How Big is Indonesia?

The Republic of Indonesia is a country that lies between the two continents of Southeast Asia and Australia/Oceania. The country is composed of several islands totaling to 17,508 in number. It ranks fourth as the most populous country in the world with a population of approximately 230 million people. The majority of the people in Indonesia are Muslims thus ranks first as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

Land Area

Of the 17,508 islands in the Republic of Indonesia, only 6,000 of these islands are inhabited with people. Extending for 3,977 miles in between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, the total surface area of the country is 1,919,440 square kilometers or 741,050 square miles including the ocean waters within the territory. This makes Indonesia the sixteenth largest country in the world according to land area.

The five largest islands of the Republic of Indonesia are Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and New Guinea. The island of Sumatra covers 473,606 square kilometers of land area. The island of Java covers 132,107 square kilometers of land area. The island of Kalimantan covers 539,460 square kilometers of land area making it the world’s third largest island. The island of Sulawesi covers 189,216 square kilometers of land area. The island of New Guinea covers 421,981 square kilometers of land area.

Location

The Republic of Indonesia is considered to be one of the world’s largest archipelago. It is located between six degrees north latitude and 11 degrees south latitude. The entire archipelago spreads from 97 degrees to 141 degrees east longitude. The strategic position of Indonesia affects greatly the culture, politics, social, and economic status of the country.

The Republic of Indonesia shares land borders with the following countries: Papua New Guinea on the island of New Guinea, East Timor on the island of Timor, and Malaysia on the islands of Sebatik and Borneo. The country also shares borders over small straits of water with Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore on the north side and Australia on the south side.

Other Facts

The capital city of the Republic of Indonesia is Jakarta located on the island of Java. Jakarta is also the country’s largest city with the cities of Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, and Semarang following closely behind. The highest peak in Indonesia is Puncak Jaya with the height of 4,884 meters or 16,020 feet. The mountain is located in the island of New Guinea. In the island of Sumatra is found the largest lake of Indonesia called Lake Toba with a surface area of 1,145 square kilometers or 442 square miles. The largest rivers in the country are the Barito and Mahakam which are both located in the island of Kalimantan.