in the community, a teacher, parents, grandmother, and etc.), move their offered hand to slightly touch their forehead, named “salim”. Like a foreigner you are not obligatory to do that.

And most important thing, don’t call anyone “dog” – “anjing” – because it’s lower than a human. Like in Indonesia most of the people are Muslims, “dog” counted like “dirty” wight, so if you call someone like this it means you call him “dirty unhuman”.

Information used from Javanese people sharing and internet sources, as well some pictures.
Good manners in Indonesia
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SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

  • What other good manners you found out in Indonesia?
  • Do you have any similar good manners in your home country?
  • Which manners surprised you the most during your trips in Asia?

 

Useful? Great! :) You might also like these:

Indonesian people lifestyle
How to do things in Indonesian style
Why I moved from first home

 

Indonesian people lifestyle

If you haven’t been before in any Asian country, maybe after you will come to Indonesia, you will have slighter (or bigger) cultural shock. The main thing – come to Indonesia with open eyes and heart, without any attitudes or negative wonder. Don’t judge Indonesian people, culture and country – just accept it how it is.

Some things that you should know before coming to Indonesia about Indonesian people’s lifestyle and maybe it will help you not have a cultural shock.

Discount for travel insurance

People behavior

  • Curiosity: Indonesians are very curious people. In the first meeting they can ask very personal questions. They do not mean to be impolite or disrespect your privacy with asking these questions, this is the way how they try to be friendly with strangers.
  • Staring: in Indonesia, it is not considered impolite to stare. Sometimes when you are out in public, you will feel yourself the object of staring. Adults will point you out to their children; people will stop what they are doing to watch you, etc.! The fewer foreigners in the area, the more stares you are apt to receive.
    Most expats deal with the staring by just ignoring it. There is really nothing you can do about it; no matter how uncomfortable you are, it will always happen!
  • Meeting agreements: when you plan something with Indonesian you should know that “tomorrow” (“besok”) doesn’t have exactly the same meaning than ours. If Indonesian says “Besok kita makan bersama” – it can mean “We eat together tomorrow” or “We eat together in 2 or 3 days” and etc. depends on the context. The same with “yesterday” (“kemarin”) it can mean “yesterday”, “the day before yesterday”,”one week ago” and etc.
  • “Elastic Hour” (“Jam karet””): if you agreed to meet at one time and your friend comes one hour later, smiling as nothing wrong – it’s nothing wrong in Indonesia. Punctuality is not so important in Indonesia. Don’t think that your friend doesn’t respect you because he is late. Don’t be offended, rather adopt. Indonesian time, which is really relaxing.
  • Respect showing: to show respect to parents, elder people, teachers and etc. younger people take their hand and touch their forehead (“salim”).
    Politeness: smiling is very prevalent and is often used even when people don’t like something or they don’t agree.
  • Laughing: if you ask someone to do something, but he cannot do it, laughing could be a way to express his embarrassment. The Javanese society is based on the concept of “rukun”, that is to say the willing to make peace and harmony the main priority in social relationships. The main point on Javanese culture is the willing to avoid all kind of clashes, or conflicts. Then, the difficulty for Javanese people to say no could be due to the willing to avoid conflicts.
  • Answers: if people don’t understand something or doesn’t know something, they still will show that they understand and know, like they don’t want to embarrass the other person by making them repeat the question.
  • Showing the way: most of the time, as often in Asia, Indonesian people are not used to read map and usually it’s hard understand when they explain how to get to any place. Better to ask several different people how to get to the place, like Indonesians even if they don’t know they want to help and say things that they think they know.
  • Explaining directions: only in Yogyakarta if you want to go somewhere and asking Indonesians how to get there, they will explain everything not in “ turn left”, “turn right” way but saying the main direction: North (direction to Merapi),  South (direction to Parangtritis), West (direction to Kulon Progo or sunset), East (direction to Prambanan/Solo or sunrise). So try to go from Kasongan (South) to UGM university (North) by Indonesian explanation: “From the gate of Kasongan, go to the North. You will pass 5 traffic lights. On the 6th traffic light go a little bit North and turn to East then turn to North side again. On 7th traffic light – turn East. You will pass 2 traffic lights, on 3rd traffic light – turn to North and will see UGM gate”. Do you think you will manage to reach the place? :).
    Beeping all the time: in the roads you will hear many beeps. Don’t worry Indonesians do that often not because you did something wrong, but because they want to inform you that they are coming
  • Shaman: Indonesian goes to shaman instead of doctor (when they get sick) or police (when they got robbed). It’s happening especially in villages.
  • Fever cure: if Indonesians have fever they do “kerok” – scratch the back and front body with metal money. To wind get out from the body, they believe that wind makes them get fever.
  • Indonesians wakes up very early: like most of them are Muslim, first they go to pray ~ 4:00 am (morning praying) and after that – start their daily works. Not all of them like this, but in villages it’s most common.
  • Walking habits: usually Indonesians don’t walk; use the vehicles even if they need to go to shop that is 5min. walk by foot.
  • Coughing and sneezing: it is not common for traditional and less educated people in Indonesia to carry handkerchiefs or tissues, and often they do not understand how diseases are spread. Therefore it is not unusual to see people coughing or sneezing openly without attempting to cover their mouth or nose.
  • Spitting: this habit is particularly common during the fasting month. Some strict Muslims refuse to swallow their own saliva while fasting, and spit saliva onto the ground or in the street. Gargling and spitting is part of the ritual cleansing before Muslim prayers.
  • Smoking: the vast majority of Indonesian men smoke, excessively! There are many public spaces where you will inevitably have to breathe in cigarette smoke. A law that banned smoking in transportation terminals, malls, offices, hospitals, schools, and universities, places of worship, buses, trains and playgrounds has been in effect in Jakarta since 2006, but it is not entirely enforced.  Most office buildings and public areas of malls are complying; however, there will still be a smoking section in most restaurants.
  • Long thumbnails: sometimes you will see an Indonesian man with one or two very long nails, usually the thumbnail. This is intended as an indication of his status as a non-manual laborer or worker.
  • Wetness: a traditional Indonesian bathroom contains a trough of clean water, from which water is scooped up in a plastic dipper (“gayung”) and poured over the body while standing on the floor of the bathroom. After soaping up all over, more dippers full of water are splashed over oneself to rinse off. This same practice is utilized when going to the toilet, resulting in very wet toilet seats!
This is intended as an indication of his status as a non-manual laborer or worker.
Scratch the back and front body with metal money.
You can buy different tobacco by your favorite smell and taste and the seller can mix for you.
Nice word playing “don’t quit” and as well “do it”. Left unsaid is the fact that half of all smokers who follow these directions to keep smoking instead of quitting will die prematurely as a result.
A traditional Indonesian bathroom contains a trough of clean water, from which water is scooped up in a plastic dipper (“gayung”) and poured over the body while standing on the floor of the bathroom.
“Linting roko” (rolling cigarettes) – cigarettes is without filter and was mostly smoking before cigarettes factories started their production in Indonesia.
Indonesian men rank as the world’s top smokers (2012), with 2 out of 3 of them lighting up in a country where cigarettes cost pennies and tobacco advertising is everywhere.
In 2014, the Indonesian government halted the branding of cigarettes as “light” or “mild” on all smoking packages and has decided to place graphic images on the cigarette packs to show the adverse long-term effects of excessive smoking.

 

Eating habits

  • Using hands: mostly Indonesians use hand (“muluk”) to eat food.
  • Tools: you can see that people as well eating with spoon and fork, but very rare with knife. Like they believe that knife is a weapon as well, they can do everything with the hand – so why use the knife?  The spoon they use in the right hand and fork in the left (or vice versa for lefthanders). The fork holds food steady while breaking off portions with the spoon, and is used to assist in loading up the spoon by pushing food into it. Most food is cut up into relatively small pieces before it is cooked, although chicken and duck are usually served on the bone, and fish is often served whole.
  • Indonesian use to eat fast and silently.
  • Place: sometimes Indonesian food is served and eaten not at a table, but on woven mats covering a low platform or the ground. This style of eating is called “lesehan” and is common in Yogyakarta and Central Java as well as West Java.
  • Rice: Indonesians eat rice 3 times per day (with fish, vegetables, egg and etc.). “Kalau belum makan nasi, belum makan” (if you haven’t eaten rice, you haven’t eaten), which implies that no matter what snacks you have consumed, you have not had a proper meal until you have filled your tummy with rice in some form or another. They should eat rice once per day at least to feel good.
  • Cold food: most often in “warungs” and “angrigans” you can get a bit warm or cold food, like food prepared earlier and nobody warm it, you just select  from food what is ready and you see in front of you. It’s nothing surprised to eat cold rice, chiken, boiled vegetables or other dishes.
  • Burping: it is not considered impolite to burp, and can even be regarded as a sign of appreciation of a good meal, therefore Indonesians generally do not excuse themselves after burping.

Other

  • Working hours: mostly small shops or eating places doesn’t have working hours. One day they can be open at one time, next day – at another. The activities (school, work and etc.) usually start at 7:00-7:30 am.
  • Evening time: at 6:00 pm usually is totally dark outside and after 10:00 pm (especially in the villages)  is very quiet (like people goes to sleep after early waking up).
  • Couples living: it’s taboo and immoral if in the same place lives a couple, who is not married (especially in the villages). Even if the couple is foreigners, most of communities don’t accept them and don’t let rent a place there. The owner will ask for a wedding certificate before renting his place to a couple. There can be exceptions depending on the community leader liberality.
  • Hair cutting: there are special barber places only for cutting man’s hair.
  • Pharmacy: in some pharmacy (especially in smaller towns, villages) they can ask you to show marriage paper before selling contraception pills. Officially it’s not allowed to have sex before marriage and if you are not married it means you don’t need such pills.
  • Toilets: mostly in toilets there is no flushing system, so you need to use water from container. Also most places has “Turkish style” (squat) toilet, you can find sitting style as well but don’t expect that it will be everywhere :) Indonesian people do not use toilet paper, but they wash them self with water, always available in WC. Indonesian people use the left hand to wash themselves, while they keep the right hand to shake hands and to eat. If you cannot do without toilet paper, always keep with you a package of tissues.
  • Hot water: there is no hot water (only you can find it in hotels, rich people houses or sometimes in villages near mountains). It can be a bracing and refreshing experience to bathe from a traditional “bak mandi”, as only room temperature water is used. Warm water is only for babies, the elderly or the sick.
  • Animals at home: roaches, geckos, small lizards, ants, mice and etc. are usual animals at home that you can see on your walls, hear sounds on the roof.
  • Language: Indonesia are bilingual – use national language “bahasa Indonesian” and local language for example “bahasa Java”.
  • Refilling: you hardly will find services for which you need the contract. You need drinking water or gas – you buy water or gas gallons and refill it; you need electricity – you buy “pulsa” put the code in your counter and have it; you need to use internet or mobile-you pay for “pulsa” and seller will put needed information to his mobile and you have it. For Indonesians everything should be easy – agreements for services makes everything too complicated.
  • Trashes: don’t surprise to see everywhere the trashes. Like Indonesian people throw it anywhere – to the river, just straight on the street or even in front of their houses.
In many places instead of tools for eating you will get a bowl of water to clean the hands before and after eating. In my case they brought tools when I asked.
I have them usually in “big tent” as well.
It’s quite usual view.
So common in Indonesia
You write your mobile number, amount that you want to buy and seller makes it.
And it’s not the worst case.
Usually Indonesians eat a rice with almost all dishes.
Information used from Javanese people sharing and internet sources, as well some pictures.
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Lifestyle of Indonesian people
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SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

  • Does any of these Indonesian people lifestyle examples reminds you any from your country?
  • You know more Indonesian people common behavior? What kind of?
  • To which of these things would be hard for you to adapt?

 

Interesting? Great! :) You might also like these:

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Interesting facts about Indonesia

Before coming to Indonesia, I didn’t know much about this country. But after I started to search for information, I was surprised how “rich” is Indonesia :). Even some of the facts became my travel destination. I hope these interesting facts about Indonesia will be useful for you as well:

Nature:

  • The country is 2nd after Brazil with the highest level of biodiversity in the world.
  • Mount Tambora erupted in 1815, which is the world’s most powerful volcanic eruption. It affected the global climate to such an extent that it was called “year without summer”.
  • Indonesia has the smallest fish in the world named the Paedocypris petrogenetic, with a length of 7.9 mm and found in a Sumatra muddy swamp.
  • Indonesia has the world’s longest snake called the Python Reticulates, which is ~7 meters long and can be found on Sulawesi island.
  • Indonesia has the world’s smallest primate named the Tarsier Pygmy (Tarsius pumilus), also known as the Mountain Tarsier, whose length is only 10 cm. This animal looks like a monkey and lives on trees found on Sulawesi island.
  • Indonesia has the world’s largest flower called the Rafflesia Arnoldi, which has a diameter of up to 1 m during the blossom phase. Reaching 5ft high and 4ft wide, it only blooms for 3 days, and for 8 hours of these 3 days, the flower gives out the rotting flesh smell. Found in Borneo and Sumatra islands.
  • Indonesia has the only living ancient dragon, Komodo, which can be found on Komodo island. Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard, is an endemic species of Indonesia; the creature is also the national animal of the country.
  • Javan rhinoceros is an animal that lives only in Indonesia; in any other part of the world, you will not see this animal.
  • Indonesia has the largest mangrove forest in the world. The main benefit of mangroves is to prevent erosion by seawater.
  • Indonesia has the world’s largest amount of orchid biodiversity. There are about 6 000 species of orchids, ranging from the largest (Tiger Orchid or Grammatophyllum Speciosum) to the smallest (Taeniophyllum, which has no leaves). The collection also includes the Black Orchid, which is extremely rare and can only be found in Papua.
  • Indonesia has the largest number of shark species, which is approximately 150 species.
  • Indonesia is the world’s richest in terms of most extensive coral reefs. It has about 18% of the total coral reefs around the world.
  • With more than 450 different bird species, Java Island is a bird watcher’s paradise.
  • Sumatra is the biggest island of Indonesia, which comes under the Greater Sunda Islands. It is also the 6th largest and the fifth-highest island in the whole world.
  • If you wanted to spend one day on every single Indonesian island, you’d need more than 45 years.
  • By landmass size, Java is the world’s 13th largest island, and 5th largest Indonesian Island. It was formed mainly by volcanic eruptions and has an east-west chain of them along the island.
  • The main island of Java is as big as New York State. Java is split into four provinces: East Java, Central Java, West Java, and Banten.
  • Puncak Jaya is the highest point in Indonesia, situated in the highlands of Papua.

  • At the top of the Indonesian volcano, Kelimutu situated three lakes, each of which periodically changes color from turquoise to green, red and black. Such transformations are caused by volcanic gases, which react with a variety of minerals dissolved in the water, thereby changing the color of the lakes.
  • Certain fruits of Indonesia make foreigners curious. These fruits seem strange as they have no name in the foreigner’s language and they never knew it existed. The Durian fruit is one of them which is known to be the king of fruits. Salak (“snake fruit”) and Duku are some other examples of such “strange” fruits.
Tarsier Pygmy – the world’s smallest primate.
Taeniophyllum orchid – the smallest orchid without leaves.
Rafflesia Arnoldi – the world’s largest flower.
Puncak Jaya – the highest point in Indonesia.
Paedocypris Progenetica – the smallest fish in the world.
Mount Tambora – the world’s most powerful volcanic eruption that affected the global climate.
Komodo – the only living ancient dragon.
Volcano Kelimutu – in the top suited 3 lakes, each of which periodically changes color from turquoise to green, red and black
Javan Rhinoceros – an animal that lives only in Indonesia.
Duku fruit
In some countries even don’t allow to take it inside hotels.

People:

  • Indonesian people take it easy and slow. Indonesia is near the bottom of the ranking in “speed of walk” among all the countries in the world. Even though people in Jakarta are as busy as other workers in other big cities of the world, their speed when walking is notably slow. If there are Japanese/Western people who also live in Jakarta and walk among us Indonesian, you would spot them immediately, because their speed stands out.
  • The most important thing in Indonesia is not really “success” or hard-work or be of use for those around them. It’s being happy and loves their life. They don’t need big money as long as their life and their family is peaceful and easy. Maybe “take it easy and enjoy the risk” are the motto. The thing is, this attitude toward life is what makes them suffer the most. Sadly, they won’t change. They won’t put big effort but because they want their life to be easy, they have a lot of demand. And granted, it’s not being fulfilled.
  • In Java island, locals can often ask you to be photographed with them. The standard phrase “Hello misterrr, photo?” Even if you the girl, they will call you the same – “Mister”. Like in their language doesn’t exist “she/he” only “dia” that’s why sometimes for Indonesians hard to remember which gender is “Mister”, which is “Miss”.
  • Rice is the main food staple in Indonesia. Indonesian at least once per day should eat rice to feel full; usually, they eat rice 3 times per day.
  • Balinese are named according to their birth order. The 1st is Wayan, the 4th is Ketut and if you are the 5th, it goes back to Wayan.
  • The small Indonesian Hindu population mostly lives on the western island of Bali. Balinese Hinduism is steeped in ancient superstitions. They never let a baby’s feet touch the ground for the first six months, to prevent the devil from entering the child. This means that babies are continually passed around like hot potatoes by relatives.
  • Almost everyone in Bali has their teeth filed down. They believe that the essence of the 6 vices (jealousy, anger, confusion, drunkenness, desire, and greed) enters the body through the top 6 teeth, so by filing away their “demonic” ends, the vices are thwarted and entry to heaven is guaranteed.
  • Most of the time, as often in Asia, Indonesian people are not used to reading maps.
  • Indonesian people do not use toilet paper, but they wash with water, always available in WC in Indonesia. Indonesian people use the left hand to wash, while they keep the right hand to shake hands and to eat. If you cannot do without toilet paper, always keep with you a package of tissues.
  • Indonesian mostly eats with their hands. Do not use your left hand, and try to use only the first three fingers (thumb, forefinger, and middle finger). Wash your hands before and after eating with the finger bowl which is put on the table. Indonesian use to eat fast and silently.

Other:

  • The name “Indonesia” was first used by the British in the mid-19th century. It comes from the Greek “nesos” (island) and Indus, the Latin name for the land beyond the Indus river, which was derived from the Sanskrit name for that river: Sindhu. Dutch colonists didn’t like “Indonesia”, preferring Dutch East Indies or Malayan Archipelago. As a result, it was adopted by the anti-colonial movement in the early 20th century.
  • The oldest hominid in the world, Pithecanthropus Erectus, is found in Indonesia. Its origin is dated way back from 1.8 million years ago.
  • Another early human being, Homo floresiensis (“Flores Man”, nicknamed “hobbit” and “Flo”) is the possible species, now extinct, in the genus Homo. The remains were discovered in 2003 on the island of Flores in Indonesia.
  • The country is so expansive in its area covered that it has 3 time zones. It is one of the countries that have not been fully explored or mapped.
  • Indonesia is a major producer of cloves and nutmeg (It’s used in cooking, as medicine, and as a hallucinogen). Nutmeg is native to Indonesia’s Banda islands and ranked first in the world in terms of production.
  • Indonesia is the largest exporter of plywood, which makes up 80% of the supply to the world.
  • In the markets and in some shops there are no price tags, it is possible to bargain and make a price lower by two-three times.
  • Usually, the shops, eating places doesn’t show their working hours, so one day they can open and close in one time, the next day in another.
  • One of the world’s unique funeral processions takes place in a Toraja, a small town on Sulawesi island. The funeral procession will take around 7 days and cost a fortune. That’s why families usually save up their money for years before they can bury their loved ones. The dead bodies they are keeping in their house.
  • Movies in cinemas and on television never duplicated in the local language. Movies are shown in the original with Indonesian subtitles.
  • “Nasi goreng” is an Indonesian fried rice dish that is the world’s 2nd most beloved food as per a CNN poll and also known as the national dish of Indonesia.
  • It is the world’s largest producer of palm oil, 40% of which is set aside for use as biofuel. It also exports 3,000 tons of frogs’ legs to France each year.
  • Green spaces are not so common in Indonesia. Some cities have the city center arranged as a park, green space for people, which is nice, but other than that, you have to search and discover your own places where you can take a rest.
Nasi goreng – is the world’s 2nd most beloved food as per a CNN poll.
Toraja funeral – one of the world’s unique funeral processions
Indonesia is a major producer of nutmeg.
Indonesians mostly eats with hands.
One of the brand of Indonesian cigarettes that contains cloves inside.
Cloves drying in Damar island.
Cloves and nutmeg
Indonesian at least once per day should eat rice to feel full.

The facts that you probably already know:

  • “Unity in Diversity” is the national motto of Indonesia.
  • The flag of Indonesia is similar to the flag of Monaco. Like the Indonesian flag, the flag of Monaco also has two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white.
  • The total land area of Indonesia places it in the 15th position in the world. Flying from one end to the other, from North Sumatra to West Papua, takes over 12 hours of flying time.
  • In terms of population, Indonesia is the 4th largest country in the world (after China, India, and the United States) with over 253 million (2014) people.
  • About half the population of Indonesia lives on less than USD $2 per day and the unemployment rate here is almost 10%.
  • With a population of 143 million, Java is the home of 57% of the Indonesian population and is the most populous island on Earth.
  • In Indonesia, there are around 300 ethnic groups.
  • The Indonesian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion but the government only recognizes 6 official religions (Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism). On the island of Java, more than 90% of the people are Muslims, on a broad continuum between abangan (more traditional) andsantri (more modernist). Some parts of south-central Java are strongly Roman Catholic and Buddhist communities exist in Java’s major cities.
  • Jakarta (capital city) with a population of more than 10 million is one of the world’s most densely populated cities.
  • Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is the national language of Indonesia, used in schools and other state-run enterprises, as well as in the media. However, Indonesia has over 700 indigenous languages, meaning that many Indonesians are bilingual, speaking their indigenous language at home and Indonesian at work or school.
  • Indonesia is a very diverse country in terms of culture and around 583 languages and dialects are spoken in the country.
  • During World War II, the Japanese invaded and occupied Indonesia.
  • The Dutch kept Indonesia colonized for almost 350 years, owing to the fact that many old Indonesians speak Dutch fluently. Many Indonesian words have been derived from Dutch.
  • During the colonial periods of the 17th century, the Dutch introduced the cultivation of commercial plants in Java, including sugarcane, rubber, tea, and coffee. In the 19th and early 20th century, Javanese coffee gained global popularity. This is in fact why the name “Java” is commonly considered to be synonymous with coffee.
  • Indonesia was formerly known as the Dutch East Indies.
  • Indonesia became a member of the United Nations in the year 1950 and today it is the signatory to the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, the Cairns group, and the WTO.
  • There are around 17,500 islands in Indonesia (out of which 6,000 of these islands are inhabited) taking up almost the same space as the United States. New Guinea, Borneo (also known as Kalimantan), and Sumatra island are on the list of the top ten largest Islands in the world.
  • There are over 150 volcanoes in Indonesia. 127 of them are active. Records at least 3 earthquakes per day.
  • Indonesia is a part of “The Ring of Fire”, the volcano group. About 75% of the volcanoes of the Ring of Fire are in Indonesia.
  • Almost 60% of the country is covered with forests.
  • Indonesia sits on both sides of the equator (the line cuts across islands Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Kalimantan along with a few other small Islands in the middle of the country). Experiences tropical climate year-round and its average temperature do not fluctuate much throughout the year. The average range of the temperature remains between 26-30 degrees Celsius.
  • Indonesia has the biggest Buddhist temple in the world – Borobudur, built-in 9th century.
  • 2 sports that are the most popular among Indonesians are badminton and soccer. Illegal gambling of sports is on the rise in the country.
  • The Indonesian industry mainly imports chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs, and machinery and equipment’s while electrical appliances, rubber, plywood, oil and gas, and textile are the main export products here.
  • Tourism is the main industry of Indonesia. The country attracts hordes of tourists and nature lovers from all across the globe for its pristine tropical forest and the culture of the people.
  • 20% of liquid natural gas in the world is produced in Indonesia and the country is the largest supplier worldwide.
  • In Indonesia left-side traffic.
  • Indonesian loves spicy foods! Order a pizza or hamburger here; you will get some sambal packages.
  • The most expensive coffee in the world – Kopi Luwak is from Indonesia. Coffee beans are eaten by civets and digested before being brewed.
The most expensive coffee in the world.
2 sports that are the most popular among Indonesians are badminton and soccer
Indonesian loves spicy foods.
Borobudur – the biggest Buddhist temple in the world.

Here are more 5 facts about Indonesia from indahs.com

Do you know more interesting facts? Share with us :)

Information and most of the pictures used from internet sources.
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Interesting? Great! :) You might also like these:

Indonesian people lifestyle
How to do things in Indonesian style
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