Indonesia Geography Profile 2003

Location

Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean

Geographic coordinates

5 00 S, 120 00 E

Map references

Southeast Asia

Area

total: 1,919,440 sq km
land: 1,826,440 sq km
water: 93,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Texas

Land boundaries

total: 2,830 km
border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km

Coastline

54,716 km

Maritime claims

measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands

Terrain

mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m

Natural resources

petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver

Land use

arable land: 9.9%
permanent crops: 7.2%
other: 82.9% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land

48,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards

occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, forest fires

Environment - current issues

deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note

archipelago of more than 17,000 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles Equator; strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean to Pacific Ocean