In many respects, Indonesia is the “giant” of Asean. It is the largest archipelago in the world with over 17,000 islands and the fourth largest population with 248.6 million people. It is the world’s largest Muslim nation, with 86 per cent of its population adhering to this religion.
The area it occupies is also huge with its land and sea area being slightly smaller than the United States. If you place a map of Indonesia on top of Europe it would stretch from the northern tip Ireland to Afghanistan. Strategically it is located at the crossroads of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The country – whose name literally means Indian islands, reflecting extensive Indian cultural influences – has extraordinary cultural diversity with about 600 languages and dialects spoken.
