A unique country with the diversity of an entire continent
Demographics and urbanization. With a population representing one thirtieth of the world's total, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, after India, China and the United States. The average age of its inhabitants is 29.9, and life expectancy is 75 for women and 70 for men. In the archipelago's current landscape, a remarkable demographic transition is taking place, characterized by a preponderant urban expansion, where 60% of the population is now concentrated in urban agglomerations, relegating rural life to a minority proportion of 40%. Historically rooted in a village farming tradition, the country has witnessed a significant reduction in its fertility rate, which has dropped to 2.6 children per woman since the mid-1990s. This decline in the birth rate coincides with a predominantly youthful population, with a median age of around 30, signifying considerable potential for a dynamic workforce in the future. However, despite the fact that almost a third of the workforce is still dedicated to the agrarian sector, there is a declining trend in interest in agricultural professions among young people, presenting significant challenges for the preservation of ancestral agricultural know-how and the management of the workforce in rural areas. Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, is emerging as a fast-growing megalopolis, with ambitious plans to overtake Tokyo's population by 2030. The entire metropolitan region, encompassing Jakarta and its surrounding areas of Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, is currently home to over 30 million inhabitants, and this number could rise to 35 million within the next decade. The proposal to relocate the capital to the island of Kalimantan could have considerable social and employment impacts, affecting the millions of workers who live in Jakarta and surrounding areas.
Indonesia also stands out for its remarkable ethnic diversity, perfectly embodying its motto, "Unity in diversity". It is home to over 1,100 ethnic groups, each with their own languages and customs, praying to different gods and eating different foods.
Two decisive waves of migration. Today's Indonesian population is made up of two ethnic groups from two different waves of migration: Australo-Melanesians and Austronesians.
The Australo-Melanesians, of African descent, dispersed throughout the region before the end of the first Ice Age some 17,000 years ago. During this period, sea levels were considerably lower than they are today, enabling a land connection between the Asian continent and the main islands of the Indonesian archipelago, such as Sumatra, Borneo and Java. This geological conjuncture facilitated the passage of people to these islands, enabling them to cross relatively short sea distances to settle in New Guinea, other parts of Melanesia and Australia. Today, the descendants of these ethnic groups occupy the lands of Papua as well as the islands of Seram and Timor.
Initiated some 6,000 years ago from southern China, the second great migration to Indonesia was led by Austronesian peoples. Passing through Taiwan and the Philippines, these migrants, over the millennia, established their presence on all the main islands of Indonesia and beyond, even extending their influence to the islands of Micronesia and Polynesia, covering a geographical area from New Zealand to the Hawaiian archipelago and Easter Island. Most of today's Indonesians are descended from these peoples.
Distribution of the main ethnic groups today. The Indonesian archipelago is made up of three main ethnic groups: Austronesians, Papuans and Chinese.
The Javanese, the predominant ethnic group, account for almost 45% of the total population, or over 95 million people, although Java covers only 7% of Indonesia's total area. The Javanese are the largest ethnic group in Southeast Asia, mainly concentrated in Java, but also present in other parts of the country, making them the most politically and culturally influential ethnic group in Indonesia. While 93% of Javanese are Muslim, some still maintain Hindu and Buddhist traditions and beliefs. Javanese culture is rich and diverse, manifest in their customs, traditions and artistic expressions. The Javanese are particularly renowned for their attachment to batik, their elaborate wayang puppet performances, and their distinctive gamelan music.
The Javanese are followed, in terms of population, by the Soundanese, who form the second largest ethnic group in Indonesia. They reside mainly in the province of West Java, including major cities such as Bandung, Bogor and Bekasi, and number around 30 million. Soundanese is their main language, and their rich culture is marked by distinctive elements such as theangklung, a traditional bamboo instrument from the Sunda region, and traditional dances such as jaipong and tari topeng (mask dance).
After the Soundanese, the Madurese are the largest ethnic group. Predominant on the island of Madura (East Java province) and in the eastern part of Java, their population is estimated at 13 million. The Madurese speak Madurese, mostly practice Islam and depend mainly on agriculture and livestock farming for their economy. They are also recognized as the inventors of the famous Indonesian satay. Ancient and deeply rooted in local culture, bullfighting, known as " Karapan Sapi ", remains a tradition in which they take great pride, taking place from June to October in various Madura towns.
Next in the Sino-Indonesian community are the Mandarin Chinese, Min Chinese and Cantonese Chinese. Despite their long-standing presence in Indonesia, the Chinese can still be perceived as foreigners. Historically, the Chinese have been the scapegoats for Indonesians' frustrations, and were confronted with terror during the great demonstrations of May 1998. Although many Chinese have adopted Indonesian names and lifestyles, they manage to preserve some of their traditions, particularly in terms of architecture and language. In 2000, Confucianism was officially recognized as Indonesia's sixth official religion.
The last major group, the Papuans are made up of various ethnic groups such as the Asmat, Dani, Biak, Yali and others, each with their own distinct languages, customs, traditions and social structures. In Papua, there are around 255 indigenous groups, some of which remain isolated. The highlanders farm sweet potatoes, yams and sugar cane, while the lowlanders often turn to sago palm for their staple diet, while also practicing fishing and moderate farming. Economically and politically, Papuans remain largely marginalized. Land concessions for mining, logging and plantations have been granted without compensation or consideration for the impact on the environment and local communities. In terms of religious beliefs, Papuans range from animism and shamanism to the adoption of more recent religions, notably Christianity, brought by the Dutch in the 1850s.
Apart from these major groups, Indonesia is home to a multitude of ethnic minorities, including the Acehnese, Bataks and Minangkabaus in Sumatra, the Dayaks in Borneo, the Minahasas, Makassars, Bugis, Bajaus and Torajas in Sulawesi, and the Balinese and Sasaks in Nusa Tenggara.
Languages
The Republic of Indonesia is not only the world's largest archipelago, it's also a vast collection of peoples and communities. More than 700 dialects are currently spoken in Indonesia, including the regional languages of each island (Javanese, Soundanese, Balinese, Minangkabau, Toraja, Mandar, Sasak, Madurais, Makasar, etc.), which are the mother tongue of many Indonesians.
Five languages are spoken by over 10 million people: Javanese, with over 80 million speakers, Soundanese, Pesidir, Madurais and Malay. But every modern state needs a means of communication that everyone can understand. And it was Indonesian Malay(Bahasa Indonesia) that won the day, as it was not associated with any particular ethnic group. As this language is written in Roman characters, has no tones and uses fairly simple grammar, it's relatively easy to learn. Indonesian is largely derived from Malay, to which it is closely related, but it is peppered with Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese and, more recently, French and English. These different languages gradually and imperceptibly found their way into Bahasa Indonesia, which became the country's official language in 1928. The Second Indonesian Youth Congress encouraged the formation of a unified national language: " Satu nusa, satu bangsa, satu bahasa " ("one country, one people, one language"). Indonesians in all their diversity agreed to adopt a common language to unite them. This new language served to symbolize national unity. It's a very simple language that can be learned quickly; it has no grammar or conjugation. To form an adverb, for example, simply say the word twice.
In Indonesia, Bahasa Indonesia is only the second language learned, after the mother tongue. It is compulsory to learn it at school, but in some remote areas it is not spoken by all locals, creating difficulties of understanding between Indonesians themselves. Every village chief or "mayor" is expected to speak Indonesian; this is a prerequisite for holding the position.
