Indonesian History, Government, Economy and Religion
It is said that the first humanoid Indonesian inhabitants were known as the “Java Man” or Homo erectus, who lived there half a million years ago. The origins of these hominoids would be from central Asia, mainly from the Chinese regions. Hinduism and Buddhism became prominent beliefs in the first and second centuries which led to a rise of kingdoms such as the Crivijaya kingdom in the 7th century and the Cailendra in central Java. Islam was introduced to Indonesia in the 13th century due to trade. In 1511, the Portuguese came to Indonesia in search of spices as well as spreading Christianity. Soon after, the Dutch came and fought for the control of the spice trade in Indonesia and established the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The Dutch held control of Indonesia for many years until shortly after World War II. On August 17th, 1945, Indonesia officially proclaimed their independence and became the Republic of Indonesia. The Dutch officially recognized the independence of Indonesia after 1949.
Government
Indonesia is a republic government with a presidential system consisting of legislative bodies, executive branch, the judiciary, and the local government. The president is the commander-in-chief and the head of state which overseas many foreign and domestic affairs. The legislative bodies is composed of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the House of People’s Representatives (DPR). The People’s Consultative Assembly has the power to amend the constitution and impeach the president while the House of People’s Representatives passes legislations.
Economy
The major export commodities of Indonesia are: Oil and gas, plywood, textiles, rubber, and electrical appliances. The increased in demands of plywood, palm oil, and rubber has caused the deforestation of many acres of the Indonesian tropical forests. As of 2008, Japan is Indonesia’s biggest trade partner with 20% of its exports going to Japan. The imports of Indonesia consist of fuel, chemicals, foodstuffs, and machinery and its major importers are Singapore and China.
Religion
There most prominent religion in Indonesia is Islam with 80% of the country’s population. Hinduism and Buddhism were prominent religions before the 13th century and some of its ideals have been integrated into Indonesian culture. The Javanese people have indigenous animistic beliefs where they believe that everything has a soul. The Balinese Indonesians believed in the Triloka or the “Three Worlds”. The Triloka is made up of three parts: Upper (the heavens), middle (the people), and lower (underworld). Each of the worlds is interlocked to each other and is always interacting with one another. The spirit of cooperation is also important in Indonesian culture as joint responsibility and cooperation is seen an important aspect of life. The influence of these religions has impacted the Indonesian culture and its music. Ritual dances and performances such as the Kecak emerged from these influences.