O R A R I
Organisasi Amatir
Radio Indonesia
Zone 28 Oceania
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LAND AND RESOURCES
Mount Bromo (right) in the Tengger highlands of East Java,
Indonesia, is a favorite tourist sight. It is 2,392 m (7,848 ft)
high and known for its frequent volcanic activity.
[Aztech New Media Corp.]
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Territories on five islands make up 90% of Indonesia. The largest territory, Kalimantan, occupies
the southern two-thirds of the island of BORNEO and comprises 28% of Indonesia's total area.
Second in size is the island of Sumatra (Sumatera), with 24% of the total area. Irian Jaya, which
occupies the western half of New Guinea, forms 22% of the country; SULAWESI (Celebes),
10%; and the islands of JAVA and Madura -- inhabited by 64% of the population -- only 7%.
Notable small islands include BALI, TIMOR, Lombok, and Sumba of the Lesser SUNDA
ISLANDS, and Halmahera, Buru, Seram, and Ambon, parts of the MOLUCCAS -- Malaka (formerly known
as the Spice Islands).
High mountains, some of them volcanic, extend the length of the archipelago. On Irian Jaya,
Indonesia's highest mountain, Jaya, reaches 5,030 m (16,495 ft). High mountains also form the
southern edge of Sumatra. They continue across the Sunda Strait, where the famous volcano
KRAKATOA [Krakatau or Anak Krakatau] is located, and into Java, where they rise to 3,676 m (12,060 ft) in Semeru. On
Sulawesi, the mountains rise to 3,455 m (11,335 ft) in Rantekombolo. Extensive, swampy
lowlands characterize the eastern half of Sumatra, southern Kalimantan, and southeastern Irian
Jaya.
Soils
As in many rainy, tropical areas, the soils are predominantly infertile in Indonesia because of
leaching. The most productive are those on Java and adjacent islands. Soil nutrients there are
replenished by frequent volcanic eruptions, and the lavas' alkalinity is conducive to plant growth.
The Borobudur, the remains of a great 9th-century Buddhist
monument in central Java, is decorated with a series of 463
niches containing images of the Buddha striving toward all-embracing
compassion. A pilgrim climbing clockwise around the monument
symbolically embarks upon a spiritual journey, moving from the
clear and vivid images of the material world to the simple
spiritual world of the Buddhas.
[Photo Explorer]
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Climate
Most islands are hot and humid throughout the year. Rain falls primarily from December to
March, when the winter monsoon dominates, blowing from the Asian mainland. Only western
Java and the Lesser Sunda Islands have a dry season, from June to September, when dry winds
blow from the interior of Australia's deserts. Temperatures in coastal areas range from 24 deg C
to 28 deg C (75 deg F to 85 deg F), while the mountains are cooler. The average annual rainfall
varies from 3,050 mm (120 in) in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Irian Jaya to 1,015 mm (40 in) in the
Lesser Sundas.
Drainage
Rivers are numerous, short, and important for irrigation. The longest is the Mamberamo, on Irian
Jaya, navigable for 160 km (100 mi). Lake Toba (1,300 sq km/ 502 sq mi), in the Barisan
Mountains of northern Sumatra, was formed within the world's largest caldera of a volcano.
The Komodo dragon, V. komodoensis, is a relative of the extinct
7-m (23-ft) reptile V. priscus, whose remains have been found
in Quaternary deposits in Australia.
[Grolier Electronic Publishing, Inc.]
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Vegetation & Animal Life
Tropical rain forest covers most of the islands; this is characterized by a dense overhead canopy
of trees, an abundance of tree species, and numerous lianas (vines), along with ferns, orchids,
and other epiphytes. The monsoonal forests are composed primarily of stands of bamboo with a
seasonal fall of leaves. Indonesia's animals have an Asian affinity in the west and an Australian
relationship in the east, suggesting the past existence of land bridges between the islands and
the two continents. In the Lesser Sundas, the island of KOMODO is the last protected habitation
for the Komodo Dragon, the world's largest lizard.
Resources
Indonesia is potentially rich in mineral resources. The most important is crude petroleum -- with
associated deposits of natural gas -- extracted in eastern Sumatra and Kalimantan. Tin ores are
found on a number of islands, as well as deposits of bauxite, nickel, and coal. Large reserves of
low-grade iron ore have been reported; ore is extracted in central Java.
Bibliography:
American University, Indonesia, A Country Study, 4th ed. (1983); Aveling, H., ed.,
The Development of Indonesian Society (1980); Booth, A., and McCawley, P., eds., The
Indonesian Economy During the Suharto Era (1981); Crouch, Harold, The Army and Politics in
Indonesia (1988); Drake, C., National Integration in Indonesia (1989); Green, M., Indonesia
(1991); Holt, Claire, et al., Culture and Politics in Indonesia (1988); Jenkins, D., Suharto and His
Generals (1985); Kahin, A., ed., Regional Dynamics of the Indonesian Revolution (1986);
McDonald, H., Suharto's Indonesia (1981); Mackie, J. A. C., Indonesia: The Making of a Nation
(1981); Peacock, James L., Indonesia: An Anthropological Perspective (1973); Reeve, D., Golkar
of Indonesia (1987); Ricklefs, M. C., A History of Modern Indonesia (1981); Stewart, I. C., and
Shaw, J., Indonesians: Portraits from an Archipelago (1984); Wild, C., and Carey, P., eds., Born
in Fire, The Indonesian Struggle for Independence (1988).
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