Indonesia, Republic of, island republic and largest nation of South East Asia, constituting most of the Malay Archipelago and including all of the former Netherlands Indies. Indonesia comprises more than 13,670 islands straddling the equator, 6,000 of which are colonised. From the island of Sumatra in the west to that of New Guinea in the east, Indonesia stretches across some 5,150 km (3,200 mi) of ocean, or almost one eighth of the Earth's circumference; Indonesia's north-south spread is about 1,931 km (1,200 mi).

Population
	195,280,000
	(1995 official estimate)
Population Density
	102 people/sq km
	(264 people/sq mi)
	(1995 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
	42% Urban
	58% Rural
Largest Cities
	Jakarta9,160,500
	Surabaya2,701,300 
	Bandung2,368,200
	Medan1,909,700 
	(1996 estimate)
Ethnic Groups
	40% Javanese
	15% Sundanese
	45% Other
	including Madurese,Acehnese,Bataks,Balinese,Dayaks,Ambonese,Timorese,
Languages
Official Language
	Bahasa Indonesia
Other Languages
	Javanese, Sundanese, and many other local languages
Religions
	87% Islam
	13% Other
	including Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism