Indonesia, Republic of, island
republic of Southeast Asia, constituting most of the Malay
Archipelago. Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous
country after China, India, and the United States. More
than half the people live on Java, where Jakarta, Indonesia's
capital and largest city, is located. Although the islands
are home to more than 100 ethnic groups, most Indonesians
are of mixed Malay origins and practice Islam.
Several
of Indonesia's islands hosted powerful trading kingdoms
between the 5th and 16th centuries AD. The Dutch took
control of the islands in the early 1600s and for three
centuries profited from Indonesia's economy, largely at
the expense of the local population. Dutch authority over
the islands peaked in the early 20th century before growing
Indonesian nationalism led to an armed struggle and the
declaration of the Republic of Indonesia in 1945. The
country enjoyed tremendous economic growth in the 1980s
and much of the 1990s, partly due to Indonesia's abundant
natural resources and increases in the manufacturing and
services sectors. As a result, Indonesia's middle class
grew considerably, but poverty remained widespread. Indonesia
plunged into an economic crisis in 1997 that led to significant
political changes, including the resignation of President
Suharto, who had been in office for more than 30 years.
Democratic elections held in 1999 installed a new government.
-- quoted from encata.msn.com
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