Indonesia

INTERESTING FACTS

With around 240 million inhabitants, Indonesia is the fourth most populous state in the world. The country is home to nearly 360 different ethnic groups, most of Malayan origin. The rich culture of the Indonesian islands owes much to an ancient maritime trade route used by Indians, Arabs, and Chinese, which has left vivid religious and cultural traces to this day. Islam is very present, not as a state religion, but with about 200 million Muslims, it is very dominant. Over time, Hindu and Buddhist archipelagic states have also formed. As a result, cultural diversity is exceptionally high. Indonesia is not monolithic – quite the contrary: while the largest ethnic group is the Javanese, Sundanese, Melanesian, and Madurese minorities are also represented. The diversity of Indonesian flora and fauna is even more pronounced: of the approximately 500 known mammal species on Earth, Indonesia exclusively hosts about 100 – including the three-meter-long Komodo dragons, often referred to by many as the “last dragons.”