Geography Now! Indonesia

Summary

This script offers a lively introduction to Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago nation, highlighting its cultural diversity, unique geography, and rich history. From its status as a predominantly Muslim nation with a colorful blend of Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian influences to its complex administrative divisions and natural wonders like volcanoes and unique wildlife, the video paints a vibrant picture of Indonesia's people, cuisine, and traditions. It also touches on the nation's geopolitical stance, historical ties, and the influence of various ethnic groups on its culture and language.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago nation, located at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
• 🏞️ It has a complex geography with over 13,500 islands, more than 8,800 of which are named, and over 900 are inhabited.
• 🏙️ Jakarta is the capital and most populous city, located on Java, the most populous island.
• 🏛️ Indonesia is home to diverse cultures and religions, with the largest Muslim population and a significant Christian minority.
• 🔥 The country is situated on the 'Ring of Fire', hosting over 400 volcanoes, making it the most volcanically active nation.
• 🌿 Indonesia boasts a rich biodiversity, with the second-highest concentration of flora and fauna in the world after Brazil.
• 🐉 The Komodo Dragon, the largest reptile, and the Orangutan, the only great ape in Asia, are native to Indonesia.
• 🏭 Indonesia is a significant producer of commodities like palm oil, cloves, cinnamon, and coconut.
• 🍽️ The national dish is Nasi goreng (fried rice), and the cuisine is influenced by a mix of indigenous, Malay, Chinese, and Dutch traditions.
• 🌐 Indonesia plays a pivotal role in Southeast Asia, being a member of the G20 and maintaining complex relationships with its neighbors and the world.

Q & A

What is the comparison made between Indonesia and Hawaii in the script?

Indonesia is referred to as the 'Hawaii of the Muslim world', highlighting its beauty and cultural richness, but also its vast size compared to Hawaii.

What is the significance of the term 'Nusantara' in the script?

Nusantara is a term used to describe the Malay Archipelago, which includes the islands where Indonesia is located, emphasizing the region's historical and cultural identity.

How many land borders does Indonesia have according to the script?

Indonesia has land borders with three countries: East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia, specifically on the island of Borneo or Kalimantan.

What is the controversy regarding the number of islands in Indonesia mentioned in the script?

Different agencies and the government have varying claims on the total number of islands in Indonesia, ranging from about 13,500 to 18,300.

What are the five special administrative provinces in Indonesia as mentioned in the script?

The five special administrative provinces are Aceh, Yogyakarta, West Papua, Papua, and Jakarta.

Why is Aceh considered the 'black sheep' of Indonesia?

Aceh is considered the 'black sheep' because it is the only province where Sharia law is fully implemented and has a strong independent ideology due to its oil wealth.

What is unique about the governance of Yogyakarta?

Yogyakarta is unique because it is the only region still governed by a pre-colonial monarchy, with the Sultan of Yogyakarta acting as a hereditary governor.

What is the historical background of the two Papuas according to the script?

The two Papuas, formerly known as Irian Jaya, were split into two provinces in 2003. They have a culture and background closer to Papua New Guinea and have a history of autonomy and resource disputes with the Indonesian government.

What is the significance of the Komodo Dragon as Indonesia's national animal?

The Komodo Dragon is significant as it is the largest reptile in the world, found only in Indonesia, and is known for its dangerous capabilities despite its appearance.

What are some of the major natural disasters that Indonesia faces due to its geographical location?

Indonesia faces numerous natural disasters due to its location on the 'Ring of Fire' and being between three major continental plates, resulting in over 400 volcanoes and an average of four earthquakes daily.

How does the script describe the cultural and religious diversity of Indonesia?

The script describes Indonesia as having a rich and colorful cultural diversity with over 300 different ethno-linguistic groups and a predominant Muslim population that has unique practices compared to the Middle East.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Introduction to Indonesia's Geography and Unique Characteristics

The script introduces Indonesia as a vast and diverse archipelago, often likened to the 'Hawaii of the Muslim world.' It highlights the country's position at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and its status as the world's largest archipelago nation. The host, Barby, humorously claims expertise on the country based on a brief visit. Key geographical features include the land borders with East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia on the island of Borneo, and the country's administrative division into 34 provinces with special statuses for Aceh, Yogyakarta, West Papua, Papua, and Jakarta. The script also delves into the debate over the total number of islands in Indonesia, the significance of its position on the 'Ring of Fire,' and its complex geology involving three major continental plates.

05:03

🌋 Indonesia's Volcanic Activity and Natural Wonders

This paragraph focuses on Indonesia's status as the most volcanically active country in the world, with over 400 volcanoes and an average of four earthquakes daily. It explains how the country's position between major continental plates contributes to its geological activity. The script also discusses the benefits of this activity, such as the creation of fertile land, which supports a rich biodiversity, including the world's largest flowers and a high concentration of mammals. The national animal, the Komodo Dragon, and the orangutans are highlighted, along with other natural features like Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake, and the country's significant role in global biodiversity.

10:09

🏛 Cultural and Historical Overview of Indonesia

The final paragraph provides a cultural and historical overview of Indonesia, touching on the country's complex ethnic and linguistic diversity, with over 300 ethno-linguistic groups and a national language, Bahasa Indonesia, that serves as a lingua franca. It discusses the influence of Dutch colonialism on the language and the country's religious demographics, with Islam being the predominant religion. The script also covers unique cultural practices, traditional arts, and notable Indonesian figures. Additionally, it outlines Indonesia's diplomatic relations, particularly with Middle Eastern countries, the US, the Netherlands, Australia, and Japan, and the country's role in Southeast Asia.

Keywords

💡Indonesia

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago nation, located at the convergence of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is the main subject of the video, which explores its geography, culture, and history. The script refers to Indonesia as 'the Hawaii of the Muslim world' and discusses its unique position as a diverse and complex nation.

💡Archipelago

An archipelago is a group of islands. In the context of the video, Indonesia is known as the world's largest archipelago, which is a key aspect of its geography and identity. The script mentions 'Nusantara' or the 'Malay Archipelago' as alternative names for this vast collection of islands.

💡Sharia Law

Sharia Law refers to the religious laws of Islam. The video discusses how Aceh, a province in Indonesia, is the only region where Sharia Law is fully implemented, highlighting the diversity of legal systems within the country.

💡Ethno-linguistic Groups

Ethno-linguistic groups are social units defined by a common culture and language. The script mentions that Indonesia has about 300 different ethno-linguistic groups, emphasizing the country's cultural diversity and the complexity of its social fabric.

💡Volcanoes

Volcanoes are geological formations that release molten rock, ash, and gases from the Earth's crust. Indonesia is highlighted in the script as having over 400 volcanoes, making it the most volcanically active country in the world. This fact is tied to the country's geological instability and natural beauty.

💡Bahasa Indonesia

Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of Indonesia, serving as a lingua franca among its diverse population. The script explains that while it is not indigenous to the country, it unites Indonesians by providing a common language, despite the existence of many regional languages.

💡Papua

Papua refers to a region in eastern Indonesia, which was historically known as Irian Jaya. The script discusses the cultural and political distinctiveness of Papua, including its autonomy and the historical context of its integration into Indonesia.

💡Komodo Dragon

The Komodo Dragon is the world's largest lizard and is native to the Indonesian island of Komodo. The video script mentions it as the national animal of Indonesia, symbolizing the country's unique and diverse wildlife.

💡Rendang

Rendang is a traditional Indonesian dish, typically made from meat that is slowly cooked with spices to create a rich, spicy flavor. The script lists Rendang as one of the national dishes of Indonesia, reflecting the country's rich culinary heritage.

💡Hajj

The Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The video script notes that Indonesians make up the largest group of pilgrims for the Hajj, indicating the significance of Islam in Indonesia and its global religious connections.

💡G20

The G20 is an international forum of 20 countries that represent the world's largest economies. The script mentions Indonesia as a member of the G20, highlighting its economic significance and influence on the global stage.

Highlights

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago nation, located at the intersection of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Indonesia has land borders with East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia on the island of Borneo.

The country is divided into 34 provinces, with five having special administrative statuses, including the capital Jakarta.

There is debate over the exact number of islands in Indonesia, with estimates ranging from 13,500 to 18,300.

Indonesia is home to the world's most populous island, Java, which contains nearly half of the country's population.

Aceh province is unique for implementing Sharia law and having a significant oil presence.

Yogyakarta is governed by a pre-colonial monarchy, the Sultan, who acts as a hereditary governor.

The two Papua provinces were once a single province called Irian Jaya and have a distinct culture from the rest of Indonesia.

Indonesia is geologically complex, situated on the 'Ring of Fire' with over 400 volcanoes, the most in the world.

The country experiences an average of four earthquakes per day due to its location between major continental plates.

Indonesia's fertile land, a result of volcanic activity, supports a rich biodiversity, second only to Brazil.

The Komodo Dragon, the world's largest lizard, is native to Indonesia and can be found on Komodo Island.

Indonesia has a complex cultural and ethnic makeup with over 300 ethno-linguistic groups.

The national language, Bahasa Indonesia, serves as a lingua franca amidst the country's linguistic diversity.

Indonesia's majority Muslim population has unique cultural practices that differ from Middle Eastern Islam.

The country's diplomatic relations are influenced by its size, economy, and G20 membership.

Indonesia and Malaysia share a complex relationship, with cultural disputes and close ties.

Japan is considered a close friend and major partner to Indonesia, despite historical conflicts.

Transcripts

Hey everybody, so if you don't know anything about Indonesia,

basically, all you have to know is that it's kind of like the Hawaii of the Muslim world, but it's like huge.

It's like the biggest state and with orangutans.

And that's it just no punchline.

Let's just go to the intro song.

*Intro song* It's time to learn Geography NOW!

Hey everybody, I'm your host Barby.

So as some of you know, I've been to Indonesia one time on one island for like three hours

I ate one dish, so basically I'm like the Indonesia expert, right?

Well, if not I'm kind of like the only guy on YouTube doing full profile videos like this, so for now

You'll just have to kind of deal with me for like the next twelve or so minutes. Woohoo, default!

Alright, so again if you don't know anything about Indonesia

It's basically like if the Middle East and South East Asia had

An incredibly colorful, loud, somewhat explosive set of babies, like thousands of them

Okay, that doesn't really help

First of all Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago nation

Located right where the Indian Ocean meets the Pacific Ocean

On the incredibly clustered set of islands making six countries

Known commonly as Nusantara or the Malay Archipelago

Atatatatatat, *Indonesian* Archipelago

Sure, whatever makes you happy

Indonesia actually has land borders with three of these countries

East Timor, Papua New Guinea, and Malaysia, on the biggest island: Borneo or Kalimantan

Which is one of the world's only two triple split nation islands

The other one being Cyprus

Although technically if you include the UN Buffer Zone it's kind of like four entities

But the UN isn't a country

Whatever just watch the Cyprus episode

The country is divided into 34 provinces, five of which have special administrative statuses

With the capital and most populous city Jakarta located on Java

The world's most populous island with nearly half of the entire population of Indonesia in it

The largest cities after Jakarta are Surabaya and Bandung both located on Java Island

And Medan located on Sumatra

Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International

Bali's Ngurah Rai International in Denpasar

And Surabaya's Juanda International

Now here's where things get a little speculative

Today there are still arguments claimed as to exactly how many islands Indonesia has

The National Coordinating Agency for Surveying and Mapping * now named Geospatial Information Agency * says Indonesia has about 13,500

The National Institute of Aeronautics and Space Agency says that it has about 18,300

Whereas the Indonesian government claims about 17,500

But whatever the point is there's a lot of them

Over 8,800 have names and over 900 of them are permanently Inhabited

You would think they are the country with the most islands, but surprisingly Finland and Canada beat them

But a lot of their islands are kind of like boopadoop little islands in the lakes, so does it really count?

Uh, I guess?

Now let's talk about the five special administrative provinces

They are: Aceh, Yogyakarta, West Papua and Papua, and the capital, Jakarta

Now, no surprise the capital Jakarta acts as its own political entity

Lots of countries do that, but what about the others?

First, Aceh. Aceh is kind of like the black sheep of Indonesia

It's the only province in which Sharia law is fully implemented

Also, they kind of have like a ton of oil

So, yeah, they've kind of asserted a very independent ideology

That sets them apart as autonomous from the rest of Indonesia

Then you have Yogyakarta, which is the only region that is still governed by a pre-colonial monarchy

The Sultan of Yogyakarta who acts as a hereditary governor

Otherwise we get the two Papuas, which collectively used to be the province called Irian Jaya

But then in 2003 they got split into two

Basically this is the place that has the least in common with the rest of Indonesia

It has a culture and background closer to their cousins across the border in Papua New Guinea

So then why is this part of Indonesia, well long story short, Indonesia was basically like:

"Well now that we have our full sovereignty, we get everything that the Dutch colonized"

But the people of Papua were not too happy so then Indonesia was like:

"Alright, we'll give you a vote to stay or leave"

"However, we would strongly implore you to make the *right* decision"

So they voted to stay in, a lot of people complained, there's still some current opposition

And to this day, the area has a relatively high level of autonomy

And the government kind of just leaves them alone except for when it comes to mining for resources

Oh, and the South Maluku area also kind of has like an independence dispute thing kind of going on

But the major opponents to the Indonesian government are primarily based in the Netherlands

Then you have the strange Riau Islands which looked like they should belong to Malaysia

But they don't even though they have a strong Malay derived culture

And you have the Ambalat Sea block which has a ton of oil that both they and Malaysia argue over

So that essentially covers most of the administrative divisions of Indonesia

Some of the most notable spots of interest in Indonesia might include:

The National Monument and Museum

Royal Kraton Ngayogyakarta Palace

Ratu Boko

The Magelang Chicken Shaped Church

Borobudur, disputably the largest Buddhist temple in the world

Maimun Palace

The Taman Sari Underground Mosque

The Equator Monument

The Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Lake Temples

Yeah, try to say that five times fast: "Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Lake"

The Millennium Bridge

The Sacred Monkey Temple

The Hellmouth or Elephant Cave

The Seven Story Pagoda of Sibu *CORRECTION: This is in Malaysia*

The Smoked Mummy Villages of Aikim and Jiwika in Papua

Or if you're lazy you can just go to The Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Park

Which kinda has like a bunch of replicas of all the famous sites in Indonesia

Oh, and keep in mind there's Dutch colonial style buildings all over

Too many ancient temples and pagodas to list

And no matter how many buildings and landmarks are built

They will never compare to what mother nature has done, which brings us to:

Indonesia's land is like that one ex we all had back in our 20's

That we trusted a stupid friend to hook us up with

Super attractive, but almost killed you a few times

Indonesia lies on what is labeled as the prehistoric continental shelf known as Sundaland

Which during the ice age times pretty much connected all of the islands together before the Wallace Line

Until the ice melted and filled in the gaps

Now that's where things get incredibly messed up

Not only is indonesia right in the worst part of the ring of fire

But the country is basically smashed between three converging major continental plates

The Eurasian, the Pacific, and the Australian plates

With dozens of minor plates and rifts like the Sunda, Timor, Banda, Malucca, and so on

This in return gives Indonesia over 400 volcanoes disputably more than any in the world

With over 150 active ones making it the most volcanically active country in the world as well

This means on a daily basis Indonesia experiences on average about four earthquakes a day

Ranging anywhere between the small timid three to a noticeable six on the richter scale

And you never know where or when they will happen

Hmm... *clap clap clap* Impressive...

Nonetheless, volcanoes can be a good thing especially when concentrated close to the equator

As the warmer humid climate allows moisture and minerals to coalesce

Creating some of the most fertile land on the planet

This is why places like Hawaii And Iceland are so radically different despite both being volcanic islands

In the end, Indonesia got blessed with a flourishing abundance of flora and fauna

The second highest concentration in the world after Brazil

Many of which being endemic species, like the Rafflesia arnoldii and the Titan arum

The largest flowers in the world, which each smell like rotting corpses

And at over 180, they also have the highest concentration of mammals out of anywhere in the world

Nonetheless, the national animal is actually a reptile, the largest in the world

At three metres long, the famous Komodo Dragon which you can find a bunch of on Komodo Island

Which is where they get their name from, and they can kill people!

Just a heads up

And the surprisingly not national animal even though everybody knows and loves them

The only great ape in Asia, Orangutans, are only found on this archipelago as well

By the way, they look docile and quiet, but orangutans can rip off your arm if you anger them

So don't...

Otherwise, the largest mountain Puncak Jaya is located in the east, in Papua

The longest River, the Kapuas, flows on Kalimantan or Borneo Island

Starting in the east emptying into the South China Sea

The largest lake, as well as the largest volcanic lake in the world, Lake Toba can be found on Sumatra

This is also the site of the largest speculated volcanic explosive eruption on Earth

That essentially created a worldwide volcanic winter

The eruption was so big that you can literally observe ashes from the explosion

That went as far as Malawi in East Africa

Remember guys mother nature is beautiful, but if she wants she can kill you

Close to Puncak Jaya is Grasberg, the largest gold and copper mine in the world

And on Mount Ijen on Java which spews up blue lava

All over you can find Intrepid sulphur miners that literally go into the base of the volcanic craters

Risking health just to get raw sulphur ores

Otherwise you have other anomalies like the Sidoarjo mud volcanoes

The three-colored Lake Kelimutu in Flores

And the Kakaban Island Jellyfish Lake - too many strange places

To this day, Indonesia is the number one producer of palm oil, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut, and vanilla

Some national dishes might include things like:

Rendang

Satay - or Saté *Correct pronunciation: Saté*

Gado-gado

Lontong

Ketupat

Papeda

Ikan bakar

Pempek

Tumpeng

Lemang

And the national dish: Nasi goreng which basically just means fried rice which has no exact recipe

You can mix it up and kind of do whatever you want to it

Oh and keep in mind Malaysia might argue that some of these dishes belong to them

But that's a whole other story tied in with history and culture. Yeah, we got time why not talk about it

Now there's a lot of curious mysteries when it comes to Indonesia's people like:

How did they become predominantly muslim?

Or what's the whole deal with them in Malaysia?

Or wait, this guy is considered an Indonesian? What?!

First of all, the country has about 263 million people, making it the fourth most populous country in the world

With the largest population of Muslims as well

Now here's the thing in a sense. Yes, 95% of the population is considered native Indonesian

That's an incredibly broad term, considering that Indonesia has about 300 different ethno-linguistic groups

Split up across all the island regions of the country

If you look at a map with the actual ethnic group breakdown, it kinda looks something like this

Nonetheless the two largest parent ethnic groups are the Javanese that make up about 40%

The Sudanese that make about 15%

Otherwise, the rest of the population is primarily made up of smaller groups and tribes

That have only around 2 to 3 percent each like the Batak, the Sulawesi, the Balinese

Minangkabau, Betawi, Papuan, Dayak, and so on

Finally about 5% are non-indigenous Indonesians like Chinese, Arabs, Indians, and even a few Europeans

They also use the Indonesian Rupiah as their currency, they use the type-C plug outlet

And they drive on the left side of the road

And here's where things get a little confusing: culture and language

The one thing that kind of unites all Indonesians is that they share the national language Bahasa Indonesia

Which means the Indonesian language

However Bahasa Indonesia is actually kind of like a lingua franca to many of the people

As Indonesia is the world's largest trilingual country

In addition to Bahasa indonesia most people speak their own mother tongue as well as English

Yep, English. They caught on quick when they realized it was the money language

The funny thing, is even though the Javanese make up the largest people group

The Javanese language is not an official language

Technically it could have been, but then that would have favored one people group over all the others

Which would have caused tension, so they kind of had to choose like a neutral default

Plus, Javanese is like really hard to learn

And the original writing system, although very beautiful is incredibly difficult to write

Nonetheless, at nearly 100 million speakers this makes Javanese the largest non-official minority language in the world

And that's why the Bahasa Indonesia language is so strange

It's not even technically indigenous to Indonesia, but more Malay derived

To this day, people who speak Bahasa Indonesia can understand

Somewhere around 60 to 70% of what their neighbors are saying in Malaysia

The biggest difference though would be the loan words as Indonesia took quite a bit of influence from the Dutch back in colonial times

For example kantoor versus kantor, dokter versus dokter, Mantel/mantel, Oma, Opa, Wortel/wortel

Speaking of the Dutch, quick history lesson:

Hindu kingdoms

Buddhist kingdoms

Islamic kingdoms

The Portuguese come in quickly

But then the dutch flock in

Japan comes in for a couple of years and decimates a huge chunk of the population

Independence

Republic

The Suharto Years

Controversial incidents and fights with ethnic Chinese, Timorese, and Papuan peoples

Suharto falls

Reformation period begins

And here we are today

In Indonesia, all citizens are required to register under one of six recognized religion categories:

Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and Confucianism

If you don't identify with either, then sorry...

Prior to Islam entering around the 13th century, Indonesia was actually primarily Hindu and Buddhist

It's disputed on how exactly Indonesia became prevalently Muslim

Some people say that it's because of the Arab traders that came by in the early first millennium

Others will say that maybe it had to do with the Malacca Sultanate conquest

That fought against the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms and the truth is, both might be right

Inevitably, Bali became like the last sort of haven for whatever Hindus were left

The Eastern Nusa Tenggara region and the Papuas remained predominantly Christian

As the Dutch and Portuguese share the gospel

Islamic culture in Indonesia is a little different from what it looks like in the Middle East

For one, most mosques don't have the typical dome structure

And actually many of them resemble Hindu temples like the Demak Great Mosque

When a family member dies their relatives might often come together and pray for a whole week

Then again on the fortieth day, and then on the year anniversary, and then on the 500th day and so on

Also, the night before Eid Al-Fitr, the youth might gather and go around neighborhoods reciting the takbir

Those are some things you don't really typically find in the Middle East

Clothing modesty customs are pretty loose

Not all muslim women wear hijabs, however the ones that do might also complement it with Western clothing

Like branded t-shirts with skin tight sleeves and jeans

When I was in Indonesia, I saw a hijab wearing woman with short sleeves and Capri pants exposing her calves

I was like: *gasp* can they do that?

Now in terms of culture again it depends on where you are

And many indigenous people still follow ancient traditions

Everything from the Minangkabau candle dance to the gamelan players of Yogyakarta

Wayang Javanese shadow puppetry, Balinese festivals

Sumatran Pencak Silat martial art tournaments, Kenyah motif paintings of the Kalimantan tribes

The deadly Pasola game played by Sumba People, Karapan cow racing on Madura Island

The strange burial traditions of the Toraja people, and everywhere you can find those pointy long houses

Otherwise, some notable people of indonesian descent might include people like:

The first president Sukarno

Gajah Mada

R.A. Kartini

B.J. Habibie

Iko Uwais

Yayan Ruhiyan

Cecep Arif Rahman

Agnes Monica

Iwan Fals

Anggun

Megawati Sukarnoputri

The Hartono Brothers

And YouTubers Brian Immanuel and Raditya Dika

Now, it's so hard to cover Indonesia's culture because there's so many different people groups

Each with their own cultures

It's insanely colourful and rich

I wish we could cover more, but we got to move on to some diplomanatics, shall we?

Okay, so Indonesia is basically like the kingpin of Southeast Asia

With the largest population and economy as well as being a member of the G20

Therefore they know how to manage relations

First of all the rest of the Muslim nations in the middle East generally get along with Indonesia

As they see them as kind of like their strange Asian cousins

Indonesians make up the largest group of pilgrims for the hajj in Mecca

However there has been some controversy with Saudi Arabia

In regards to migrant worker abuse and death sentences

Since then Indonesia dramatically decreased its expat programs

The U.S., Netherlands and Australia are kind of like their biggest non-Asian supporters

In addition to trade and business, the U.S. played a huge role in Indonesia's independence

And they work closely during cold war times

The Netherlands still holds close ties to Indonesia despite post-colonial bitterness

Plus tons of Indonesians live in the Netherlands

To this day, they have the second largest population of Indonesians

Outside of Indonesia after Malaysia at nearly 2 million

Australia gives some of the most aid to Indonesia

Especially after catastrophe incidents and even though there are some controversies

Involving immigration and attacks on Australians abroad, they still share close ties generally

Now Indonesia and Malaysia are kind of like the Colombia and Venezuela of Southeast Asia

They're like the twins separated at birth and have a strange love/hate relationship

Malays accused Indonesians of stealing their culture and language

Indonesians accused them of not being grateful for all their help during war times

But when they actually meet up as people it's like they're totally brothers

Nonetheless most Indonesians I talked to have said Japan is probably their best friend

Which is funny because Japan kind of really messed things up during World War two

Nonetheless they've moved on and today Japan makes up the largest export partner

Tourists flock in year round and the two have been building each other up for over half a century

In conclusion, Indonesia's people are very much like their islands

Numerous, with lush colorful strange diversity

Sometimes a cyclone earthquake or volcano of controversy erupts

But at the end of the day, they still flourish together as one

Stay tuned, Iran is coming up next