The name Indonesia was derived from "indos nesos", meaning islands near India, The country is in fact the largest archipelago in the world with a thousand islands, 17,508 to be precise, spread in an area between the Asian continent and Australia, and between the Pacific and the Indian oceans.

The islands are inhabited by many tribes with diverse culture and languages, although there is a national language spoken throughout the country, namely Bahasa Indonesia. It is thus appropriate, that the country's motto is Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which means: Unity in Diversity.

Our state philosophy is Pancasila, or the Five Principles. This year is the country's sixty one anniversary of independence. Read current events in Indonesia