Ethnic divisions: majority of Malay stock comprising Javanese
45.0%, Sundanese 14.0%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other
26.0%
Religion: Muslim 87%, Protestant 6%, Roman Catholic 3%,
Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1% (1985)
Language: Bahasa Indonesia (modified form of Malay; official);
English and Dutch leading foreign languages; local dialects, the most
widely spoken of which is Javanese
Literacy: 77% (male 84%, female 68%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force: 67,000,000; agriculture 55%, manufacturing 10%,
construction 4%, transport and communications 3% (1985 est.)
Organized labor: 3,000,000 members (claimed); about 5% of labor
force
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of Indonesia
Type: republic
Capital: Jakarta
Administrative divisions: 24 provinces (propinsi-propinsi,
singular--propinsi), 2 special regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa,
singular--daerah istimewa), and 1 special capital city district**
(daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali, Bengkulu, Irian Jaya, Jakarta
Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat,
Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Lampung, Maluku,
Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Riau, Sulawesi Selatan,
Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat,
Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Timor Timur, Yogyakarta*
Independence: 17 August 1945 (from Netherlands; formerly
Netherlands or Dutch East Indies)
Constitution: August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of
1949 and Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by
indigenous concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives
(Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR); note--the People's Consultative
Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) includes the DPR plus
500 indirectly elected members who meet every five years to elect the
president and vice president and, theoretically, to determine national
policy
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. (Ret.)
SOEHARTO (since 27 March 1968); Vice President Lt. Gen. (Ret.) SUDHARMONO
(since 11 March 1983)
Political parties and leaders:
GOLKAR (quasi-official party based on functional groups), Lt. Gen. (Ret.)
WAHONO, general chairman;
Indonesia Democracy Party (PDI--federation of former Nationalist and
Christian Parties), SOERYADI, chairman;
Development Unity Party (PPP, federation of former Islamic parties),
Ismail Hasan METAREUM, chairman
Suffrage: universal at age 17 and married persons regardless of age
Elections:
House of Representatives--last held on 23 April 1987
(next to be held 23 April 1992);
results--Golkar 73%, UDP 16%, PDI 11%;
seats--(500 total--400 elected, 100 appointed) Golkar 299, UDP 61, PDI 40
Communists: Communist Party (PKI) was officially banned in March
1966; current strength about 1,000-3,000, with less than 10% engaged in
organized activity; pre-October 1965 hardcore membership about 1.5
million
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Abdul Rachman RAMLY;
Chancery at 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036;
telephone (202) 775-5200; there are Indonesian Consulates General in
Houston, New York, and Los Angeles, and Consulates in Chicago and San
Francisco;
US--Ambassador John C. MONJO; Embassy at Medan Merdeka Selatan 5,
Jakarta (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96356);
telephone 62 (21) 360-360; there are US Consulates in Medan and
Surabaya
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to
the flag of Monaco which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland
which is white (top) and red
ECONOMY
Overview: Indonesia is a mixed economy with many socialist
institutions and central planning but with a recent emphasis on
deregulation and private enterprise. Indonesia has extensive natural
wealth yet, with a large and rapidly increasing population, it remains a
poor country. GDP growth in 1985-89 averaged about 4%, somewhat short of
the more than 5% rate needed to absorb the 2.3 million workers annually
entering the labor force. Agriculture, including forestry and fishing, is
an important sector, accounting for 21% of GDP and over 50% of the labor
force. The staple crop is rice. Once the world's largest rice importer,
Indonesia is now nearly self-sufficient. Plantation crops--rubber and
palm oil--and textiles and plywood are being encouraged for both export
and job generation. Industrial output now accounts for 30% of GDP
based on a supply of diverse natural resources, including crude oil,
natural gas, timber, metals, and coal. Of these, the oil sector dominates
the external economy, generating more than 20% of the government's
revenues and 40% of export earnings in 1989. However, the economy's
growth is very dependent on the continuing expansion of nonoil exports.
Japan is Indonesia's most important customer and supplier of aid.
GDP: $94 billion, per capita $490; real growth rate 6.0%
(1990 est.)
Budget: revenues $17.2 billion; expenditures $23.4 billion,
including capital expenditures of $8.9 billion (FY91)
Exports: $25.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--petroleum and liquefied natural gas 40%, timber 15%,
textiles 7%, rubber 5%, coffee 3%;
partners--Japan 40%, US 14%, Singapore 7%, Europe 16% (1990)
Imports: $21.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--machinery 39%, chemical products 19%, manufactured
goods 16%;
partners--Japan 23%, US 13%, EC, Singapore
External debt: $58.5 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 11.6% (1989 est.); accounts
for 30% of GDP
Electricity: 11,600,000 kW capacity; 38,000 million kWh produced,
200 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: petroleum, textiles, mining, cement, chemical
fertilizers, plywood, food, rubber
Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP, subsistence food production;
small-holder and plantation production for export; rice, cassava,
peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, copra, other tropical products;
products--poultry meat, beef, pork, eggs
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international
drug trade, but not a major player; government actively eradicating
plantings and prosecuting traffickers
Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.4
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $22.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $213 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $175 million
Currency: Indonesian rupiah (plural--rupiahs);
1 Indonesian rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen (sen no longer used)
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 6,964 km total; 6,389 km 1.067-meter gauge, 497 km
0.750-meter gauge, 78 km 0.600-meter gauge; 211 km double track; 101 km
electrified; all government owned
Highways: 119,500 km total; 11,812 km state, 34,180 km provincial,
and 73,508 km district roads
Inland waterways: 21,579 km total; Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and
Madura 820 km, Kalimantan 10,460 km, Celebes 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km
Civil air: about 216 commercial transport aircraft
Airports: 470 total, 436 usable; 111 with permanent-surface
runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: interisland microwave system and HF police net;
domestic service fair, international service good; radiobroadcast
coverage good; 763,000 telephones (1986); stations--618 AM, 38 FM, 9 TV;
satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and
1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station; and 1 domestic satellite
communications system
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 50,572,652; 29,893,127 fit for
military service; 2,149,673 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $1.4 billion, 1.8% of GNP (1988)
