Indonesia

 


Learn about Indonesia, a country made up of thousands of tiny volcanic islands in Southeast Asia, and enjoy our printable activities with the kids.

Temple in Bali, Indonesia
A beautiful temple in Bali, Indonesia

Learn about Indonesia

A Little Geography:

  • The Republic of Indonesia in southeast Asian is an archipelago of over 17,500 islands. It is the world’s largest island country. stretching 5120km from west to east.
  • The five main islands are Western New Guinea, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and Kalimanten. There are so many islands that not all of them have names!
  • Simping Island is the smallest island in the world, covering only 0.5 hectares!
  • Located at the convergence of 4 tectonic plates, Indonesia has around 140 active volcanoes. The most famous is Krakatoa, which erupted in 1883, causing 36,600 deaths. The explosion was so loud it was heard in Alice Springs in Australia, 3600km away!

A Little History:

  • ‘Java man’ remains were identified in 1893 in Solo, in central Java. The Unesco Sangiran Early Man site is the earliest evidence for man’s ancestors, who inhabited the region for 1,500,000 years.
  • In the 16th century CE, the Maluku Islands were known as the Spice Islands and attracted European traders who were seeking nutmeg, cloves and mace.
  • The Dutch East Indies colony was formed in 1800 by the takeover of the Dutch East India Company and governed by the Dutch state until the Japanese invaded in the 1940s.

Some Interesting Facts:

  • Indonesia has the world’s fourth highest population of 261 million.
  • Java is the world’s most densely populated island with 940 people per square km.
  • Jakarta, the capital city, is sinking at up to 25 cm a year due to water over-extraction. There are plans to move the capital to Indonesian Borneo, which would cost over $10bn and take 10 years.
  • Indonesia is one of the world’s 17 mega-diverse countries. From mountainous tropical rain forest to coral reefs, it is second only to Australia in the number of endemic species such as the Komodo dragon; the world’s largest lizard, the Javan rhino, Sumatran tiger and orangutans.
  • Borodudur, the largest Bhuddist monument in the world, was covered in ash from the 1815 eruption of Tambora volcano. This Unesco listed stone monument was built without using cement and contains 504 statues of Bhuddah!

The Indonesian Flag

Flag of Indonesia

Indonesia’s flag was officially adopted on August 17, 1945, three days after the end of World War II. The Red half symbolises physical life, courage and sacrifice, and the White half symbolises the human soul and represents purity and peace.


Our Indonesia Flag Printables and Other Resources

Indonesia Flag Colouring Page

Indonesia Flag Colouring Page

The Indonesian flag is a very simple design of two stripes, red and white. Print out our colouring flag and grab your red pencil!

Indonesia Flag Printable

Indonesia Flag Printable

Here is our printable for the Indonesian flag. We've included four different sizes so you can choose whichever suits your project best!

Explore Activity Village

Become a Member to access 39,201 printables!