|
Once saddled with a reputation as a poverty-ridden hell hole,
Jakarta mutated into a metropolis with all the outward appearance
of an Asian boom town in not much more than a decade. It took
only a week of rioting in May 1998 to reduce some of this modern
façade to a burnt out shell. Shopping malls, offices,
banks and businesses owned by ethnic Chinese and the ruling
Soeharto family took the brunt of the rioters' anger. Jakarta
remains very much at the centre of political events re-shaping
Indonesia, and how quickly the city recovers from the riots
and the political and economic turmoil remains to be seen.
That said, Jakarta is the most expensive city in Indonesia,
the most polluted and the most congested. But if you can withstand
this onslaught and afford to indulge in its charms, then it
is also one of the region's most exciting metropolises. Consider
Jakarta the 'big durian' - the foul-smelling exotic fruit that
some can't stomach and others can't resist.
Area: 1,922,570 sq km (742,308 sq miles).
Population: 224,784,210 (2000).
Population Density: 11.7 per sq km.
Capital: Jakarta (Java). Population: 9,341,400 (1996).
Geography: Indonesia lies between the mainland of South-East
Asia and Australia in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is
the world’s largest archipelago state. Indonesia is made
up of six main islands – Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Bali,
Kalimantan (part of the island of Borneo) and Irian Jaya (the
western half of New Guinea) – and 30 smaller archipelagos.
In total, the Indonesian archipelago consists of more than
17,000 islands; 6000 of these are inhabited and stretch over
4828km (3000 miles), most lying in a volcanic belt with more
than 300 volcanoes, the great majority of which are extinct.
The landscape varies from island to island, ranging from high
mountains and plateaux to coastal lowlands and alluvial belts.
Government: Republic. Declared independence from the
Netherlands in 1945. Head of State and Government: Megawati
Sukarnoputri since 2001.
Language: Bahasa Indonesia is the official national language.
It is similar to Malay and written in the Roman alphabet. In
addition, there are over 250 recognised languages spoken by
as many distinct ethnic groups. Many local languages are further
divided by special forms of address depending on social status,
and all languages are spoken in a variety of local dialects.
English is the most widely used foreign language for business
and tourism, and many people in the more remote areas have
a basic command of English. The older generation still speak
Dutch as a second language.
Religion: There is a Muslim majority of approximately
88 per cent, with Christian (ten per cent), Hindu (mainly in
Bali) and Buddhist minorities. Animist beliefs are held in
remote areas.
Time: Indonesia spans three time zones:
Bangka, Billiton, Java, West and Central Kalimantan, Madura
and Sumatra: GMT + 7 (West), GMT + 8 (Central), GMT + 9 (East).
Bali, Flores, South and East Kalimantan, Lombok, Sulawesi,
Sumba, Sumbawa and Timor: GMT + 8.
Aru, Irian Jaya, Kai, Moluccas and Tanimbar: GMT + 9.
Electricity: Generally 220 volts AC, 50Hz, but 110
volts AC, 50Hz, in some rural areas.
Communications:
Telephone: IDD is available to main cities. Country
code: 62 (followed by 22 for Bandung, 21 for Jakarta, 61 for
Medan and 31 for Surabaya). Outgoing international code: 00.
Many hotel lobbies have public phones which take credit cards
and phone cards. State-operated phone booths (WARTEL), which
work on a pay-as-you-leave basis, can be found throughout the
country. For emergencies, dial 110 (police) or 118 (ambulance
for traffic accidents) or 119 (ambulance for general health)
or 113 (fire department).
Mobile telephone: GSM 900 and 1800 networks. Main operators
include Telkomsel (website: www.telkomsel.com), Lippo Telecom
(website: www.lippotel.com) and Excelcomindo (www.excelcom.co.id).
Coverage may be limited to main towns and cities.
Fax: Faxes can be sent and received from WARTEL shops.
Internet: ISPs include Indosat (website: www.indosat.net.id)
and Indobiz (website: www.indobiz.com). There are Internet
cafes in all major cities and tourist destinations.
Telegram: These can be sent from any telegraphic office;
in Jakarta facilities are available 24 hours a day, but services
outside Jakarta are less efficient.
Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes up to ten days.
Internal mail is fast and generally reliable by the express
service (Pos KILAT), but mail to the outer islands can be subject
to considerable delays.
Press: There are several English-language newspapers
in Jakarta and on the other islands, notably The Indonesia
Times, Indonesian Observer, Bali Post and Jakarta Post.
|
