JIM HAMILL
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INDONESIA

Quick trip to Indonesia from Singapore before flying back to the US. I'd met enough travelers over the past year that I rule out Bali and the Gili Islands and instead focused on Jakarta and nearby areas.
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JAKARTA
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BOROBUDUR
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BANDUNG
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BADUY VILLAGE

COUNTRY  BACKGROUND

252,164,800 - 4th most populous
        88% are Sunni Muslim - most populous Muslim country in the world
        735,358 square miles - 15th largest - 17,508 islands - 6,000 are inhabited
300 distinct native ethnic groups in Indonesia, and 742 different languages and dialects - largest group Javanese ~ 42% of population

36% of its 1,531 species of bird and 39% of its 515 species of mammal being endemic

The country is the largest economy in Southeast Asia - 17th in the World

Current President:  Joko Widodo

HISTORY
600s - 1200s:  Various Buddhist and Hindu Rulers lead agricultural based kingdoms
1200s:  Muslim traders arrive, bring Islam.  Country slowly converts, starting in Sumatra - local cultural preferences shape Islam
1512:  Portuguese arrive and take control of spice trade
1602:  Dutch East India Company established
1800:  Dutch East India country goes bankrupt; Dutch East Indies established as a colony of the Netherlands
1940s:  Japanese WWII occupation ended Dutch rule
1945:  After Japan surrender, Indonesia declares independence, Dutch resist.  Dutch cave to international pressure and abandon fight for control of the country in 1949.  Approximately 100,000 people killed during independence fight.
1945 - 1967: Surkano lead the independence movement, became quasi dictator; survived several coups and political conflicts before eventually losing control of the country to General Suharto (U.S. backed).
1968 - 1999: Suharto "presidency" - New Order administration established strong, centralized government.  Embraced free-market capitalism which lead to increase economic investment and diplomatic support, although also suppressed minority viewpoints and ethnicities.

1998:  Asian Financial Crisis - Indonesia hardest hit, currency goes into free fall and economy shrank ~ 14%.  Suharto resigns.
2004:  First direct presidential elections; democracy expanding and economy improving
  • Lifetime Travels
    • Best Of... >
      • 2014 World Travels
      • Videos
    • Africa >
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Kenya
      • Tanzania
    • Asia >
      • East Asia >
        • China
        • Hong Kong
        • Japan
        • Macau
        • South Korea
        • Taiwan
      • Indian Sub-Continent >
        • Bangladesh
        • India
        • Maldives
        • Nepal
        • Sri Lanka
      • Southeast Asia >
        • Brunei
        • Cambodia
        • Indonesia
        • Laos
        • Malaysia
        • Myanmar
        • Philippines
        • Singapore
        • Thailand
    • Europe >
      • Balkans >
        • Bosnia and Herzegovina
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Moldova
        • Montenegro
        • Romania
        • Serbia
      • Eastern Europe >
        • Czech Republic
        • Hungary
        • Kazakhstan
        • Russia
        • Slovenia
        • Ukraine
      • Nordic >
        • Iceland
      • Western Europe >
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • France
        • Germany
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Netherlands
        • Spain
        • Switzerland
        • United Kingdom
    • Middle East >
      • Israel
      • Jordan
      • Qatar
      • United Arab Emirates
    • North America >
      • Canada
      • Cuba
      • Mexico
      • Panama
      • Puerto Rico
      • United States >
        • New England
        • Mid-Atlantic
        • South
        • Midwest
        • Central Plains
        • Southwest
        • West Coast
    • Oceania >
      • Australia
      • Fiji
      • New Zealand
    • South America >
      • Argentina
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
    • Useful Links
    • Travel Writing >
      • Travel Tips
      • Travel Around the World
      • How To...
      • Travel Adventures
  • Philadelphia Story
    • Quintessential Philly
    • Philadelphia Neighborhoods
    • Philadelphia Dining
    • And Everything Else
    • Philadelphia Suburbs
  • About
    • My Background
    • Site Navigation
    • Contact Me