Indonesia

        Hindu and Buddhist civilization from India reached the peoples of Indonesia nearly 2,000 years ago, taking root especially in Java. Islam spread along the maritime trade routes in the 15th century, and became predominant by the 16th century. The Dutch replaced the Portuguese as the most important European trade power in the area in the 17th century. They secured territorial control over Java by 1750. The potato, probably native to the Andes, was introduced into Japan via Jakarta (founded 1619).

        The first fossils of Homo erectus were found in 1891. Java man (Pithecanthropus). This early human species dating from 1.6 million to 250,000 years ago was indistinguishable from contemporary humans from the neck down, except for its slight stature. The size of its braincase, however, was intermediate between Homo habilis and Homo sapiens. Its culture included stone tools and the first use of fire.

        The outer islands were not finally subdued until the early 20th century, when the full area of present-day Indonesia was united under one rule for the first time.

        Following Japanese occupation, 1942-45, nationalists led by Achmed Sukarno and Muhammad Hatta declared independence. The Netherlands ceded sovereignty Dec. 27, 1949, after 4 years of fighting. A republic was declared, Aug. 17, 1950, with Sukarno [1901-1970] as president. West Irian, on New Guinea, remained under Dutch control.
        [5] Ratna Sari Dewi [b. Feb. 6, 1940], one of Sukarno's nine wives, became his third wife in March 1962. They had a daughter named Kartika. Since the change of government in 1967, she has been living in Paris, New York, and Tokyo.

        After the Dutch in 1957 rejected proposals for new negotiations over West Irian, Indonesia stepped up the seizure of Dutch property. A U.S. mediator's plan was adopted in 1962. In 1963 the UN turned the area over to Indonesia, which promised a plebiscite. In 1969, voting by tribal chiefs favored staying with Indonesia, despite an uprising and widespread opposition.

        Sukarno suspended Parliament in 1960, and was named president for life in 1963. He made close alliances with Communist governments. Russian-armed Indonesian troops staged raids into Malaysia in 1964 and 1965 , whose formation Sukarno had opposed.

        In 1965 an attempted coup in which several military officers were murdered was successfully put down. The regime blamed the coup on the Communist Party, some of whose members were known to have been involved. In its wake more than 300,000 alleged Communists were killed in army-initiated massacres.

        Gen. Suharto, head of the army, was named president in 1968 and was reelected for a 6th consecutive 5-year term in 1993. He developed a strong government party, restricted the opposition, and allied the country with the West. Muslim opposition parties made gains in 1977 elections but lost ground subsequently. The military retained a predominant role.

        In 1966 Indonesia and Malaysia signed an agreement ending hostility. In Dec. 1975, Indonesia invaded East Timor as Portuguese rule collapsed there, annexing it in 1976, despite international condemnation.

        Oil exports and political stability have spurred economic growth, but Indonesia's foreign debt has ballooned in recent decades.

        Animals to be found in Indonesia include the komodo dragon, orangutan, and kangaroos. The komodo dragon--the largest living lizard, sometimes growing to a length of 3 meters (10 feet)--lives only on Komodo, a small Indonesian island. The [12] [13] orangutan is an ape (Pongo pygmaeus) found in swampy coastal forests of Borneo and Sumatra. With their extremely long arms and short, bowed legs, orangutans are highly specialized for arboreal life and rarely descend to the ground. An adult male is about 4 1/2 ft (140 cm) tall and weighs about 150 lb (68 kg); the body is covered with reddish fur.

        Indonesia now has a [18] population of about 235 million people living in an [19] area of about 1.92 million square kilometers. It is the fourth most populous country in the world.