GEOGRAPHY
General Information
The Republic of Indonesia is the largest island state in the world, located in Southeast Asia, comprising about 17 thousand islands.
It occupies the territory of the Malay Archipelago, including the Greater Sunda Islands, Lesser Sunda Islands, Maluku Islands, as well as the western part of the island of New Guinea. Indonesia consists of five main islands, two major island groups, and thirty smaller archipelagos. The largest by area are New Guinea, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sumatra, Sulawesi, and Java. The country is located on both sides of the equator.
The northern and central regions of Indonesia are washed by the Pacific Ocean and its seas. To the northwest, west, and south – by the Indian Ocean and its seas.
The area of Indonesia is 1 904 569 sq. km.
Indonesia is divided into 32 provinces, including the autonomous regions of Aceh, Papua, and West Papua, as well as two special administrative districts – Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Provinces are divided into regencies (kabupaten) and cities. Regencies are subdivided into districts (kecamatan). Districts are divided into rural communities (desa).
Among the natural resources of Indonesia, the following are distinguished: coal, gold, and gas.
Most islands of the archipelago have mountainous relief, formed by folded-block ridges. These mountain systems are dissected by tectonic processes and erosion into separate massifs. Many peaks are active or extinct volcanoes. On large islands, there are young lowland plains, formed by river alluvium or volcanic deposits.
Indonesia is located in a zone of high seismic activity and is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Time zone – UTC+7.
State Borders
The length of the land border is 3119 km.
The length of the maritime border is 54 720 km.
It borders the following countries:
- Malaysia (2019 km);
- East Timor (280 km);
- Papua New Guinea (820 km);
- Singapore (maritime border);
- Vietnam (maritime border);
- Philippines (maritime border);
- Thailand and Palau (maritime border);
- Australia (maritime border).
Climate
The climate of Indonesia is formed under the influence of equatorial and subequatorial zones, with the dominance of humid monsoons. The country does not have distinct winter or summer seasons, but two main periods are distinguished: wet (October-April) and dry (May-September). Temperatures remain stable year-round: in the lowlands up to +27°C during the day, in the mountains cooler – up to +15°C.
The greatest precipitation falls in the west (Sumatra, Kalimantan) – up to 4000 mm per year, the eastern regions (Nusa Tenggara, Maluku Islands) are drier – 1000-1500 mm. The wet season is accompanied by heavy rains and thunderstorms, especially intense in December-January. The dry season in the east can last up to 8 months.
Abnormal heat is rare: maximums reach +38°C in coastal areas. Climate change is intensifying extreme phenomena: droughts in the south and floods in Java. A unique feature is the microclimate of the islands, where weather varies within a few kilometers.