# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Facts about Fiji | Pacific Ocean Islands | Fiji for Kids | Geography

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Facts about Fiji for Kids: All you need to know about the island in the South Pacific Ocean: Geography, People, Food, Superlatives, Economy, Wildlife and so much more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here are some interesting facts about Samoa which were chosen and researched especially for kids.

1. This country is located in the Pacific Ocean South of the equator. Samoa is located in Oceania.

2. Samoa belongs to the Polynesian islands. The group of islands lie halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.

3. Samoa consists of two main islands called Savaìi and Upolu and several smaller islands and islets.

4. The largest island of Samoa is Savaìi and the most populated island is Upolu. These islands are of volcanic origin.

5. About sixty percent of the country is forested.

6. The highest peak is Mount Silisili, also called Mauga Silisili with a height of 1,858 m/ 6096 ft.

7. There are many waterfalls and waterholes on the islands. To Sua is a 30 m/98 ft-deep waterhole is one of the most popular attractions in Upolu.

8. Samoa gained independence from New Zealand in 1962. The country was referred to as Western Samoa until 1997.

9. The capital city is called Apia and is home to about 38,000 people.

Facts about Samoa | People

10. About 203,000 people live on the Samoan islands. About three quarters of all Samoans live on Upolu.

11. The official languages of Samoa are Samoan and English. "Talofa" means "hello" and "tofa" means "goodbye".

12. About 98% of all Samoans are Christians, mainly Protestants.

13. Over 99% of the population over 15 years can read and write, however, many young people are without work. About one third of all Samoans between the ages of 15 and 24 years are unemployed.

14. The national symbol is the Southern Cross Constellation with the five stars and the national colors are red, white and blue.

15. Elections in Samoa are held every five years, the next elections will take place in April 2021.

16. Fire dances are popular not only with tourists in Samoa. Samoan traditional dances are siva and sasa.

17. The most popular sports in Samoa a rugby, cricket, netball and volleyball.

Facts about Samoa | Geography

18. Samoa skipped a day in 2011 across the International Date Line. Since then, Samoa is one of the first countries to welcome the New Year - together with Kiribati and Tonga. The move was done to improve ties with business partners Australia and New Zealand to the West, that before, were a day ahead.

19. Samoa is known for its many magical waterfalls and pools such as the scenic Togitogiga Waterfalls.

20. The two main islands are volcanic. There are still active volcanoes on Savaìi island. There you can also see old lava fields and blowholes.

Facts about Samoa | Animals

21. In Samoa, you can swim with turtles and watch dolphins frolicking in clear lagoon waters. Savaìi island is known for its huge colony of green sea turtles.

Coral reefs surround the islands and these are home to some 900 fish species and over 200 varieties of coral.

Samoa Facts | Economy

22. The currency of Samoa is called Samoan Tālā. One Tālā is divided into 100 Sene.

23. The main agricultural products are fish and coconuts.

24. The main trading partners are Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and China.

Facts about Samoa | Food

25. The most popular dishes are panipopu and palusami. Both dishes include coconut milk and taro leaves.

Most Samoan dishes include coconuts, fruits such as mango, pineapple or star fruit, root vegetables, chicken or fish.

Facts about Samoa: Resources
Sources for Facts about Samoa page:

Samoa Tourism. "Getting to Know Samoa's Native Wildlife." SamoaTravel. Last accessed 27 May 2022.

Central Intelligence Agency. "Samoa." WorldFactBook. Last updated 23 May 2022. Last accessed 27 May 2022

Image Credits on Facts about Samoa: photo stock from shutterstock and wikicommons, if not otherwise stated.
We hope you enjoyed reading our Facts about Samoa. Please bookmark this page and spread the word. We will add more information in the near future.

Popular Pages

Back from Facts about Samoa to Kids-World-Travel-Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Facts about Samoa | 25 Samoa Facts for Kids | Oceania | Geography

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Here are some interesting facts about Samoa which were chosen and researched especially for kids. 1. This country is located in the Pacific Ocean South of the equator. Samoa is located in Oceania. 2. Samoa belongs to the Polynesian islands. The group of islands lie halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.

# data[].attributes.headline
Kids World Travel Guide - Papua New Guinea

# data[].attributes.subject
Kids World Travel Guide - Papua New Guinea

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here are some interesting facts about Papua New Guinea, also called PNG. These facts were chosen and researched especially for kids.

1. Papua New Guinea or PNG is an island country located in the south western Pacific Ocean. PNG is located to the South of the equator and belongs to the Oceania region.

2. The group islands of this country belong to the Melanesian islands. These islands lie to the west of Indonesia and to the north of Australia.

3. Papua New Guinea shares the island of New Guinea with bordering Indonesia.

4. PNG is the third largest island nation in the world, while New Guinea is the world's largest island after Greenland!

5. The country consists of the main island of New Guinea, four larger islands including New Britain and New Ireland, as well as about 1,000 smaller islands.

Papua New Guinea Facts Geography

6. PNG is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences regular volcano eruptions, earthquakes and even tsunamis.

7. The landscape of the country ranges from rugged mountains and highlands to dense rainforests and sandy beaches and the islands are surrounded by coral reefs.

8. The capital city is called Port Moresby and is home to about 400,000 people.

9. Papua New Guinea is slightly larger than California/ USA and also slightly larger than Sweden.

10. The highest peak of the country is Mount Wilhelm with a height of 4,509 m/ 14,793 ft. Due to the high elevation, many parts in the Highlands of this tropical island experience snowfall.

11. There are 37 volcanos in Papua New Guinea. 14 of these are still active. Mount Ulawun in north eastern Papua New Guinea has erupted last in June 2022 and this is one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes.

Facts about Papua New Guinea
People

12. About 9 million people live in the country. About three quarters of all people live on the main island of New Guinea.

13. Only about 14% of all Papua New Guineans live in urban area but most people live in rural areas in the highlands or the coastal regions. Many Papua New Guineans live from subsistence farming.

14. The official languages of Papua New Guinea are Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, English and Sign Language. Tok Pisin is a Melanesian pidgin language. There are more languages spoken in New Guinea than anywhere else in the world as there are over 820 different indigenous languages.

15. Every year in September, the indigenous tribes of the country meet at the cultural festival in Goroka in the Eastern Highlands. The showcase includes about 750 tribes from the island and is the largest gathering of indigenous tribes in the world! Here the groups present their best storytelling dances and songs.

16. About 96% of all Papua New Guineans are Christians, mainly Protestants (about three quarters of all Christians).

17. Only about 65% of the population over 15 years can read and write and more than one third of the population live below the poverty line.

PNG Name, Symbols and History

18. The name Papua New Guinea originates from the Malayan word ' papuah' which refers to the frizzy hair of the Melanesians and the Spanish name ' Nueva Guinea' that the first Spanish explorers gave to the island, as they found the indigenous people resembled the indigenous people they had encountered in Guinea on the west coast of Africa.

19. The national symbol is the soaring bird of Paradise over the Southern Cross constellation with the five stars and the national colors black, red and yellow.

20. The first people settled on the island of New Guinea already over 50,000 years ago. The first foreign explorers from Australasia, Spain and England came to the islands from the 15th century onwards, in 1884 the Germans founded a colony on the island. Before the second world war the country was already split in two territories: Papua occupied by the British and New Guinea, occopied by the Germans and then the Australians. During the second world war, Papua New Guinea was occupied by Japan. PNG is part of the Commonwealth of Nations since 1975.

21. The country declared independence from Australia in 1949 but this independence was recognised only in September 1975. The national day is 16 September.

Facts about Papua New Guinea | Animals

22. Papua New Guinea is recognised as the most megadiverse country in the world due to the extreme high biodiversity which means there are many animals and plants that are only encountered here.

There are so many remote regions that scientist still discover new species. However, there are only few large mammals on the islands but a large variety of reptiles, birds and plants.

23. In PNG, there are over 780 bird species of which 76 are endemic. Considering alone the national animal, the bird of paradise: there are 34 different species of birds of paradise and most of them are endemic, that means they only can be found here!

24. Then there are fascinating pigeons on the islands, as the crowned Victoria pigeons with their distinct feather crests.

Papua New Guinea Facts | Economy

25. The currency of Papua New Guinea is called kina. One kina is divided into 100 toea.

26. The main exports include minerals such as gold, oil and copper as well as agricultural products such as coffee, cocoa, bananas, sugarcane and palm oil.

27. Coffee is grown in the Eastern Highlands and is the second largest export product of Papua New Guinea.

28. The main trading partners are Australia, China, Japan and Singapore.

Facts about Papua New Guinea Food

29. The national dish is called mumu and is a one-pot-dish that contains sweet potato, rice, pork and vegetables. Chicken pot, a Chicken stew with coconut milk, is a popular dish too.

30. Most Papua New Guinean dishes include karuka (large tree nuts), coconuts, breadfruit, sago, fruits and leafy greens as well as root vegetables such as sweet potato and taro, chicken or fish.

Facts about Papua New Guinea: Resources
Sources for Papua New Guinea Facts page:

Catherine Roberts. "Goroka Show." ResponsibleTravel. Last accessed 3 June 2022.

Central Intelligence Agency. "Papua New Guinea." WorldFactBook. Last updated 26 May 2022. Last accessed 3 June 2022

Image Credits on Facts about Papua New Guinea: photo stock from shutterstock and wikicommons, if not otherwise stated. Goroka Show picture by isaxar; Schoolchildren by Mike Workman; Family in PNG by TheRoadProvides; stamp by Naftali - all shutterstock.com
We hope you enjoyed reading our Facts about Papua New Guinea. Please bookmark this page and spread the word. We will add more information in the near future.

Popular Pages

Back from Facts about Papua New Guinea to Kids-World-Travel-Guide

Competition 2023 closed

Watch this space
Competition 2024 will be announced in February

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Papua New Guinea Facts | Geography | Geo for Kids | Food | Animals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our 30 Papua New Guinea Facts share fascinating facts about the country and people, food, animals, economy and much more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Indonesia Facts for Kids | Geography | Travel | People | Food | Animal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our Indonesia Facts will provide interesting and fun facts about Indonesia, her people and geography, animals, food, economy and so much more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Fiji is a small country in the Pacific Ocean. It has 322 islands. The most important islands are Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. The capital city of Fiji is Suva, and the city with the most people is Nadi. There are about 844,330 people in Fiji. The official languages of Fiji are Fijian, English and Hindustani (a mix of Hindi and Urdu). Fiji is part of the Pacific Rim. About 313000 speak Fiji Hindi.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Dutch and the British explored Fiji. Fiji was a British colony up until 1970; British occupation lasted almost a century. They have many forest, mineral, and fish resources.

Early history

Pottery art from Fijian towns shows that Fiji was settled before or around 3500 to 1000 BC, although the question of Pacific migration still lingers. It is believed that the Lapita people or the ancestors of the Polynesians settled the islands first but not much is known of what became of them after the Melanesians arrived; they may have had some influence on the new culture, and archaeological evidence shows that they would have then moved on to Samoa, Tonga and even Hawai'i.

The first settlements in Fiji were started by voyaging traders and settlers from the west about 5000 years ago. Lapita pottery shards have been found at numerous excavations around the country. Aspects of Fijian culture are similar to the Melanesian culture of the western Pacific but have a stronger connection to the older Polynesian cultures. Trade between Fiji and neighbouring archipelagos long before European contact is testified by the canoes made from native Fijian trees found in Tonga and Tongan words being part of the language of the Lau group of islands. Pots made in Fiji have been found in Samoa and even the Marquesas Islands.

Across 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from east to west, Fiji has been a nation of many languages. Fiji's history was one of settlement but also of mobility.

The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman visited Fiji in 1643 while looking for the Great Southern Continent. Europeans settled on the islands permanently beginning in the 19th century. The first European settlers to Fiji were beachcombers, missionaries, whalers, and those engaged in the then booming sandalwood and bêche-de-mer trade.

Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau was a Fijian chief and warlord from the island of Bau, off the eastern coast of Viti Levu, who united part of Fiji's warring tribes under his leadership. He then styled himself as Tui Viti or King of Fiji, and then Vunivalu, or Protector, after the cession of Fiji to the United Kingdom.

The British subjugated the islands as a colony in 1874, and the British brought over Indian contract labourers to work on the sugar plantations as the first governor of Fiji, Arthur Charles Hamilton-Gordon, adopted a policy disallowing the use of native labour or any interference in their culture or way of life. In 1875-76, an epidemic of measles killed over 40,000 Fijians, about one-third of the Fijian population. The population in 1942 was approximately 210,000 of whom 94,000 were Indians, 102,000 native Fijians, 2,000 Chinese and 5,000 Europeans.

Independence (1970)

The British granted Fiji independence in 1970. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987 precipitated by a growing perception that the government was dominated by the Indo-Fijian (Indian) community. The second 1987 coup saw both the Fijian monarchy and the Governor General replaced by a non-executive president and the name of the country changed from Dominion of Fiji to Republic of Fiji and then in 1997 to Republic of the Fiji Islands. The two coups and the accompanying civil unrest contributed to heavy Indo-Fijian emigration; the resulting population loss resulted in economic difficulties and ensured that Melanesians became the majority.

In 1990, the new constitution institutionalised ethnic Fijian domination of the political system. The Group Against Racial Discrimination (GARD) was formed to oppose the unilaterally imposed constitution and to restore the 1970 constitution. In 1992 Sitiveni Rabuka, the Lieutenant Colonel who had carried out the 1987 coup, became Prime Minister following elections held under the new constitution.

The year 2000 brought along another coup, instigated by George Speight, which effectively toppled the government of Mahendra Chaudhry, who in 1997 had become the country's first Indo-Fijian Prime Minister following the adoption of the new constitution.

In 2005, the Qarase government amid much controversy proposed a Reconciliation and Unity Commission with power to recommend compensation for victims of the 2000 coup and amnesty for its perpetrators. However, the military, especially the nation's top military commander, Frank Bainimarama, strongly opposed this bill. Bainimarama agreed with detractors who said that to grant amnesty to supporters of the present government who had played a role in the violent coup was a sham. His attack on the legislation, which continued unremittingly throughout May and into June and July, further strained his already tense relationship with the government.

In late November and early December 2006, Bainimarama was instrumental in the 2006 Fijian coup d'état. Bainimarama handed down a list of demands to Qarase after a bill was put forward to parliament, part of which would have offered pardons to participants in the 2000 coup attempt. He gave Qarase an ultimatum date of 4 December to accede to these demands or to resign from his post. Qarase adamantly refused either to concede or resign, and on 5 December the president, Ratu Josefa Iloilo, was said to have signed a legal order dissolving the parliament after meeting with Bainimarama.

In April 2009, the Fiji Court of Appeal ruled that the 2006 coup had been illegal. This began the 2009 Fijian constitutional crisis. President Iloilo abrogated the constitution, removed all office holders under the constitution including all judges and the governor of the Central Bank. He then reappointed Bainimarama as prime minister under his "New Order" and imposed a "Public Emergency Regulation" limiting internal travel and allowing press censorship.

For a country of its size, Fiji has fairly large armed forces, and has been a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions in various parts of the world. In addition, a significant number of former military personnel have served in the lucrative security sector in Iraq following the 2003 US-led invasion.

Fiji covers a total area of some 194,000 square kilometres (75,000 sq mi) of which around 10% is land.

Fiji is the hub of the South West Pacific, midway between Vanuatu and Tonga. The archipelago is located between 176° 53′ east and 178° 12′ west. The 180° meridian runs through Taveuni but the International Date Line is bent to give uniform time (UTC+12) to all of the Fiji group. With the exception of Rotuma, the Fiji group lies between 15° 42′ and 20° 02′ south. Rotuma is located 220 nautical miles (410 km; 250 mi) north of the group, 360 nautical miles (670 km; 410 mi) from Suva, 12° 30′ south of the equator.

Fiji consists of 332 islands (of which 106 are inhabited) and 522 smaller islets. The two most important islands are Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, which account for about three-quarters of the total land area of the country. The islands are mountainous, with peaks up to 1,324 metres (4,341 ft), and covered with thick tropical forests.

The highest point is Mount Tomanivi on Viti Levu. Viti Levu hosts the capital city of Suva, and is home to nearly three-quarters of the population. Other important towns include Nadi (the location of the international airport), and Lautoka, Fiji's second city with large sugar cane mills and a seaport.

The main towns on Vanua Levu are Labasa and Savusavu. Other islands and island groups include Taveuni and Kadavu (the third and fourth largest islands, respectively), the Mamanuca Group (just off Nadi) and Yasawa Group, which are popular tourist destinations, the Lomaiviti Group, off Suva, and the remote Lau Group. Rotuma, some 270 nautical miles (500 km; 310 mi) north of the archipelago, has a special administrative status in Fiji. Ceva-i-Ra, an uninhabited reef, is located about 250 nautical miles (460 km; 290 mi) southwest of the main archipelago.

The climate in Fiji is tropical marine and warm year round with minimal extremes. The warm season is from November to April and the cooler season lasts from May to October. Temperatures in the cool season still average 22 °C (72 °F). Rainfall is variable, with the warm season experiencing heavier rainfall, especially inland. For the larger islands, rainfall is heavier on the southeast portions of the islands than on the northwest portions, with consequences for agriculture in those areas. Winds are moderate, though cyclones occur about once a year (10-12 times per decade).

On 20 February 2016, Fiji was hit by the full force of Cyclone Winston, the only Category 5 tropical cyclone to make landfall in the nation. Winston destroyed tens of thousands of homes across the island, killing 44 people and causing an estimated FJ$2 billion ($1 billion USD) in damage.

Endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, Fiji is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Some progress was experienced by this sector when Marion M. Ganey, S.J., introduced credit unions to the islands in the 1950s. Natural resources include timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil, and hydropower. Fiji experienced a period of rapid growth in the 1960s and 1970s but stagnated in the 1980s. The coup of 1987 caused further contraction.

The tourism sector recovered quickly, however, with visitor arrivals reaching pre-coup levels in 2002, resulting in a modest economic recovery which continued into 2003 and 2004 but grew by a mere 1.7% in 2005 and by 2.0% in 2006. Although inflation is low, the policy indicator rate of the Reserve Bank of Fiji was raised by 1% to 3.25% in February 2006 due to fears of excessive consumption financed by debt. Lower interest rates have so far not produced greater investment in exports.

Fiji has a significant amount of tourism with the popular regions being Nadi, the Coral Coast, Denarau Island, and Mamanuca Islands. The biggest sources of international visitors by country are Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Fiji has a significant number of soft coral reefs, and scuba diving is a common tourist activity.

Fiji's main attractions to tourists are primarily white sandy beaches and aesthetically pleasing islands with all-year-round tropical weather. In general, Fiji is a mid-range priced holiday/vacation destination with most of the accommodations in this range. It also has a variety of world class five-star resorts and hotels. More budget resorts are being opened in remote areas, which will provide more tourism opportunities. CNN named Fiji's Laucala Island Resort as one of the fifteen world's most beautiful island hotels.

Official statistics show that in 2012, 75% of visitors stated that they came for a holiday/vacation. Honeymoons are very popular as are romantic getaways in general. There are also family friendly resorts with facilities for young children including kids' clubs and nanny options.

Fiji has several popular tourism destinations. The Botanical Gardens of Thursten in Suva, Sigatoka Sand Dunes, and Colo-I-Suva Forest Park are three options on the mainland (Viti Levu). A major attraction on the outer islands is scuba diving.

The Nadi International Airport is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of central Nadi and is the largest Fijian hub. Nausori International Airport is about 23 kilometres (14 mi) northeast of downtown Suva and serves mostly domestic traffic. The main airport in the second largest island of Vanua Levu is Labasa Airport located at Waiqele, southwest of Labasa Town. The largest aircraft handled by Labasa Airport is the ATR42. Airports Fiji Limited (AFL) is responsible for the operation of 15 public airports in the Fiji Islands. These include two international airports: Nadi international Airport, Fiji's main international gateway, and Nausori Airport, Fiji's domestic hub, and 13 outer island airports. Fiji's main airline was previously known as Air Pacific, but is now known as Fiji Airways.

Fiji's larger islands have extensive bus routes that are affordable and consistent in service.

Inter-island ferries provide services between Fiji's principal islands and large vessels operate roll-on-roll-off services, transporting vehicles and large amounts of cargo between the main island of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, and other smaller islands.

Demographics

The 2007 census found that the permanent population of Fiji was 837,000. The population density at the time was 45.8 inhabitants per square kilometre. The life expectancy in Fiji was 72.1 years. Since the 1930s the population of Fiji has increased at a rate of 1.1% per year. The population is dominated by the 15-64 age segment. The median age of the population was 27.9, and the gender ratio was 1.03 males per 1 female.

Ethnic groups

The population of Fiji is mostly made up of native Fijians, who are Melanesians (54.3%), although many also have Polynesian ancestry, and Indo-Fijians (38.1%), descendants of Indian contract labourers brought to the islands by the British colonial powers in the 19th century. The percentage of the population of Indo-Fijian descent has declined significantly over the last two decades due to migration for various reasons. Indo-Fijians suffered reprisals for a period after the Fiji coup of 2000. There is also a small but significant group of descendants of indentured labourers from the Solomon Islands.

About 1.2% are Rotuman-natives of Rotuma Island, whose culture has more in common with countries such as Tonga or Samoa than with the rest of Fiji. There are also small but economically significant groups of Europeans, Chinese, and other Pacific island minorities. The total membership of other ethnic groups of Pacific Islanders is about 7,300.

Relationships between ethnic Fijians and Indo-Fijians in the political arena have often been strained, and the tension between the two communities has dominated politics in the islands for the past generation. The level of political tension varies among different regions of the country.

Family groups

The concept of family and community is of great importance to Fijian culture. Within the indigenous (iTaukei) communities many members of the extended family will adopt particular titles and roles of direct guardians. Kinship is determined through a child's lineage to a particular spiritual leader, so that a clan is based on traditional customary ties as opposed to actual biological links. These clans, based on the spiritual leader, are known as a matangali. Within the matangali are a number of smaller collectives, known as the mbito. The descent is patrilineal, and all the status is derived from the father's side.

Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 350,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language. The 1997 Constitution established Fijian as an official language of Fiji, along with English and Fiji Hindi. Fijian is a VOS language.

The Fiji Islands developed many dialects, which may be classified in two major branches - eastern and western. Missionaries in the 1840s chose an Eastern dialect, the speech of Bau Island off the southeast coast of the main island of Viti Levu, to be the written standard of the Fijian language. Bau Island was home to Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the chief who eventually became the self-proclaimed King of Fiji.

Fiji's culture is a rich mosaic of indigenous Fijian, Indo-Fijian, Asian and European traditions, comprising social polity, language, food (coming mainly from the sea, plus casava, dalo (taro) and other vegetables), costume, belief systems, architecture, arts, craft, music, dance, and sports.

While indigenous Fijian culture and traditions are very vibrant and are integral components of everyday life for the majority of Fiji's population, Fijian society has evolved over the past century with the introduction of traditions such as Indian and Chinese as well as significant influences from Europe and Fiji's Pacific neighbours, particularly Tonga and Samoa. Thus, the various cultures of Fiji have come together to create a unique multicultural national identity.

Fiji's culture was showcased at the World Exposition held in Vancouver, Canada, in 1986 and more recently at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, along with other Pacific countries in the Pacific Pavilion.

Related pages

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fiji is a small country in the Pacific Ocean. It has 322 islands. The most important islands are Vanua Levu and Viti Levu. The capital city of Fiji is Suva, and the city with the most people is Nadi. There are about 844,330 people in Fiji.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Independent State of Samoa is a country in Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. It has two islands, including Upolu and Savai'i. The capital of Samoa is Apia. It is on the island of Upolu. The head of the country is Va'aletoa Sualauvi II.

The languages spoken in Samoa include Samoan and English.

The sport that is most popular in Samoa is Rugby, and many Samoan people play Rugby.

Samoa was admitted to the United Nations on 18 September 1962.

A measles outbreak began in October 2019 and continued through December. As of December 28, there were 81 deaths out of 5667 cases.

Samoa has eleven political districts. These are called itūmālō. These are the traditional eleven districts that were made well before European arrival.

¹ including islands Manono, Apolima and Nu'ulopa
² including the Aleipata Islands and Nu'usafe'e Island
³ smaller parts also on Upolu (Salamumu (incl. Salamumu-Utu) and Leauvaa villages)

Samoa lies south of the equator, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, in the Polynesian region of the Pacific Ocean. The total land area is 2,842 km ² (1,097 sq mi), consisting of the two large islands of Upolu and Savai'i (which together account for 99% of the total land area) and eight small islets.

The islets are:

the three islets in the Apolima Strait (Manono Island, Apolima and Nu'ulopa)

the four Aleipata Islands off the eastern end of Upolu (Nu'utele, Nu'ulua, Namua, and Fanuatapu)

Nu'usafe'e, which is less than 1 hectare (2½ acres) in area and lies about 1.4 km (0.9 mi) off the south coast of Upolu at the village of Vaovai

The main island of Upolu is home to nearly three-quarters of Samoa's population, and to the capital city, Apia.

The Samoan islands result geologically from volcanism, originating with the Samoa hotspot, which probably results from a mantle plume. While all of the islands have volcanic origins, only Savai'i, the westernmost island in Samoa, remains volcanically active, with the most recent eruptions at Mt Matavanu (1905-1911), Mata o le Afi (1902) and Mauga Afi (1725). The highest point in Samoa is Mt Silisili, at 1858 m (6,096 ft). The Saleaula lava fields situated on the central north coast of Savai'i result from the Mt Matavanu eruptions, which left 50 km ² (20 sq mi) of solidified lava.

Savai'i is the largest of the Samoan islands and the sixth-largest Polynesian island (after New Zealand's North, South and Stewart Islands and the Hawaiian islands of Hawaiʻi and Maui). The population of Savai'i is 42,000 people.

Samoa has an equatorial/monsoonal climate, with an average annual temperature of 26.5 °C (79.7 °F) and a rainy season from November to April.

Samoa forms part of the Samoan tropical moist forests ecoregion. Since human habitation began, about 80% of the lowland rainforests have disappeared. Within the ecoregion about 28% of plants and 84% of land birds are endemic.

There are nine mammal species in Samoa, of which one is endangered and two are vulnerable.

Samoa has Flying Foxes, Reef fish, Sea turtles and even Goldfish in Lake Lanoto'o, Samoa's largest lake!

Samoa has many whales, dolphins and porpoises in it's waters. They are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life with a spindle-shaped nearly hairless body, protected by a thick layer of blubber, and forelimbs and tail modified to provide propulsion underwater.

The birds of Samoa include a total of 82 species, of which ten are endemic, five have been introduced by humans and 23 are rare or accidental. Seven species are globally threatened.

Demographics

Samoa has 194,320 people. 92.6% are Samoans, 7% Euronesians (people of mixed, European and Polynesian ancestors) and 0.4% are Europeans.

Religion in Samoa includes the following: Christian Congregational Church of Samoa 35.5%, Roman Catholic 19.6%, Methodist 15%, Latter-day Saints 12.7%, Samoan Assemblies of God 10.6%, Seventh-day Adventist 3.5%, Worship Centre 1.3%, unspecified 0.8%.There is also about 522 Jehovah's Witnessses in Samoa since 1931. Samoa has one of seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship in the world. It is in Tiapapata.

Many people say that Samoan people are related to Māori people because lots of the language words are very similar to Maori language.

As with other Polynesian cultures ( Hawai'ian, Tahitian and Māori), Samoans have two gender specific and culturally important tattoos. For males, it is called the Pe'a, It is intricate and geometrical patterns tattooed on areas from the knees up towards the ribs. A male who has such a tatau is called a soga'imiti. A Samoan girl or teine is given a malu. It covers the area from just below her knees to her upper thighs.

The United Nations has classified Samoa as an economically developing country since 2014.

The country's currency is the Samoan tālā, issued and regulated by the Central Bank of Samoa.

The economy of Samoa has traditionally been dependent on agriculture and fishing at the local level. Samoan exports feature coconut cream, coconut oil, noni (juice of the nonu fruit, as it is known in Samoan), and copra.

Outside of a large automotive wire harness factory (Yazaki Corporation which ended production in August 2017), the manufacturing sector mainly processes agricultural products.

Tourist arrivals have been increasing over the years with more than 100,000 tourists visiting the islands in 2005, up from 70,000 in 1996.

In the period before German colonisation, Samoa produced mostly copra. German merchants and settlers were active in introducing large scale plantation operations and developing new industries, notably, cocoa bean and rubber, relying on imported labourers from China and Melanesia. When the value of natural rubber fell drastically, about the end of the Great War (World War I), the New Zealand government encouraged the production of bananas, for which there is a large market in New Zealand.

The staple products of Samoa are copra (dried coconut meat), cocoa bean (for chocolate), and bananas. Samoan cocoa beans are of very high quality and used in fine New Zealand chocolates.

Other agricultural industries have been less successful. Sugarcane production, originally established by Germans in the early 20th century, could be successful. Old train tracks for transporting cane can be seen at some plantations east of Apia. Pineapples grow well in Samoa, but beyond local consumption have not been a major export.

Sixty percent of Samoa's electricity comes from renewable hydro, solar, and wind sources, with the remainder from diesel generators. The Electric Power Corporation has a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2021.

Images for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Independent State of Samoa is a country in Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. It has two islands, including Upolu and Savai'i. The capital of Samoa is Apia. It is on the island of Upolu. The head of the country is Va'aletoa Sualauvi II.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; also Tok Pisin: Papua Niugini; Hiri Motu: Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea (Tok Pisin: Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; Hiri Motu: Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and its offshore islands in Melanesia (a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean north of Australia). Its capital, located along its southeastern coast, is Port Moresby. The country is the world's third largest island country with an area of 462,840 km ² (178,700 sq mi).

At the national level, after being ruled by three external powers since 1884, including nearly 60 years of Australian administration starting during World War I, Papua New Guinea established its sovereignty in 1975. It became an independent Commonwealth realm in 1975. It also became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations in its own right.

There are 839 known languages of Papua New Guinea, one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. As of 2019, it is also the most rural, as only 13.25% of its people live in urban centres. Most of the population of more than 8,000,000 people live in customary communities. The country is believed to be the home of many undocumented species of plants and animals.

The word papua is derived from an old local term of uncertain origin. "New Guinea" ( Nueva Guinea) was the name coined by the Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez. In 1545, he noted the resemblance of the people to those he had earlier seen along the Guinea coast of Africa. Guinea, in its turn, is etymologically derived from the Portuguese word Guiné. The name is one of several toponyms sharing similar etymologies, ultimately meaning "land of the blacks" or similar meanings, in reference to the dark skin of the inhabitants.

At 462,840 km ² (178,704 sq mi), Papua New Guinea is the world's fifty-fourth largest country. Including all its islands, it lies between latitudes 0° and 12°S, and longitudes 140° and 160°E.

The country's geography is diverse and, in places, extremely rugged. A spine of mountains, the New Guinea Highlands, runs the length of the island of New Guinea, forming a populous highlands region mostly covered with tropical rainforest. Dense rainforests can be found in the lowland and coastal areas as well as very large wetland areas surrounding the Sepik and Fly rivers. This terrain has made it difficult for the country to develop transportation infrastructure. In some areas, airplanes are the only mode of transport. The highest peak is Mount Wilhelm at 4,509 metres (14,793 ft). Papua New Guinea is surrounded by coral reefs which are under close watch, in the interests of preservation.

The mainland of the country is the eastern half of New Guinea island, where the largest towns are also located, including the capital Port Moresby and Lae; other major islands within Papua New Guinea include New Ireland, New Britain, Manus and Bougainville.

Papua New Guinea is one of the few regions close to the equator that experiences snowfall, which occurs in the most elevated parts of the mainland.

Government and politics

Main page: Politics of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is a Commonwealth realm with Charles as King of Papua New Guinea. The constitutional convention, which prepared the draft constitution, and Australia, the outgoing metropolitan power, had thought that Papua New Guinea would not remain a monarchy. The founders, however, considered that imperial honours had a cachet. The monarch is represented by the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, currently Bob Dadae. Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands, are unusual among Commonwealth realms in that governors-general are appointed by the Sovereign, the Head of State, upon nomination by the National Parliament, which nomination the Head of State is not obliged to accept.

The Prime Minister heads the cabinet, which consists of 31 members of Parliament from the ruling coalition, which make up the government. The current prime minister is James Marape. The unicameral National Parliament has 111 seats, of which 22 are occupied by the governors of the 22 provinces and the National Capital District. Candidates for members of parliament are voted upon when the prime minister asks the governor-general to call a national election, a maximum of five years after the previous national election.

In the early years of independence, the instability of the party system led to frequent votes of no confidence in parliament, with resulting changes of the government, but with referral to the electorate, through national elections only occurring every five years. In recent years, successive governments have passed legislation preventing such votes sooner than 18 months after a national election and within 12 months of the next election. In 2012, the first two (of three) readings were passed to prevent votes of no confidence occurring within the first 30 months. This restriction on votes of no confidence has arguably resulted in greater stability, although perhaps at a cost of reducing the accountability of the executive branch of government.

Elections in PNG attract numerous candidates. After independence in 1975, members were elected by the first-past-the-post system, with winners frequently gaining less than 15% of the vote. Electoral reforms in 2001 introduced the Limited Preferential Vote system (LPV), a version of the alternative vote. The 2007 general election was the first to be conducted using LPV.

Under a 2002 amendment, the leader of the party winning the largest number of seats in the election is invited by the governor-general to form the government, if they can muster the necessary majority in parliament. The process of forming such a coalition in PNG, where parties do not have much ideology, involves considerable "horse-trading" right up until the last moment. Peter O'Neill emerged as Papua New Guinea's prime minister after the July 2012 election, and formed a government with Leo Dion, the former Governor of East New Britain Province, as deputy prime minister.

In 2011 there was a constitutional crisis between the parliament-elect Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill (voted into office by a large majority of MPs), and Sir Michael Somare, who was deemed by the supreme court to retain office. The stand-off between parliament and the supreme court continued until the July 2012 national elections, with legislation passed effectively removing the chief justice and subjecting the supreme court members to greater control by the legislature, as well as a series of other laws passed, for example limiting the age for a prime minister. The confrontation reached a peak, with the deputy prime minister entering the supreme court during a hearing, escorted by police, ostensibly to arrest the chief justice. There was strong pressure among some MPs to defer the national elections for a further six months to one year, although their powers to do that were highly questionable. The parliament-elect prime minister and other cooler-headed MPs carried the votes for the writs for the new election to be issued, slightly late, but for the election itself to occur on time, thereby avoiding a continuation of the constitutional crisis.

In May 2019, O'Neill resigned as prime minister and was replaced through a vote of Parliament by James Marape. Marape was a key minister in O'Neill's government and his defection from the government to the opposition camp had finally led to O'Neill's resignation from office. Davis Steven was appointed deputy prime minister, justice Minister and Attorney General.

The word papua is derived from an old local term of uncertain origin. "New Guinea" ( Nueva Guinea) was the name coined by the Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez. In 1545, he noted the resemblance of the people to those he had earlier seen along the Guinea coast of Africa. Guinea, in its turn, is etymologically derived from the Portuguese word Guiné. The name is one of several toponyms sharing similar etymologies, ultimately meaning "land of the blacks" or similar meanings, in reference to the dark skin of the inhabitants.

Main page: History of Papua New Guinea

Agriculture was independently developed in the New Guinea highlands around 7000 BC, making it one of the few areas in the world where people independently domesticated plants. A major migration of Austronesian-speaking peoples to coastal regions of New Guinea took place around 500 BC. This has been correlated with the introduction of pottery, pigs, and certain fishing techniques.

In the 18th century, traders brought the sweet potato to New Guinea, where it was adopted and became a staple food. Portuguese traders had obtained it from South America and introduced it to the Moluccas. The far higher crop yields from sweet potato gardens radically transformed traditional agriculture and societies. Sweet potato largely supplanted the previous staple, taro, and resulted in a significant increase in population in the highlands.

European encounters

Little was known in Europe about the island until the 19th century, although Portuguese and Spanish explorers, such as Dom Jorge de Menezes and Yñigo Ortiz de Retez, had encountered it as early as the 16th century. Traders from Southeast Asia had visited New Guinea beginning 5,000 years ago to collect bird-of-paradise plumes.

Colonialism

Also in 1884, the southern part of the country became a British protectorate. In 1888 it was annexed, together with some adjacent islands, by Britain as British New Guinea. In 1902, Papua was effectively transferred to the authority of the new British dominion of Australia. With the passage of the Papua Act 1905, the area was officially renamed the Territory of Papua, and Australian administration became formal in 1906. In contrast to establishing an Australian mandate in former German New Guinea, the League of Nations determined that Papua was an external territory of the Australian Commonwealth; as a matter of law it remained a British possession. The difference in legal status meant that until 1949, Papua and New Guinea had entirely separate administrations, both controlled by Australia. These conditions contributed to the complexity of organising the country's post-independence legal system.

World War II

During World War II, the New Guinea campaign (1942-1945) was one of the major military campaigns and conflicts between Japan and the Allies. Approximately 216,000 Japanese, Australian, and U.S. servicemen died. After World War II and the victory of the Allies, the two territories were combined into the Territory of Papua and New Guinea. This was later referred to as "Papua New Guinea."

The natives of Papua appealed to the United Nations for oversight and independence. The nation established independence from Australia on 16 September 1975, becoming a Commonwealth realm. It maintains close ties with Australia, which continues to be its largest aid donor. Papua New Guinea was admitted to membership in the United Nations on 10 October 1975.

Bougainville

A secessionist revolt in 1975-76 on Bougainville Island resulted in an eleventh-hour modification of the draft Constitution of Papua New Guinea to allow for Bougainville and the other eighteen districts to have quasi-federal status as provinces. A renewed uprising on Bougainville started in 1988 and claimed 20,000 lives until it was resolved in 1997. Bougainville had been the primary mining region of the country, generating 40% of the national budget. The native peoples felt they were bearing the adverse environmental effects of the mining, which contaminated the land, water and air, without gaining a fair share of the profits.

The government and rebels negotiated a peace agreement that established the Bougainville Autonomous District and Province. The autonomous Bougainville elected Joseph Kabui as president in 2005, who served until his death in 2008. He was succeeded by his deputy John Tabinaman as acting president while an election to fill the unexpired term was organised. James Tanis won that election in December 2008 and served until the inauguration of John Momis, the winner of the 2010 elections. As part of the current peace settlement, a non-binding independence referendum was held, between 23 November and 7 December 2019. The referendum question was a choice between greater autonomy within Papua New Guinea and full independence for Bougainville, and voters voted overwhelmingly (98.31%) for independence. Negotiations between the Bougainville government and national Papua New Guinea on a path to Bougainville independence began after the referendum, and are ongoing.

Chinese minority

Main page: Chinese people in Papua New Guinea

Numerous Chinese have worked and lived in Papua New Guinea, establishing Chinese-majority communities. Anti-Chinese rioting involving tens of thousands of people broke out in May 2009. The initial spark was a fight between ethnic Chinese and indigenous workers at a nickel factory under construction by a Chinese company. Native resentment against Chinese ownership of numerous small businesses and their commercial monopoly in the islands led to the rioting.

African community

There is existing collaboration between Papua New Guinea and African countries. Papua New Guinea is part of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) forum. There is a thriving community of Africans who live and work in the country.

Papua New Guinea is part of the Australasia ecozone, which also includes Australia, New Zealand, eastern Indonesia, and several Pacific island groups, including the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Geologically, the island of New Guinea is a northern extension of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate, forming part of a single landmass Australia-New Guinea (also called Sahul or Meganesia). It is connected to the Australian segment by a shallow continental shelf across the Torres Strait, which in former ages had lain exposed as a land bridge, particularly during ice ages when sea levels were lower than at present.

Consequently, many species of birds and mammals found on New Guinea have close genetic links with corresponding species found in Australia. One notable feature in common for the two landmasses is the existence of several species of marsupial mammals, including some kangaroos and possums, which are not found elsewhere.

Many of the other islands within PNG territory, including New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville, the Admiralty Islands, the Trobriand Islands, and the Louisiade Archipelago, were never linked to New Guinea by land bridges. As a consequence, they have their own flora and fauna; in particular, they lack many of the land mammals and flightless birds that are common to New Guinea and Australia.

Australia and New Guinea are portions of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, which started to break into smaller continents in the Cretaceous era, 65-130 million years ago. Australia finally broke free from Antarctica about 45 million years ago. All the Australasian lands are home to the Antarctic flora, descended from the flora of southern Gondwana, including the coniferous podocarps and pines, and the broadleafed southern beech ( Nothofagus). These plant families are still present in Papua New Guinea.

As the Indo-Australian Plate (which includes landmasses of India, Australia, and the Indian Ocean floor in between) drifts north, it collides with the Eurasian Plate. The collision of the two plates pushed up the Himalayas, the Indonesian islands, and New Guinea's Central Range. The Central Range is much younger and higher than the mountains of Australia, so high that it is home to rare equatorial glaciers. New Guinea is part of the humid tropics, and many Indomalayan rainforest plants spread across the narrow straits from Asia, mixing together with the old Australian and Antarctic floras.

PNG includes a number of terrestrial ecoregions:

Admiralty Islands lowland rain forests - forested islands to the north of the mainland, home to a distinct flora.

Central Range montane rain forests

Huon Peninsula montane rain forests

Louisiade Archipelago rain forests

New Britain-New Ireland lowland rain forests

New Britain-New Ireland montane rain forests

New Guinea mangroves

Northern New Guinea lowland rain and freshwater swamp forests

Northern New Guinea montane rain forests

Solomon Islands rain forests (includes Bougainville Island and Buka)

Southeastern Papuan rain forests

Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests

Southern New Guinea lowland rain forests

Trobriand Islands rain forests

Trans Fly savanna and grasslands

Central Range sub-alpine grasslands

At current rates of deforestation, more than half of the country's forests could be lost or seriously degraded by 2021, according to a new satellite study of the region. Nearly one quarter of Papua New Guinea's rainforests were damaged or destroyed between 1972 and 2002.

Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but access has been hampered by rugged terrain, the high cost of developing infrastructure, serious law and order problems, and the system of land title which makes identifying the owners of land for the purpose of negotiating appropriate agreements problematic. Agriculture provides a livelihood for 85% of the population. Mineral deposits, including oil, copper, and gold, account for 72% of export earnings. The country also has a notable coffee industry and other crops include cocoa, oil palm and tea.

Demographics

Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous nations in the world. There are hundreds of ethnic groups indigenous to Papua New Guinea, the majority being from the group known as Papuans, whose ancestors arrived in the New Guinea region tens of thousands of years ago. Many remote Papuan tribes still have only marginal contact with the outside world.

The others are Austronesians, their ancestors having arrived in the region less than four thousand years ago. There are also numerous people from other parts of the world now resident, including Chinese, Europeans, Australians, Filipinos, Polynesians and Micronesians. At the brink of Papuan independence in 1975, there were 40,000 expatriates (mostly Australian and Chinese) in Papua New Guinea.

Papua New Guinea has more languages than any other country, with over 820 indigenous languages, representing twelve percent of the world's total, but most have fewer than 1,000 speakers. The most widely-spoken indigenous language is Enga with about 200,000 speakers, followed by Melpa and Huli. Indigenous languages are classified into two large groups: Austronesian languages and non-Austronesian (or Papuan languages). There are three official languages for Papua New Guinea. English is an official language and is the language of government and the education system, but it is not widely spoken.

The primary lingua franca of the country is Tok Pisin (commonly known in English as New Guinea Pidgin or Melanesian Pidgin), in which much of the debate in Parliament is conducted, many information campaigns and advertisements are presented, and until recently a national newspaper, Wantok, was published. The only area where Tok Pisin is not prevalent is the southern region of Papua, where people often use the third official language, Hiri Motu.

Although it lies in the Papua region, Port Moresby has a highly diverse population which primarily uses Tok Pisin, and to a lesser extent English, with Motu spoken as the indigenous language in outlying villages. With an average of only 7,000 speakers per language, Papua New Guinea has a greater density of languages than any other nation on earth except Vanuatu.

It is estimated that more than a thousand different cultural groups exist in Papua New Guinea. Because of this diversity, many different styles of cultural expression have emerged; each group has created its own expressive forms in art, dance, weaponry, costumes, singing, music, architecture and much more. Most of these different cultural groups have their own language. People typically live in villages that rely on subsistence farming. In some areas people hunt and collect wild plants (such as yam roots) to supplement their diets. Those who become skilled at hunting, farming and fishing earn a great deal of respect.

On the Sepik river, there is a tradition of wood carving, often in the form of plants or animals, representing ancestor spirits.

Sea shells are no longer the currency of Papua New Guinea, as they were in some regions - sea shells were abolished as currency in 1933. However, this heritage is still present in local customs; in some cultures, to get a bride, a groom must bring a certain number of golden-edged clam shells as a bride price. In other regions, the bride price is paid in lengths of shell money, pigs, cassowaries or cash. Elsewhere, it is brides who traditionally pay a dowry.

People of the highlands engage in colourful local rituals that are called "sing sings". They paint themselves and dress up with feathers, pearls and animal skins to represent birds, trees or mountain spirits. Sometimes an important event, such as a legendary battle, is enacted at such a musical festival.

Images for kids

Slaked Lime holder, late 19th or early 20th century. The holder is decorated with wood carving of crocodile and bird. Details are emphasised with a white paint. The central portion, hollow to hold the slaked lime, is made of bamboo. The joints are covered with basketry work. The device is used in conjunction with chewing betel nut.

Resident of Bago-Bago, an island in the southeast of Papua New Guinea

20th century wooden Abelam ancestor figure (nggwalndu).

In Spanish: Papúa Nueva Guinea para niños

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Students: Ask your Library Teacher or Media Specialist if your school or university subscribes to Britannica.
Library patrons: Check with your local librarian to see if the library subscribes. They can provide access instructions.

Want a free trial or a price quote?
Share your institution's name and address, and a Britannica representative will contact you.
Email: salessupport@eb.com

For institutions outside the U.S., contact your regional office:

Students: Ask your Library Teacher or Media Specialist if your school or university subscribes to Britannica.
Library patrons: Check with your local librarian to see if the library subscribes. They can provide access instructions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
BULA! If you ever visit Fiji, you'll hear that a lot. It's more than just a greeting, it's the spirit of the country. With 333 islands, white sand beaches and year-round tropical warmth, it is hard not to feel happy in this Pacific Island nation.

If you're looking for aromantic getaway, an adventure-packed escape, or you just want to lie on the beach and order from a menu, you'll find it in Fiji. In this new world we live in, it's nice to know there's still a place where you can find true happiness.

Learn more about why Fiji issafer than ever and what travelling to Fiji looks like now or visit our Frequently Asked Questions webpage for more detailed information. Across Fiji, many of our tourism industry have been confirmed as COVID-safe by the Care Fiji Commitment - check out this simple list of CFC businesses to help you plan your holiday.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bula! Welcome to Fiji | The Official Travel Site of the Fiji Islands

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
BULA! If you ever visit Fiji, you'll hear that a lot. It's more than just a greeting, it's the spirit of the country. With 333 islands, white sand beaches and year-round tropical warmth, it is hard not to feel happy in this Pacific Island nation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
275,773,800 ()

0.705 ·

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and the 14th-largest country by area, at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles). With over 275 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population.

Indonesia is a presidential republic with an elected legislature. It has 37 provinces, of which eight have special status. The country's capital, Jakarta, is the world's second-most populous urban area. Indonesia shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern part of Malaysia, as well as maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and India ( Andaman and Nicobar Islands). Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support one of the world's highest levels of biodiversity.

Indonesia consists of thousands of distinct native ethnic and hundreds of linguistic groups, with Javanese being the largest. A shared identity has developed with the motto "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" ("Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"), defined by a national language, cultural diversity, religious pluralism within a Muslim-majority population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. The economy of Indonesia is the world's 17th-largest by nominal GDP and the 7th-largest by PPP. It is a regional power and is considered a middle power in global affairs. The country is a member of several multilateral organisations, including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, G20, and a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, East Asia Summit, D-8 and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The name Indonesia derives from the Greek words (Ἰνδός) and (νῆσος), meaning "Indian islands". The name dates back to the 19th century, far predating the formation of independent Indonesia. In 1850, George Windsor Earl, an English ethnologist, proposed the terms Indunesians-and, his preference, Malayunesians-for the inhabitants of the "Indian Archipelago or Malay Archipelago". In the same publication, one of his students, James Richardson Logan, used Indonesia as a synonym for Indian Archipelago. Dutch academics writing in East Indies publications were reluctant to use Indonesia. They preferred Malay Archipelago ( Dutch: Netherlands East Indies ( Maleische Archipel); the Nederlandsch Oost Indië), popularly Indië; the East (de Oost); and Insulinde.

After 1900, Indonesia became more common in academic circles outside the Netherlands, and native nationalist groups adopted it for political expression. Adolf Bastian of the University of Berlin popularized the name through his book Indonesien oder die Inseln des Malayischen Archipels, 1884-1894. The first native scholar to use the name was Ki Hajar Dewantara when in 1913, he established a press bureau in the Netherlands, Indonesisch Pers-bureau.

Early history

Fossilised remains of Homo erectus, popularly known as the " Java Man", suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited two million to 500,000 years ago. Homo sapiens reached the region around 43,000 BCE. Austronesian peoples, who form the majority of the modern population, migrated to Southeast Asia from what is now Taiwan. They arrived in the archipelago around 2,000 BCE and confined the native Melanesians to the far eastern regions as they spread east. Ideal agricultural conditions and the mastering of wet-field rice cultivation as early as the eighth century BCE allowed villages, towns, and small kingdoms to flourish by the first century CE. The archipelago's strategic sea-lane position fostered inter-island and international trade, including with Indian kingdoms and Chinese dynasties, from several centuries BCE. Trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history.

From the seventh century CE, the Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished due to trade and the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism. Between the eighth and tenth centuries CE, the agricultural Buddhist Sailendra and Hindu Mataram dynasties thrived and declined in inland Java, leaving grand religious monuments such as Sailendra's Borobudur and Mataram's Prambanan. The Hindu Majapahit kingdom was founded in eastern Java in the late 13th century, and under Gajah Mada, its influence stretched over much of present-day Indonesia. This period is often referred to as a "Golden Age" in Indonesian history.

The earliest evidence of Islamized populations in the archipelago dates to the 13th century in northern Sumatra. Other parts of the archipelago gradually adopted Islam, and it was the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra by the end of the 16th century. For the most part, Islam overlaid and mixed with existing cultural and religious influences, which shaped the predominant form of Islam in Indonesia, particularly in Java.

Colonial era

The Netherlands attempted to re-establish their rule, and a bitter armed and diplomatic struggle ended in December 1949 when the Dutch formally recognised Indonesian independence in the face of international pressure and transferred sovereignty to the United States of Indonesia. Despite extraordinary political, social and sectarian divisions, Indonesians, on the whole, found unity in their fight for independence.

Post-World War II

As president, Sukarno moved Indonesia from democracy towards authoritarianism and maintained power by balancing the opposing forces of the military, political Islam, and the increasingly powerful Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI). Tensions between the military and the PKI culminated in an attempted coup in 1965. The army, led by Major General Suharto, countered by instigating a violent anti-communist purge that killed between 500,000 and one million people. The PKI was blamed for the coup and effectively destroyed. Suharto capitalised on Sukarno's weakened position, and following a drawn-out power play with Sukarno, Suharto was appointed president in March 1968. His "New Order" administration, supported by the United States, encouraged foreign direct investment, which was a crucial factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic growth.

Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. It brought out popular discontent with the New Order's corruption and suppression of political opposition and ultimately ended Suharto's presidency. In 1999, East Timor seceded from Indonesia, following its 1975 invasion by Indonesia and a 25-year occupation marked by international condemnation of human rights abuses.

Since 1998, democratic processes have been strengthened by enhancing regional autonomy and instituting the country's first direct presidential election in 2004. Political, economic and social instability, corruption, and instances of terrorism remained problems in the 2000s; however, the economy has performed strongly in the last 15 years. Although relations among the diverse population are mostly harmonious, acute sectarian discontent and violence remain problematic in some areas. A political settlement to an armed separatist conflict in Aceh was achieved in 2005 following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed 130,000 Indonesians.

Indonesia lies between latitudes 11°S and 6°N and longitudes 95°E and 141°E. It is the world's largest Archipelagic state, extending 5,120 kilometres (3,181 mi) from east to west and 1,760 kilometres (1,094 mi) from north to south. The country's Coordinating Ministry for Maritime and Investments Affairs says Indonesia has 17,504 islands (with 16,056 registered at the UN) scattered over both sides of the equator, around 6,000 of which are inhabited. The largest are Sumatra, Java, Borneo (shared with Brunei and Malaysia), Sulawesi, and New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea). Indonesia shares land borders with Malaysia on Borneo and Sebatik, Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea, East Timor on the island of Timor, and maritime borders with Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Palau, and Australia.

Indonesia lies along the equator, and its climate tends to be relatively even year-round. Indonesia has two seasons-a wet season and a dry season-with no extremes of summer or winter. For most of Indonesia, the dry season falls between May and October, with the wet season between November and April. Indonesia's climate is almost entirely tropical, dominated by the tropical rainforest climate found on every large island of Indonesia. More cooling climate types do exist in mountainous regions that are 1,300 to 1,500 metres (4,300 to 4,900 feet) above sea level. The oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) prevails in highland areas adjacent to rainforest climates, with reasonably uniform precipitation year-round. In highland areas near the tropical monsoon and tropical savanna climates, the subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) is prevalent with a more pronounced dry season.

Several studies consider Indonesia to be at severe risk from the projected effects of climate change. These include unreduced emissions resulting in an average temperature rise of around 1 °C (2 °F) by mid-century, raising the frequency of drought and food shortages (with an impact on precipitation and the patterns of wet and dry seasons, and thus Indonesia's agriculture system) as well as numerous diseases and wildfires. Rising sea levels would also threaten most of Indonesia's population, who live in low-lying coastal areas. Impoverished communities would likely be affected the most by climate change.

Tectonically, most of Indonesia's area is highly unstable, making it a site of numerous volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. It lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the Indo-Australian Plate and the Pacific Plate are pushed under the Eurasian plate, where they melt at about 100 kilometres (62 miles) deep. A string of volcanoes runs through Sumatra, Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, and then to the Banda Islands of Maluku to northeastern Sulawesi. Of the 400 volcanoes, around 130 are active. Between 1972 and 1991, there were 29 volcanic eruptions, mostly on Java. Volcanic ash has made agricultural conditions unpredictable in some areas. However, it has also resulted in fertile soils, a factor in historically sustaining the high population densities of Java and Bali.

Biodiversity and conservation

Indonesia is second only to Australia in terms of total endemic species, with 36% of its 1,531 species of bird and 39% of its 515 species of mammal being endemic. Tropical seas surround Indonesia's 80,000 kilometres (50,000 miles) of coastline. The country has a range of sea and coastal ecosystems, including beaches, dunes, estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, coastal mudflats, tidal flats, algal beds, and small island ecosystems. Indonesia is one of the Coral Triangle countries with the world's most enormous diversity of coral reef fish, with more than 1,650 species in eastern Indonesia only.

British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace described a dividing line ( Wallace Line) between the distribution of Indonesia's Asian and Australasian species. It runs roughly north-south along the edge of the Sunda Shelf, between Kalimantan and Sulawesi, and along the deep Lombok Strait, between Lombok and Bali. Flora and fauna on the west of the line are generally Asian, while east from Lombok is increasingly Australian until the tipping point at the Weber Line. In his 1869 book, The Malay Archipelago, Wallace described numerous species unique to the area. The region of islands between his line and New Guinea is now termed Wallacea.

Indonesia's large and growing population and rapid industrialisation present serious environmental issues. They are often given a lower priority due to high poverty levels and weak, under-resourced governance. Problems include the destruction of peatlands, large-scale illegal deforestation (causing extensive haze across parts of Southeast Asia), over-exploitation of marine resources, air pollution, garbage management, and reliable water and wastewater services. These issues contribute to Indonesia's low ranking (number 116 out of 180 countries) in the 2020 Environmental Performance Index. The report also indicates that Indonesia's performance is generally below average in both regional and global context.

Government and politics

Indonesia is a republic with a presidential system. Following the fall of the New Order in 1998, political and governmental structures have undergone sweeping reforms, with four constitutional amendments revamping the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Chief among them is the delegation of power and authority to various regional entities while remaining a unitary state. The President of Indonesia is the head of state and head of government, commander-in-chief of the Indonesian National Armed Forces ( Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI), and the director of domestic governance, policy-making, and foreign affairs. The president may serve a maximum of two consecutive five-year terms.

The highest representative body at the national level is the People's Consultative Assembly ( Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat, MPR). Its main functions are supporting and amending the constitution, inaugurating and impeaching the president, and formalising broad outlines of state policy. The MPR comprises two houses; the People's Representative Council ( Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, DPR), with 575 members, and the Regional Representative Council ( Dewan Perwakilan Daerah, DPD), with 136. The DPR passes legislation and monitors the executive branch. Reforms since 1998 have markedly increased its role in national governance, while the DPD is a new chamber for matters of regional management.

Most civil disputes appear before the State Court ( Pengadilan Negeri); appeals are heard before the High Court ( Pengadilan Tinggi). The Supreme Court of Indonesia ( Mahkamah Agung) is the highest level of the judicial branch and hears final cessation appeals and conducts case reviews. Other courts include the Constitutional Court ( Mahkamah Konstitusi) which listens to constitutional and political matters, and the Religious Court ( Pengadilan Agama), which deals with codified Islamic Personal Law ( sharia) cases. Additionally, the Judicial Commission ( Komisi Yudisial) monitors the performance of judges.

Parties and elections

Since 1999, Indonesia has had a multi-party system. In all legislative elections since the fall of the New Order, no political party has won an overall majority of seats. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which secured the most votes in the 2019 elections, is the party of the incumbent president, Joko Widodo. Other notable parties include the Party of the Functional Groups ( Golkar), the Great Indonesia Movement Party ( Gerindra), the Democratic Party, and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

The first general election was held in 1955 to elect members of the DPR and the Constitutional Assembly ( Konstituante). The most recent elections in 2019 resulted in nine political parties in the DPR, with a parliamentary threshold of 4% of the national vote. At the national level, Indonesians did not elect a president until 2004. Since then, the president is elected for a five-year term, as are the party-aligned members of the DPR and the non-partisan DPD. Beginning with the 2015 local elections, elections for governors and mayors have occurred on the same date. In 2014, the Constitutional Court ruled that legislative and presidential elections would be held simultaneously, starting in 2019.

Administrative divisions

Indonesia has several levels of subdivisions. The first level are the provinces, which have a legislature ( Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah, DPRD) and an elected governor. A total of 37 provinces have been established from the original eight in 1945, with the most recent change being the split of Central Papua, Highland Papua and South Papua from Papua in 2022. The second level are the regencies ( kabupaten) and cities ( kota), led by regents ( bupati) and mayors ( walikota) respectively and a legislature ( DPRD Kabupaten/Kota). The third level are the districts ( kecamatan, distrik in Papua, or kapanewon and kemantren in Yogyakarta), and the fourth are the villages (either desa, kelurahan, kampung, nagari in West Sumatra, or gampong in Aceh).

The village is the lowest level of government administration. It is divided into several community groups ( rukun warga, RW), which are further divided into neighbourhood groups ( rukun tetangga, RT). In Java, the village ( desa) is divided into smaller units called dusun or dukuh (hamlets), which are the same as RW. Following the implementation of regional autonomy measures in 2001, regencies and cities have become chief administrative units responsible for providing most government services. The village administration level is the most influential on a citizen's daily life and handles village or neighbourhood matters through an elected village head ( lurah or kepala desa).

Eight provinces-Aceh, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Papua, Central Papua, Highland Papua, South Papua and West Papua-are granted a special autonomous status ( otonomi khusus) from the central government. A conservative Islamic territory, Aceh has the right to create some aspects of an independent legal system implementing . Jakarta is the only city with a provincial government due to its position as the capital of Indonesia. Yogyakarta is the only pre-colonial monarchy legally recognised within Indonesia, with the positions of governor and vice governor being prioritised for the reigning Sultan of Yogyakarta and Duke of Pakualaman, respectively. The five Papuan provinces are the only ones where the indigenous people have privileges in their local government.

Foreign relations

Indonesia maintains 132 diplomatic missions abroad, including 95 embassies. The country adheres to what it calls a "free and active" foreign policy, seeking a role in regional affairs in proportion to its size and location but avoiding involvement in conflicts among other countries.

Indonesia's Armed Forces (TNI) include the Army (TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, which includes Marine Corps), and Air Force (TNI-AU). The army has about 400,000 active-duty personnel. Defence spending in the national budget was 0.7% of GDP in 2018, with controversial involvement of military-owned commercial interests and foundations. The Armed Forces were formed during the Indonesian National Revolution when it undertook guerrilla warfare along with informal militia. Since then, territorial lines have formed the basis of all TNI branches' structure, aimed at maintaining domestic stability and deterring foreign threats. The military has possessed a strong political influence since its founding, which peaked during the New Order. Political reforms in 1998 included the removal of the TNI's formal representation from the legislature. Nevertheless, its political influence remains, albeit at a reduced level.

Since independence, the country has struggled to maintain unity against local insurgencies and separatist movements. Some, notably in Aceh and Papua, have led to an armed conflict and subsequent allegations of human rights abuses and brutality from all sides. The former was resolved peacefully in 2005, while the latter has continued amid a significant, albeit imperfect, implementation of regional autonomy laws and a reported decline in the levels of violence and human rights abuses as of 2006. Other engagements of the army include the conflict against the Netherlands over the Dutch New Guinea, the opposition to the British-sponsored creation of Malaysia ("Konfrontasi"), the mass killings of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), and the invasion of East Timor, which remains Indonesia's most massive military operation.

Indonesia has a mixed economy in which the private sector and government play vital roles. As the only G20 member state in Southeast Asia, the country has the largest economy in the region and is classified as a newly industrialised country. Per a 2022 estimate, it is the world's 17th largest economy by nominal GDP and 7th in terms of GDP at PPP, estimated to be US$1,289,000,000,000 and US$3,995,000,000,000, respectively. Per capita GDP in PPP is US$14,535, while nominal per capita GDP is US$ 4,691. Services are the economy's largest sector and account for 43.4% of GDP (2018), followed by industry (39.7%) and agriculture (12.8%). Since 2009, it has employed more people than other sectors, accounting for 47.7% of the total labour force, followed by agriculture (30.2%) and industry (21.9%).

Over time, the structure of the economy has changed considerably. Historically, it has been weighted heavily towards agriculture, reflecting both its stage of economic development and government policies in the 1950s and 1960s to promote agricultural self-sufficiency. A gradual process of industrialisation and urbanisation began in the late 1960s and accelerated in the 1980s as falling oil prices saw the government focus on diversifying away from oil exports and towards manufactured exports. This development continued throughout the 1980s and into the next decade despite the 1990 oil price shock, during which the GDP rose at an average rate of 7.1%. As a result, the official poverty rate fell from 60% to 15%. Trade barriers reduction from the mid-1980s made the economy more globally integrated. The growth ended with the 1997 Asian financial crisis that severely impacted the economy, including a 13.1% real GDP contraction in 1998 and a 78% inflation. The economy reached its low point in mid-1999 with only 0.8% real GDP growth.

Relatively steady inflation and an increase in GDP deflator and the Consumer Price Index have contributed to strong economic growth in recent years. From 2007 to 2019, annual growth accelerated to between 4% and 6% due to improvements in the banking sector and domestic consumption, helping Indonesia weather the 2008-2009 Great Recession, and regain in 2011 the investment grade rating it had lost in 1997. As of 2019, 9.41% of the population lived below the poverty line, and the official open unemployment rate was 5.28%. During the first year of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the economy suffered its first recession since the 1997 crisis but recovered in the following year.

Indonesia has abundant natural resources. Its primary industries are fishing, petroleum, timber, paper products, cotton cloth, tourism, petroleum mining, natural gas, bauxite, coal and tin. Its main agricultural products are rice, coconuts, soybeans, bananas, coffee, tea, palm, rubber, and sugar cane. These commodities make up a large portion of the country's exports, with palm oil and coal briquettes as the leading export commodities. In addition to refined and crude petroleum as the primary imports, telephones, vehicle parts and wheat cover the majority of additional imports. China, the United States, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand are Indonesia's principal export markets and import partners.

Indonesia's transport system has been shaped over time by the economic resource base of an archipelago and the distribution of its 275 million people highly concentrated on Java. All transport modes play a role in the country's transport system and are generally complementary rather than competitive. In 2016, the transport sector generated about 5.2% of GDP.

The road transport system is predominant, with a total length of 542,310 kilometres (336,980 miles) as of 2018. Jakarta has the most extended bus rapid transit system globally, boasting 251.2 kilometres (156.1 miles) in 13 corridors and ten cross-corridor routes. Rickshaws such as bajaj and becak and share taxis such as Angkot and Metromini are a regular sight in the country.

Most railways are in Java, used for freight and passenger transport, such as local commuter rail services (mainly in Jakarta and Yogyakarta-Solo) complementing the inter-city rail network in several cities. In the late 2010s, Jakarta and Palembang were the first cities in Indonesia to have rapid transit systems, with more planned for other cities in the future. In 2015, the government announced a plan to build a high-speed rail, which would be the first in Southeast Asia.

In 2017, Indonesia was the world's 9th largest energy producer with 4,200 terawatt-hours (14.2 quadrillion British thermal units) and the 15th largest energy consumer, with 2,100 terawatt-hours (7.1 quadrillion British thermal units). The country has substantial energy resources, including 22 billion barrels (3.5 billion cubic metres) of conventional oil and gas reserves (of which about 4 billion barrels are recoverable), 8 billion barrels of oil-equivalent of coal-based methane (CBM) resources, and 28 billion tonnes of recoverable coal. While reliance on domestic coal and imported oil has increased, Indonesia has seen progress in renewable energy, with hydropower being the most abundant source. Furthermore, the country has the potential for geothermal, solar, wind, biomass and ocean energy. As of 2019, Indonesia's total national installed power generation capacity stands at 69,678.85 MW.

The country's largest dam, Jatiluhur, has several purposes, including hydroelectric power generation, water supply, flood control, irrigation and aquaculture. The earth-fill dam is 105 m (344 ft) high and withholds a reservoir of 3.0 billion m ³ (2.4 million acre⋅ft). It helps to supply water to Jakarta and to irrigate 240,000 ha (590,000 acres) of rice fields and has an installed capacity of 186.5 MW which feeds into the Java grid managed by the State Electricity Company ( Perusahaan Listrik Negara, PLN).

Science and technology

Government expenditure on research and development is relatively low (0.3% of GDP in 2019), and Indonesia only ranked 87th (out of 132 economies) on the 2021 Global Innovation Index report. Historical examples of scientific and technological developments include the paddy cultivation technique terasering, which is common in Southeast Asia, and the pinisi boats by the Bugis and Makassar people. In the 1980s, Indonesian engineer Tjokorda Raka Sukawati invented a road construction technique named Sosrobahu that later became widely used in several countries. The country is also an active producer of passenger trains and freight wagons with its state-owned company, the Indonesian Railway Industry (INKA), and has exported trains abroad.

Indonesia has a long history of developing military and small commuter aircraft. It is the only country in Southeast Asia to build and produce aircraft. The state-owned Indonesian Aerospace company ( PT. Dirgantara Indonesia) has provided components for Boeing and Airbus. The company also collaborated with EADS CASA of Spain to develop the CN-235, which has been used by several countries. Former President B. J. Habibie played a vital role in this achievement. Indonesia has also joined the South Korean programme to manufacture the 4.5-generation fighter jet KAI KF-21 Boramae.

Indonesia has a space programme and space agency, the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space ( Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional, LAPAN). In the 1970s, Indonesia became the first developing country to operate a satellite system called Palapa, a series of communication satellites owned by Indosat. The first satellite, PALAPA A1, was launched on 8 July 1976 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States. As of 2019, Indonesia has launched 18 satellites for various purposes.

Tourism contributed around US$19,700,000,000 to GDP in 2019. In 2018, Indonesia received 15.8 million visitors, a growth of 12.5% from last year, and received an average receipt of US$967. China, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and Japan are the top five sources of visitors to Indonesia. Since 2011, Wonderful Indonesia has been the country's international marketing campaign slogan to promote tourism.

Indonesia has nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Komodo National Park and the Sawahlunto Coal Mine; and a further 19 in a tentative list that includes Bunaken National Park and Raja Ampat Islands. Other attractions include specific points in Indonesian history, such as the colonial heritage of the Dutch East Indies in the old towns of Jakarta and Semarang and the royal palaces of Pagaruyung, Ubud, and Yogyakarta.

Demographics

The 2020 census recorded Indonesia's population as 270.2 million, the fourth largest in the world, with a moderately high population growth rate of 1.25%. Java is the world's most populous island, where 56% of the country's population lives. The population density is 141 people per km ² (365 per sq mi), ranking 88th in the world, although Java has a population density of 1,067 people per km ² (2,435 per sq mi). In 1961, the first post-colonial census recorded a total of 97 million people. It is expected to grow to around 295 million by 2030 and 321 million by 2050. The country currently possesses a relatively young population, with a median age of 30.2 years (2017 estimate).

Ethnic groups and languages

The Javanese are the largest ethnic group, constituting 40.2% of the population, and are politically dominant. They are predominantly located in the central to eastern parts of Java and also in sizeable numbers in most provinces. The Sundanese are the next largest group (15.4%), followed by Batak, Madurese, Betawi, Minangkabau, Buginese and Malay people. A sense of Indonesian nationhood exists alongside strong regional identities.

The country's official language is Indonesian, a variant of Malay based on its prestige dialect, which had been the archipelago's lingua franca for centuries. It was promoted by nationalists in the 1920s and achieved official status in 1945 under the name Bahasa Indonesia. Due to centuries-long contact with other languages, it is rich in local and foreign influences. Nearly every Indonesian speaks the language due to its widespread use in education, academics, communications, business, politics, and mass media. Most Indonesians also speak at least one of more than 700 local languages, often as their first language. Most belong to the Austronesian language family, while over 270 Papuan languages are spoken in eastern Indonesia. Of these, Javanese is the most widely spoken and has co-official status in the Special Region of Yogyakarta.

In 1930, Dutch and other Europeans ( Totok), Eurasians, and derivative people like the Indos, numbered 240,000 or 0.4% of the total population. Historically, they constituted only a tiny fraction of the native population and remain so today. Also, the Dutch language never had a substantial number of speakers or official status despite the Dutch presence for almost 350 years. The small minorities that can speak it or Dutch-based creole languages fluently are the aforementioned ethnic groups and descendants of Dutch colonisers. This reflected the Dutch colonial empire's primary purpose, which was commercial exchange as opposed to sovereignty over homogeneous landmasses. Today, there is some degree of fluency by either educated members of the oldest generation or legal professionals, as specific law codes are still only available in Dutch.

The natives of the Indonesian archipelago originally practised indigenous animism and dynamism, beliefs that are common to Austronesian peoples. They worshipped and revered ancestral spirit and believed that supernatural spirits ( hyang) might inhabit certain places such as large trees, stones, forests, mountains, or sacred sites. Examples of Indonesian native belief systems include the Sundanese Sunda Wiwitan, Dayak's Kaharingan, and the Javanese Kejawèn. They have significantly impacted how other faiths are practised, evidenced by a large proportion of people-such as the Javanese abangan, Balinese Hindus, and Dayak Christians-practising a less orthodox, syncretic form of their religion.

Hindu influences reached the archipelago as early as the first century CE. The Sundanese Kingdom of Salakanagara in western Java around 130 was the first historically recorded Indianised kingdom in the archipelago. Buddhism arrived around the 6th century, and its history in Indonesia is closely related to that of Hinduism, as some empires based on Buddhism had their roots around the same period. The archipelago has witnessed the rise and fall of powerful and influential Hindu and Buddhist empires such as Majapahit, Sailendra, Srivijaya, and Mataram. Though no longer a majority, Hinduism and Buddhism remain to have a substantial influence on Indonesian culture.

Islam was introduced by Sunni traders of the Shafi'i school as well as Sufi traders from the Indian subcontinent and southern Arabia as early as the 8th century CE. For the most part, Islam overlaid and mixed with existing cultural and religious influences, resulting in a distinct form of Islam ( santri). Trade, Islamic missionary activity such as by the Wali Sanga and Chinese explorer Zheng He, and military campaigns by several sultanates helped accelerate the spread of Islam. By the end of the 16th century, it had supplanted Hinduism and Buddhism as the dominant religion of Java and Sumatra.

There was a sizeable Jewish presence in the archipelago until 1945, mostly Dutch and some Baghdadi Jews. Since most left after Indonesia proclaimed independence, Judaism was never accorded official status, and only a tiny number of Jews remain today, mostly in Jakarta and Surabaya.

At the national and local level, Indonesia's political leadership and civil society groups have played a crucial role in interfaith relations, both positively and negatively. The invocation of the first principle of Indonesia's philosophical foundation, Pancasila (i.e. the belief in the one and only God), often serves as a reminder of religious tolerance, though instances of intolerance have occurred. An overwhelming majority of Indonesians consider religion to be essential and an integral part of life.

Education and health

Education is compulsory for 12 years. Parents can choose between state-run, non-sectarian schools or private or semi-private religious (usually Islamic) schools, supervised by the ministries of Education and Religion, respectively. Private international schools that do not follow the national curriculum are also available. The enrolment rate is 93% for primary education, 79% for secondary education, and 36% for tertiary education (2018). The literacy rate is 96% (2018), and the government spends about 3.6% of GDP (2015) on education. In 2018, there were 4,670 higher educational institutions in Indonesia, with most (74%) located in Sumatra and Java. According to the QS World University Rankings, Indonesia's top universities are the University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University and the Bandung Institute of Technology.

Government expenditure on healthcare was about 3.3% of GDP in 2016. As part of an attempt to achieve universal health care, the government launched the National Health Insurance ( Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional, JKN) in 2014. It includes coverage for a range of services from the public and also private firms that have opted to join the scheme. Despite remarkable improvements in recent decades, such as rising life expectancy (from 62.3 years in 1990 to 71.7 years in 2019) and declining child mortality (from 84 deaths per 1,000 births in 1990 to 23.9 deaths in 2019), challenges remain, including maternal and child health, low air quality, malnutrition, high rate of smoking, and infectious diseases.

In the social arena, numerous cases of racism and discrimination, especially against Chinese Indonesians and Papuans, have been well documented throughout Indonesia's history. Such cases have sometimes led to violent conflicts, most notably the May 1998 riots and the Papua conflict, which has continued since 1962. LGBT people also regularly face challenges. Although LGBT issues have been relatively obscure, the 2010s (especially after 2016) has seen a rapid surge of anti-LGBT rhetoric, putting LGBT Indonesians into a frequent subject of intimidation, discrimination, and even violence. In addition, Indonesia has been reported to have sizeable numbers of child and forced labourers, with the former being prevalent in the palm oil and tobacco industries, while the latter in the fishing industry.

Art and architecture

Indonesian arts include both age-old art forms developed through centuries and recently developed contemporary art. Despite often displaying local ingenuity, Indonesian arts have absorbed foreign influences-most notably from India, the Arab world, China and Europe, due to contacts and interactions facilitated, and often motivated by trade. Painting is an established and developed art in Bali, where its people are famed for their artistry. Their painting tradition started as classical Kamasan or Wayang style visual narrative, derived from visual art discovered on candi bas reliefs in eastern Java.

As with the arts, Indonesian architecture has absorbed foreign influences that have brought cultural changes and profound effects on building styles and techniques. The most dominant has traditionally been Indian; however, Chinese, Arab, and European influences have also been significant. Traditional carpentry, masonry, stone and woodwork techniques and decorations have thrived in vernacular architecture, with numbers of traditional houses' ( rumah adat) styles that have been developed. The traditional houses and settlements vary by ethnic group, and each has a specific custom and history. Examples include Toraja's Tongkonan, Minangkabau's Rumah Gadang and Rangkiang, Javanese style Pendopo pavilion with Joglo style roof, Dayak's longhouses, various Malay houses, Balinese houses and temples, and also different forms of rice barns ( lumbung).

Music, dance and clothing

Indonesian dances have a diverse history, with more than 3,000 original dances. Scholars believe that they had their beginning in rituals and religious worship. Examples include war dances, a dance of witch doctors, and a dance to call for rain or any agricultural rituals such as Hudoq. Indonesian dances derive their influences from the archipelago's prehistoric and tribal, Hindu-Buddhist, and Islamic periods. Recently, modern dances and urban teen dances have gained popularity due to the influence of Western culture and those of Japan and South Korea to some extent. However, various traditional dances, including those of Java, Bali and Dayak, remain a living and dynamic tradition.

Theatre and cinema

Wayang, the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese shadow puppet theatre display several mythological legends such as Ramayana and Mahabharata. Other forms of local drama include the Javanese Ludruk and Ketoprak, the Sundanese Sandiwara, Betawi Lenong, and various Balinese dance dramas. They incorporate humour and jest and often involve audiences in their performances. Some theatre traditions also include music, dancing and silat martial art, such as Randai from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra. It is usually performed for traditional ceremonies and festivals and based on semi-historical Minangkabau legends and love story. Modern performing art also developed in Indonesia with its distinct style of drama. Notable theatre, dance, and drama troupe such as Teater Koma are famous as it often portrays social and political satire of Indonesian society.

The first film produced in the archipelago was Loetoeng Kasaroeng, a silent film by Dutch director L. Heuveldorp. The film industry expanded after independence, with six films made in 1949 rising to 58 in 1955. Usmar Ismail, who made significant imprints in the 1950s and 1960s, is generally considered the pioneer of Indonesian films. The latter part of the Sukarno era saw the use of cinema for nationalistic, anti-Western purposes, and foreign films were subsequently banned, while the New Order utilised a censorship code that aimed to maintain social order. Production of films peaked during the 1980s, although it declined significantly in the next decade. Notable films in this period include Pengabdi Setan (1980), Nagabonar (1987), Tjoet Nja' Dhien (1988), Catatan Si Boy (1989), and Warkop's comedy films.

Independent filmmaking was a rebirth of the film industry since 1998, when films started addressing previously banned topics, such as religion, race, and love. Between 2000 and 2005, the number of films released each year steadily increased. Riri Riza and Mira Lesmana were among the new generation of filmmakers who co-directed Kuldesak (1999), Petualangan Sherina (2000), Ada Apa dengan Cinta? (2002), and Laskar Pelangi (2008). In 2016, Warkop DKI Reborn: Jangkrik Boss Part 1 smashed box office records, becoming the most-watched Indonesian film with 6.8 million tickets sold. Indonesia has held annual film festivals and awards, including the Indonesian Film Festival ( Festival Film Indonesia) held intermittently since 1955. It hands out the Citra Award, the film industry's most prestigious award. From 1973 to 1992, the festival was held annually and then discontinued until its revival in 2004.

Mass media and literature

Media freedom increased considerably after the fall of the New Order, during which the Ministry of Information monitored and controlled domestic media and restricted foreign media. The television market includes several national commercial networks and provincial networks that compete with public TVRI, which held a monopoly on TV broadcasting from 1962 to 1989. By the early 21st century, the improved communications system had brought television signals to every village, and people can choose from up to 11 channels. Private radio stations carry news bulletins while foreign broadcasters supply programmes. The number of printed publications has increased significantly since 1998.

Like other developing countries, Indonesia began developing Internet in the early 1990s. Its first commercial Internet service provider, PT. Indo Internet began operation in Jakarta in 1994. The country had 171 million Internet users in 2018, with a penetration rate that keeps increasing annually. Most are between the ages of 15 and 19 and depend primarily on mobile phones for access, outnumbering laptops and computers.

The oldest evidence of writing in the Indonesian archipelago is a series of Sanskrit inscriptions dated to the 5th century. Many of Indonesia's peoples have firmly rooted oral traditions, which help define and preserve their cultural identities. In written poetry and prose, several traditional forms dominate, mainly syair, pantun, gurindam, hikayat and babad. Examples of these forms include Syair Abdul Muluk, Hikayat Hang Tuah, Sulalatus Salatin, and Babad Tanah Jawi.

Early modern Indonesian literature originates in the Sumatran tradition. Literature and poetry flourished during the decades leading up to and after independence. Balai Pustaka, the government bureau for popular literature, was instituted in 1917 to promote the development of indigenous literature. Many scholars consider the 1950s and 1960s to be the Golden Age of Indonesian Literature. The style and characteristics of modern Indonesian literature vary according to the dynamics of the country's political and social landscape, most notably the war of independence in the second half of the 1940s and the anti-communist mass killings in the mid-1960s. Notable literary figures of the modern era include Multatuli, Chairil Anwar, Mohammad Yamin, Merari Siregar, Marah Roesli, Pramoedya Ananta Toer, and Ayu Utami.

Some popular dishes such as nasi goreng, , , and are ubiquitous and considered national dishes. The Ministry of Tourism, however, chose as the official national dish in 2014, describing it as binding the diversity of various culinary traditions. Other popular dishes include , one of the many Padang cuisines along with and . Another fermented food is , similar in some ways to but uses a variety of bases (not only soy), created by different fungi, and is prevalent in West Java.

Badminton and football are the most popular sports in Indonesia. Indonesia is among the few countries that have won the Thomas and Uber Cup, the world team championship of men's and women's badminton. Along with weightlifting, it is the sport that contributes the most to Indonesia's Olympic medal tally. Liga 1 is the country's premier football club league. On the international stage, Indonesia was the first Asian team to participate in the FIFA World Cup in 1938 as the Dutch East Indies. On a regional level, Indonesia won a bronze medal at the 1958 Asian Games as well as two gold medals at the 1987 and 1991 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). Indonesia's first appearance at the AFC Asian Cup was in 1996 and successfully qualified for a total of five tournaments, although they never make the knockout phase.

Other popular sports include boxing and basketball, which has a long history in Indonesia and was part of the first National Games ( Pekan Olahraga Nasional, PON) in 1948. Sepak takraw and karapan sapi (bull racing) in Madura are some examples of Indonesia's traditional sports. In areas with a history of tribal warfare, mock fighting contests are held, such as caci in Flores and pasola in Sumba. Pencak Silat is an Indonesian martial art and, in 1987, became one of the sporting events in the SEA Games, with Indonesia appearing as one of the leading competitors. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is one of the top sports powerhouses by topping the SEA Games medal table ten times since 1977, most recently in 2011.

In Spanish: Indonesia para niños

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date and age-appropriate information resource for Primary, Middle and High School.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Welcome to Samoa | Pacific Island Holiday | Official Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Samoa is truly paradise on earth, with its warm culture, breathtaking sceneries and easy access. Come visit us and experience a true beautiful holiday.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here are some interesting New Zealand Facts which were chosen and researched by kids especially for kids.

Name: New Zealand, named after the Dutch province of Zeeland, or Aotearoa (in Māori, meaning: land of the long white cloud)

Population: 5.2 million (2023)

Urban Population: 90%

Capital: Wellington with 420,000 people

Official Languages: English, Maori and Sign Language

Unemployment: 4%

Currency: 1 New Zealand Dollar NZ$ = 100 Cents

Religion: 48.6% no religion, 37.3% Christians

Timezones: 2

National Symbols: Silver fern (plant), kiwi (bird), black, white and red (colours)

National Holidays: 6 February (Waitangi Day) and 25 April (Anzac Day)

National Flag: The stars represent the constellation of the Southern Cross

National Anthem: God Defend New Zealand

History: New Zealand was first settled by the Maori people as early as 1300 AD. Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, was the first European to discover the country in 1642 but never set foot on the island. British explorer James Cook arrived on North Island in 1769 and claimed the land for the British crown. The Maori claimed independence from Britain in 1835. In 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between Maori chiefs and Great Britain. This treaty is recognised as the founding document of New Zealand.

Prime Minister: Chris Hipkins (since January 2023)

New Zealand Facts |
Geography

New Zealand is a country in the Southern hemisphere and belongs to Oceania. New Zealand consists of two main islands: North Island ( Te Ika-a-Māui) and South Island ( Te Waipounamu). The islands are separated by the waters of the Cook Strait. South Island is the larger of the two islands and is the 12th largest island in the world!

There are also about 600 smaller islands. The largest of these islands is Rakiura island, also referred to as Stewart Island.

New Zealand is surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean and lies to the Southeast of Australia. New Zealand lies on the Ring of Fire and there are numerous volcanos on North Island.

The country is roughly as big as the state of Colorado/USA or as Ecuador or as the UK and Switzerland combined.

The main cities in New Zealand are: Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Hamilton and Tauranga. More than half of the population of New Zealand lives in these four cities.

New Zealand Superlatives

The highest mountain of New Zealand is Aoraki, previously referred to as Mount Cook with 3,724 m or 12,217 ft.

New Zealand's largest and longest glacier is the Tasman glacier in the Southern Alps.

Lake Taupo is the biggest lake of New Zealand. It is located on North Island.

Pōhutu is New Zealand's largest geyser and the largest active geyser in the Southern Hemisphere.

Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world.

New Zealand was the world's first country to grant women the right to vote - in 1893.

New Zealand and Denmark are the only countries to have two national anthems. In New Zealand, the national anthem 'God Defend New Zealand' often replaces the anthem 'God Save the King'. Both anthems have equal status in New Zealand. And the Māori version of the New Zealand anthem is usually sung before the English version of the anthem.

New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first mountaineers to climb the world's highest summit Mount Everest in 1953.

New Zealand Facts
Attractions for Kids

There are many great attractions in New Zealand. Some of these are:

Auckland: the main business center of New Zealand not only spots the iconic landmark Sky Tower and a lively harbourfront but also has lovely beaches to explore nearby such as Takapuna Beach, which is located north of the city centre. And if you are in Auckland in March, make sure to visit the cultural performances of the Pasifika Festival.

Coromandel Peninsula: Cathedral Cove in Te Whanganui-A-Hei National Park is one of the famous landmarks in New Zealand. Make sure to visit the Hot Water Beach nearby as well. This is where hot water bubbles through the sand and you can dig your own spa pool on the beach. Read more about this fantastic family destination here.

Milford Sound: Fjordland National Park on South Island is most famous for the spectacular fjord called Milford Sound. This is also the only fjord that can be accessed by road.

Rotorua: The town in the center of North Island is famous for its geothermal springs and sulphur pools. Wai-o-Tapu, also dubbed Thermal wonderland, is known for the bubbling spring waters, mud pools and geysers especially Lady Fox geyser that erupts every day and spits a huge fountain of water up to 20 m/ 65 ft in the air.

Waitomo Caves: The region around Waitomo on North Island spots many caves, sinkholes and underwater rivers. The Waitomo caves are the most well-known attraction also for its magical glowworm grotto. The name Waitomo refers to the Maori words for wai (water) and tomo (hole).

Hobbiton Movie Set: This location features in the 'Lord of Rings' movies. In fact, there are more than 150 locations of "Middle-Earth' in New Zealand that are shown in the movies of 'The Hobbit Trilogy' and 'Lord of Rings'. Read more about the film locations here.

Christchurch: The largest city on South Island offers many great family attractions, too. Among them is the Antarctic Centre where you learn about the Antarctic explorers and can experience a simulated Antarctic cruise in a 4D theatre. Another interesting day out is a visit to Quake City in the Canterbury museum where you will learn about earth quakes and volcanic activity.

New Zealand Facts | People

New Zealand is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. North Island is more populated than South Island.

Three out of four people live on North Island with most of the people living in New Zealand's largest city Auckland.

The majority of New Zealanders are of European descent and about 12% are of Asian origin and about 7% are peoples from the Pacific islands.

New Zealand's first or indigenous people, are the Maori people. They make up about 15% of New Zealand's population today. Most of the Maori people live in the region of Rotorua. There you can visit traditional villages and attend Maori cultural performances.

English is the dominant language in New Zealand, only about 4% of the population speak the Maori language. Small groups of New Zealanders also speak Samoan, Hindi, Chinese or other languages as home language.

Among the most popular sports in New Zealand are soccer, cricket, tennis and rugby, which is the most popular spectator sport. The 'All Blacks' are New Zealand's famous rugby team. Their emblem is the silver fern, the national plant of New Zealand.

New Zealand Facts
New Zealand Economy

New Zealand's main economic sectors are agriculture, fishing and forestry, manufacturing and mining. The main natural resources include natural gas, coal, iron ore, silver and gold.

The main trading partners are China, Australia, the USA and Japan.

The main export products are dairy products and meats, fruits, wood and crude oil.

New Zealand is one of the member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. Among the main seaports are Auckland, Tauranga, Otago, Napier and Wellington.

New Zealand Facts | Animals

New Zealand is home to many animal species. Some marine animals and bats live only live in this country.

Almost half of all whale and dolphin species are found in New Zealand. Whales such as sperm whales, killer whales and humpback whales as well as dolphins live in the Pacific Ocean off the New Zealand coastline.

Sperm whales which are the largest toothed whale species can be seen all year round along the coast of Kaikoura, in the South East of South Island. Dolphins can best be watched in the Bay of Islands on North Island.

In New Zealand more penguin species can be found than in any other country.

The kiwi, a flightless bird, is one of New Zealand's national symbols.

Read more about animals in New Zealand

Read on... more Facts about New Zealand
Read more New Zealand Facts on our new page - click here or on the image

Popular Pages

Image credits on New Zealand Facts: Shutterstock.com and own images

Resources | New Zealand Facts
Return from New Zealand Facts to KidsWorldTravelGuide Homepage

Among the resources used for this New Zealand Facts page were the following:

Enter our competition NOW

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New Zealand Facts for Kids | New Zealand Attraction | Animals | People

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our New Zealand facts for kids will tell you about the country in Oceania, its people, animals, attractions, superlatives and so much more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Enter the Access ID and Passcode provided by your school to access Britannica School.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Visit Papua New Guinea: A Million Different Journeys! | Papua New Guinea

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Welcome to New Zealand | Official site for Tourism New Zealand

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to New Zealand. Get official travel information, maps, itineraries, best time to travel & things to do to help you plan your next holiday to New Zealand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Official Website of Indonesia Tourism - Indonesia Travel

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore Indonesia’s diverse beauty, culture, and adventure on Indonesia Travel.

# data[].attributes.headline
Explore New Zealand - Globe Trottin' Kids

# data[].attributes.subject
Explore New Zealand - Globe Trottin' Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our kid-friendly New Zealand profile page includes a detailed country map, infographic, photo gallery, video, activities, and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover the geography and culture of Indonesia through a detailed map, infographic, photo gallery, informational video, activities and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover New Zealand Holidays, Festivals and Traditions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New Zealand Seasons Guide | Best Time to Travel to New Zealand | Relaxing Journeys

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you are travelling to New Zealand, when is the best time to travel? Read all about our weather conditions in New Zealand so that you are prepared on arrival.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Our Favourite New Zealand Food - Foods to try New Zealand | TNZ

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sample delicious traditional New Zealand food. Explore the flavours and textures of New Zealand foods everything from roast lamb to green-lipped mussels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis.