Indonesia
Asia ยท Capital: Jakarta
How it is run: Indonesia is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Indonesia is home to 285.7 million people in South-Eastern Asia, where people speak Indonesian.
Numbers that tell a story ๐ข
๐ฅ People
285.7 million people
That is 3.5% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
๐บ๏ธ Land
1,904,569 kmยฒ
One of the world's large countries: flying across it takes hours.
๐๏ธ How crowded
About 150 people per square kilometre โ busy towns with countryside in between.
๐ Size in its region
3rd most people in Asia
5th largest by land in Asia.
๐ฃ๏ธ Official languages
Indonesian
๐ฐ Money
Indonesian rupiah (Rp)
Life here today ๐ฉบ
These come from World Bank open data โ the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
โค๏ธ How long people live
71.3 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
๐ผ Money made per person each year
about US$5,060
A lower-middle-income country: incomes are rising, but many families still farm or work informally.
๐ข Living in cities
59.4% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
๐ Kids under 15
24.2% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details ๐งญ
๐ Phone code
+62
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
๐ Websites end in
.id
๐ง People here are called
Indonesian
๐ท๏ธ Name at home
Indonesia
Also written: Republic of Indonesia, Republik Indonesia.
๐ Coast or inland
Has a coastline
๐๏ธ UN voting group
Asia and the Pacific Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders ๐ค
Indonesia touches 3 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world ๐ฃ๏ธ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Indonesia
French
Indonรฉsie
Arabic
ุฅูุฏูููุณูุง
Chinese
ๅฐๅบฆๅฐผ่ฅฟไบ
Japanese
ใคใณใใใทใข
Russian
ะะฝะดะพะฝะตะทะธั
Portuguese
Indonรฉsia
German
Indonesien
Put it in perspective ๐
- India โ the most populated country in Asia โ has about 5.1ร as many people as Indonesia.
- Indonesia covers roughly 18,139 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Indonesia lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 142,861 km.
Flags through time ๐
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch Indonesia change.
Dutch East Indies
The Netherlands ruled the islands and flew its own tricolour.
Sang Saka Merah-Putih
Red for courage over white for purity, raised on independence day.
Fast facts ๐ง
Fact of the day: ๐ฎ๐ฉ is the flag of Indonesia. Its country code โ the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics โ is ID.
๐ท๏ธ Official name
Republic of Indonesia
๐๏ธ Capital
Jakarta
๐ Region
Asia ยท South-Eastern Asia
๐ค Country code
ID
๐๏ธ UN status
UN member state
๐ฉ Independence
Independent country
More about Indonesia ๐
Borobudur temple
The world's largest Buddhist temple, built around 800 CE, with 2,672 carved panels telling stories as you spiral to the top.
See it in Street View๐งญ Where on the map
5.0ยฐ S, 120.0ยฐ E
๐ Half of the world
Southern & Eastern hemisphere
๐ฐ๏ธ Clock check
Roughly UTC+8 โ when it is noon in London it is about 20:00 in Jakarta.
- Because of where Indonesia sits, the school day there starts many hours before or after yours does.
- Indonesia is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly โ the same as every other member, big or small.
- ๐ฎ๐ฉ is the flag of Indonesia. Its country code โ the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics โ is ID.
- The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta โ that's where the country's big decisions get made.
- Indonesia shares its part of the world with Thailand. Countries close together often trade the most with each other.
Countries nearby ๐ค
Talk about it ๐ฌ
- Indonesia has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Indonesia can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Indonesia spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz ๐งช
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Indonesia?
Jakarta
Which money do people spend in Indonesia?
Indonesian rupiah (Rp)
How many countries share a land border with Indonesia?
3 โ Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea.
Roughly how many people live in Indonesia?
285.7 million people
Keep researching ๐
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further โ and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here โ kid-friendly encyclopedias ๐
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ๐๏ธ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy ๐ฐ
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card ๐ซ
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians โ all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.