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Nov 5 2009, 6:36 AM EST (current) sgsam2k 11 words added
Nov 2 2009, 9:53 PM EST shanvito.chandra

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Key:  Additions   Deletions
demographicpg
1. Geography
2. Population Aggregates
3. Economic Wealth
4. Education Level
5. Culture & Religion
6. Political System
7. Philosophical Principle




1. GEOGRAPHY

Map of IndonesiaWith over 18,000 counted islands, Indonesia is the largest and most varied archipelago on Earth. It spans almost two million square kilometres between Asia and Australia. Its five largest islands are Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Sulawesi and New Guinea. The nation's capital, and largest, city is Jakarta, which is on Java.

About 6,000 of Indonesia's islands are inhabited. The country's average population density is 134 inhabitants per square kilometre (sq km). However, Java has a population density of 940 people per sq km.

Indonesia's Southeast Asian neighbors include Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, and the Philippines. Indonesia shares land-borders with Papua New Guinea, Malaysia and East Timor.


2. POPULATION AGGREGATES


Table 1A: Population demographics of Indonesia
Indonesia: Demographics - DIGITAL MEDIA ACROSS ASIA

With almost a quarter of a million people, Indonesia is the world's fifth most populous country.
*Source: CIA - The World Factbook - Indonesia

3. ECONOMIC WEALTH
Table 1B: GDP composition, 2008 estimates
Indonesia: Demographics - DIGITAL MEDIA ACROSS ASIAIndonesia: Demographics - DIGITAL MEDIA ACROSS ASIA
*Source: CIA - The World Factbook - Indonesia


4. EDUCATION LEVEL

The increased competition for jobs has been the recent driving force for people to stay in education for as long as they can afford. According to 2007 est. by UNESCO, 17.5% of government spending goes to education. As of 2007, literacy rate for adults (age 15+) and youths (age 15-24) were 93.5% and 98.0% respectively. The main languages spoken include Bahasa Indonesia, English and Dutch. Percentage populations for participation in each education level in 2007 are shown in the table below.

Table 1C: Percentage education enrollment (2007)
Indonesia: Demographics - DIGITAL MEDIA ACROSS ASIAIndonesia: Demographics - DIGITAL MEDIA ACROSS ASIA



5. CULTURE & RELIGION

Based on the 2000 census, approximately 86.1% of Indonesian citizens were Muslims, 5.7% Protestant, 3% Catholic, 1.8% Hindu, 3.4% other or unspecified (The World Factbook, CIA). The Indonesian Constitution states "every person shall be free to choose and to practice the religion of his/her choice" and "guarantees all persons the freedom of worship, each according to his/her own religion or belief". The government, however, officially only recognizes six religions, namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. With many different religions practiced in Indonesia, conflicts between believers are often unavoidable. Moreover, Indonesia's political leadership has played an important role in the relations between groups, both positively and negatively, including the Dutch East Indies' Transmigration Program, which has caused a number of conflicts in the eastern region of the country (Transmigration of Indonesia).

6. POLITICAL SYSTEM

The politics of Indonesia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Indonesia is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two People's Representative Councils. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The 1945 constitution provided for a limited separation of executive, legislative, and judicial power. The governmental system has been described as "presidential with parliamentary characteristics." Following the Indonesian 1998 Revolution and the resignation of President Suharto, several political reforms were set in motion via amendments to the Constitution of Indonesia, which resulted in changes to all branches of government. is exercised by the government.

According to the 1945 Constitution there are six organs of the state:
  1. The People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat).
  2. The Presidency.
  3. The House of Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat).
  4. The Supreme Advisory Council (Dewan Pertimbangan Agung).
  5. The State Audit Board (Badan Pemeriksa Keuangan).
  6. The Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung).
The president was always elected by the majority voice of Indonesian citizens residing globally. Each normal presidential period is the course of 5 years. The latest presidential election was in 2009, and the president for the past 5 years, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won again with an outright majority of the votes in the first round of balloting with Boediono as his vice-president.

Indonesia: Demographics - DIGITAL MEDIA ACROSS ASIA
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Photo Source: Wikipedia

7. PHILOSOPHICAL PRINCIPLE

The official philosophical foundation of Indonesian states is Pancasila. It consists of two Sanskrit words, "panca" meaning five, and "sila" meaning principles. It comprises five principles held to be inseparable and interrelated:
  1. Belief in the one and only God, (in Indonesian, Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa).
  2. Just and civilized humanity, (in Indonesian, Kemanusiaan Yang Adil dan Beradab).
  3. The unity of Indonesia, (in Indonesian, Persatuan Indonesia).
  4. Democracy guided by the inner wisdom in the unanimity arising out of deliberations amongst representatives, and (in Indonesian, Kerakyatan Yang Dipimpin oleh Hikmat Kebijaksanaan, Dalam Permusyawaratan Perwakilan, dan)
  5. Social justice for the whole of the people of Indonesia (in Indonesian, Keadilan Sosial bagi seluruh Rakyat Indonesia)
The Five Principles are each put into the symbol, Garuda Pancasila shown below.
Indonesia: Demographics - DIGITAL MEDIA ACROSS ASIA
Photo Source: Wikipedia

*References:


Read more about Social Media in Indonesia:

Indonesia: Demographics - Social Media and PR across Asia