Research Project

Geography

Where:

Indonesia lies on the equator approximately between 10 degrees South and 5 degrees North, and 90 and 140 degrees East. It is North of Australia and South of Malaysia, and is officially part of South-Asia. The country stretches 5,120 kilometers from east to west.

Geographical Features:

Indonesia is an archipelago that consists of about 17,000 islands, with only 6,000 of the islands inhabited and only 1,000 islands with permanent settlements. Sumatra is the largest of these islands while Java is the most populous. Other large islands include Bali, Kalimantan (Indonesia's part of Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes), West Papua, and the western part of New Guinea.  

Indonesia lies on the “ring of fire” and, consequently, has a large amount of active volcanoes. Despite these volcanoes most of Indonesia is made up of coastal lowlands. Larger islands are more likely to have interior mountains; the highest of which is called Puncak Jaya and reaches 5,039 meters. 

Daily lives are made more difficult because people are often forced to take boats to other islands. Moving from island to island involves water travel or in some cases bridges. Travel from rural to urban areas on large islands includes going up or around mountains. Large distances and low accessibility effect daily activities in numerous ways.

Capital City:

Jakarta is Indonesia’s capital. Jakarta is located on Coastal Java. The city is the most highly populated city in Indonesia and is and an economic, cultural and political center. In the fourth century the Dutch the city as a major trading post called Batavia. The city was renamed and continued being the country’s capital after Indonesian independence.

Border Countries:

Indonesia borders Papua New Guinea in the South East and East Timor in the South.  Malaysia touches the North end of the Indonesia. 

Boundaries:

In Indonesia’s early history the country was split between Hindu and Islamic empires. The country had not been united until Dutch colonial rule. During colonial control Indonesia was part of a large empire. Other than losing East Timor, Indonesia’s borders have not changed after gaining its independence. 

Family Travel:

It is popular for families to travel during the holidays. The most common locations for these get-a-ways include Bali and Thousands island. Poor families are less likely to travel for economic reasons but rich and middle class families travel often to different islands. In the last several years Indonesian travel companies have been focusing on domestic travel. Tourist committees argue for cheaper flights in the country and have helped combine holidays and long weekends at school to promote tourism.

Tourism:

Community development is improved by tourism. About 4.6 million US dollars come from foreign tourism annually. Indonesia has increased infrastructure to help tourists move from site to site quickly. It is no doubt that tourism effects native’s lives but many jobs are created by the industry. Safety has also been increased, to protect tourists and to keep them coming back. 

Climate and Environment

Climate:

Indonesia is spread across the equator so the climate is typically tropical. The country is surrounded by water, which keeps the temperatures fairly constant. Very warm waters keep Indonesia’s average temperature at 28°C (82.4°F) on the coastal plains. Elevation is the main cause of temperature change, for every 90 meters (295 feet) the temperature drops 1°C. Humidity is very high in the country and usually stays between 70 and 90 percent. The largest variable in the climate is the rainfall and the ‘seasons’ are broken up between dry and wet periods. Wind patterns are very predictable; they blow in from the south and east in the dry season and from the northwest in the rainy season. 

Dry season is from June to September and is influenced by Australian air masses. Monsoon season is from December to March when the country is influenced by Asian and Pacific Ocean air masses. These changes are cause by oscillating air pressures coming from the two neighboring continents. Annual rainfall varies between 2,000 mm and 1,000 mm (80 in to 40in). Islands closer to Australia (Eastern Java) are drier than countries closer to Asia (Sumatra). 

Regional differences:

There is very little change in climate with location. Warm Ocean waters surround the archipelago and keep the climate relatively the same. The only changes are when higher elevation causes lower temperatures and location changes the magnitude of the monsoon season. 

Global warming: 

Indonesia’s temperatures are expected to increase because of global warming. This slight change would affect a large portion of the country’s environment. Experts say that many endangered species would be completely wiped out and that as many as 2,000 of Indonesia’s islands could be completely submersed after the Ocean rises. Climate change is affecting rice production, which in turn greatly hurts the poor rural citizens. 

Representatives from Indonesia defend the countries large Carbon Dioxide output and deforestation. They say that the only way to grow the country and its economy is to invest in industry. Economist and Environmentalists are at ends over the affects of global warming and the necessary for industry.

Pollution, Deforestation, Habitat destruction: 

Air pollution is a huge problem for Indonesia. New industries and the act of burning forests puts stain on the environment and poor people. Urban areas lack proper infrastructure, which cause waste in transportation fuels and increases Carbon emissions. Air pollution negatively affects public health, forest growth, ecosystem, water quality and the production of crops. 

Water pollution is an increasing problem that is growing rapidly through out the country. Industrial waste is often dumped directly into waterways. Industry and mass agricultural projects get first claim over clean water, limiting the safe water for poor farmers downstream. There is a shortage of water purification facilities. Which causes some locations downstream to have less than 10 percent of the water to be  “fit for human consumption.” Polluted water is one of the main causes of health problems in Indonesia. The more industry grows in Indonesia, the more rural farmers suffer.

Only a few years ago, Indonesia was two-thirds rain forests, making it the third largest group of rain forests in the world. Now, with the increase of industry pollution and deforestation those forests have been reduced by 40 percent. The rate of destruction is equal to burning eight football fields of forest every minute. Rainforests are full of ecological diversity and many species are endangered or already extinct due to habitat destruction. 

Another habitat that is being destroyed is Indonesia’s coral reefs. Indonesia held about 18 percent of the world’s coral reefs but water pollution has damage about 70 percent of these natural wonders. Marine ecosystems are suffering.

Federal laws in Indonesia have been written to protect the country’s rich environment but most of these laws lack an enforcement arm. Without punishment or any enforcement most of these laws are forgotten and ignored. Laws often lack direction and clear rules, which also cause confusion. One of the county’s main problems is that it lacks funding to pay for more environmentally conscious alternatives. 

National Parks and National Wildlife Preserves:

Indonesia is a relatively young country but legislators are already working to preserve land. The country has a large amount of land on preserves that target endangered rainforests species and coral reef marine life.  Some of the preserve lands include; Lore Lindu in Central Sulawesi, East Kalimantan in Borneo, Raja Ampat Islands in Papua Province, Savu Sea in the Lesser Sundas and the Penida Islands. Wakatobi National Park protects 3.4 million acres of marine life. A popular park for tourist is the Komodo Park; their goal is to protect komodo dragons from becoming extinct. Wildlife projects continue to increase with each year.

Kyoto treaty:

The Kyoto protocol is an international treaty linked with the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) that commits signatory countries to reduce emissions. Signatory Countries committed to reduce, an average of 5 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (from 1990’s levels) in 5 years. The official document was proposed in Kyoto Japan on December 11^th 1997. 192 parties have signed this document.

Indonesia was a UNFCCC member prior to the treaty and signed the Kyoto protocol on July 13^th 1998. The county ratified the document on December 3^rd 2004. Since then the country has been struggling to fit the requirements and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 The United States signed the protocol November 12^th 1998 but the Federal government chose not to ratify the document. The USA is the only country to sign that did not ratify the document. President Bush believed that the commitment would harm industry and economic growth. 

History

Early History:

The first known life came to Indonesia half a million years ago. However, mass

Immigrations from New Guinea and Australia about 30-40,000 years ago followed by

Other local groups make up the majority of the Indonesian population. Trade

connections threw Indian and China helped create an empire called Sriwijaya which

used the islands to create a strategic trade network. The islands of Sumatra and around

the straight of Malacca were key in this “Indianzed” empire. Since the early 14th century

colossal religious monuments have been erected. The most prominent example was

built in the Majapahit Empire on Java called Borobudur, which is the largest Buddhist

monument in the world. Majapahit controlled most of modern day Indonesia and had

many trading posts including the west coast of Papua New Guinea.

Indian traders were mostly Muslim, and during the 8th and 9th centuries, they

began spreading their religion to their trading posts all over modern-day Indonesia.

Islam quickly spread threw the archipelago, and today Indonesia is the largest Islamic

State in the world. , Soon afterward the Majapahit empire, which was predominately

Hindu was taken over by a newly reorganized group based on the north shore of Java.

In more recent history, Indonesia became famous for it’s wide variety an

abundant supply of spices. The country became a hot spot for European trading

Companies who craved these delicacies. Foreign presence weakened the islands, as

they became sick from European diseases and were continually fought over by different countries, including the Portuguese and the Dutch. The Dutch finally gained control and

established a dominant “spice monopoly” by exploiting the country and its people. In

the 19th century the Dutch forced the planting of coffee and sugar on Java, producing

nearly three-fourths of the worlds supply.

The 20th century brought Nationalist movements from Indonesia’s locals who

refused to be subjected to the oppressive Dutch any longer. Guerilla warfare broke out

and for four years the natives fought for independence. This independence was officially

declared on August 17th 1945, but the country did not gain full sovereignty until four

years after that.

Indonesia held the country’s first democratic election in October 1999, after loud

and violent riots protested B.J Habibie, the current ruler who was given power after

Soeharto resigned. The election put Abdurrahman’ Gus Dur’ Wahid as president. Gus

Dur lost his presidency in 2001 when MPR (People’s Consultative Assembly) revoked

him for overstepping his authority and appointed his vice president as the new ruler.

Timeline:

58,000 BC   “Java Man” in Indonesia

28-38,000 BC    Mass Immigration from Malayo-Polynesian, Papuans, and other groups

100 AD             First Indianized empire- Sriwijaya 

                              (Made through trade contact in India, China and mainland Southeast Asia)

7-800AD            Indian Muslim traders start spreading Islam

1,000 AD   Islamic states established

1,200 AD   Marco Polo visited China

1,200 AD   Java conquered Hindu empire of Msjapahit

1,300 AD   Majaphit Empire controlled many trading posts

1,511 AD   First Indonesian spices traded with the Portuguese at Malacca

15-1700 AD Dutch took over spice trade and held large monopoly

1,800 AD            Dutch start cultivation on Java (sugar and coffee)

1,900 AD           Nationalist movements fight against Dutch’s colonial rule

1,914-18 AD      WWI (Indonesia not involved but USA was)

1939-45 AD       WWII (Indonesia not involved but USA was)

1,941-45 AD      Years of guerilla warfare and negotiations against Dutch rule

Aug 17, 1945     Indonesian Independence

Nov. 1946          Dutch recognize independence

1945-67 AD      Sukarno rules

*Took money from the Communist party of Indonesia which concerned the USA who wanted to contain communism at the time and caused them to apply Eisenhower Doctrine. 

1967-98 AD      Soeharto rules (32 years)

1976 AD            Indonesia took control of East Timor (previously in Portuguese control)

1997 AD            Asian financial crisis (nearly killed Indonesian economy)

May 21, 1998    Soeharto replaced with B.J Habibie after many riots

Sept. 12 1999    UN allowed into East Timor to stop violent riots

October 1999     First Democratic elected Abdurrahman ‘Gus Dur’ Wahid as president 

July 23, 2001      President Wahid taken out of office by MPR for overextending his power by   suspending the Assembly and the House of Representatives (DPR).

                            Replaced by his Vice-President Megawati Soekarnoputri

 July 26, 2001     Hamzah Haz from the Indonesian United Party was elected as vice president

May 20, 2002     East Timor gains independence

July 5, 2004      Elections between 5 parties ended with no clear winner

Sept 20, 2004    Tiebreaker election – General Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

-76.6% of eligible voters voted (117 million people) 

Dec 26, 2004      Huge Tsunami killed over 130,000 people and left half a million homeless

Oct. 20,2009      President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono starts second term

Immigration patterns:

Indonesia is one of the poorer South-Asian countries, which causes a large migration of poor Indonesians to other countries in Asia, the Middle East and more developed countries. These migrations in and out of Indonesia are hard to track because of a lack of proper documentation. Indonesia has received the very few permanent residents from Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development or the OECD compared to other Asian countries. According to a 2002 study, approximately 137,485 Indonesians had migrated to the Netherlands, the country’s previous colonial ruler. Moving to Malaysia is a popular choice because of similar cultures and religions.

Countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand immigrate the largest amount of people into Indonesia every year. Neighboring countries also immigrate in large numbers.

Nearly 2.7 Indonesians are working outside of Indonesia legally every year. In 1990’s most migrant workers went to the Middle East but now it is more likely to go to Singapore or Taiwan. 

Currently the Indonesian government is working on getting workers back to Indonesia and increasing Emigration while reducing native immigration.

In conclusion, emigration has not greatly affected Indonesia, as it has many other Asian countries. The Indonesian government is trying to maximize the benefits of migrant labor. Non-government Organizations are focusing in to immigration issues. The main influences of immigration remain economic opportunities offered in other countries in Asia and around the World.

Civil Wars:

There have never been any “Civil wars” in Indonesia. Indonesia has revolted against the Dutch and there have been massive power struggles but the country has never imploded in war. There are lingering effects of Dutch influence and many Indonesians immigrate to the Netherlands as an effect of this long period of rule. Power struggles include when President Wahid taken out of office by MPR for overextending his power to suspend the Assembly and the House of Representatives (DPR). Also ancient empires took each other over frequently but that was before Indonesia was a unified country. The September 30^th movement involved the murder of six army generals that was the unsuccessful attempt to start a new government.

World Conflicts:

Indonesia was not independent before WWII was over, so it had a very limited effect on ether one of the World Wars. Indonesian Nationalist movements were started after WWII and it would be correct to believe that the conflict inspired Indonesians to achieve independence. 

Holidays:

• Independence Day- August 17^th 

The holiday celebrates Indonesia’s independence from Dutch colonial rule. It is similar to July 4^th celebrations in America. In State Palace, Jakarta the country has a huge flag raising ceremony. 

• Pancasila Sanctity Day, October 1^st

The day after the September 30^th movement is being commemorated.

• Armed Forces Day, October 5^th

The starting date of Tentara Keamanan Rakyat or the  "People's Security Army"

• Youth Pledge Day, October 28^th

Celebrates the 1928 Youth Pledge.

• Hero's Day, November 10^th

Remembers the veterans and the lost lives caused by the 1946 Battle of Surabaya, part of the Indonesian revolution against the Dutch.

• National Education Day, May 2^nd   

This day celebrates of the formation of the current educational system, the Taman Siswa, which was founded by Ki Hajar Dewantara. He was famous for his philosophy of Tut Wuri Handayani  that says one should teach by coaching and mentoring a student.

• National Awakening Day, May 20^th

The Holiday is meant to celebrate the recognition of “Indonesians” by many different ethnic groups in Indonesia, in the early 20^th century.

Religion:

Major religions:

According to the Indonesian constitution “every person shall be free to choose and to practice the religion of his/her choice”. The government also “guarantees all persons the freedom of worship according to his/her own religious beliefs.” Therefore the country has no ‘official’ religion but the country on recognizes six different religions including: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Indonesian government has recently created a policy of Pancasila. The policy’s goal is to celebrate religious diversity and acknowledge all major religions. 

To what extent are the major religions adhered?

Indonesia has approximately a population of 231.5 million so even religions that hold a small percent have a huge amount of followers. Often, these religions are more popular on specific islands (Bali is almost all Hindu). Religious diversity is everywhere in Indonesia. For the most part, Indonesians are very tolerant of other religions because, the country has a long history of religious change.

Major Religious Holidays:

Islamic Holidays: 

Ramadan: This holiday is a month-long fast that celebrates the Qur’an being sent down from Heaven. Islamic culture deems this period of time to repentant and a time to represent pure obedience to God. Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and having evil thoughts from dawn to dusk for 30 days. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim year, which means it changes dates every year. This year Ramadan begins the evening of July 9^th and ends August 9^th. Non-Muslims are required not to eat, drink, or smoke in public during this holy month. During the holiday the traditional greeting is “Ramadan Mubarak" ("May God give you a blessed month") with a reply of "Ramadan Karim" ("May God give you a generous month"). 

'Id Al-Fitr or Eid al-Fitr: This holiday celebrates the breaking of the fast of Ramadan. Traditions of this holiday include communal prayer at dawn. Friends often get together exchange gifts and new clothes are worn. The typical greeting during this three-day period is "'Id Mabarak" ("May God make it a blessed feast").

Al-Hijra or Muharram the Islamic New Year: The start of the Muslim calendar is when Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE or 1AH (After Hijra). There are few rituals and most people just reflect and send greeting cards.

Hindu Holidays: 

Nyepi: Saka New Year: This holiday falls on the spring equinox every year and celebrates the Hindu New Year. The day before, Priests recite prayers and the community offers sacrifices. Thousands of boys line the streets and bang instruments and cymbals. On the day of this holiday (April 6^th 2013) complete stillness is required. No one is found in the streets, no work is done.

Food

Famous Foods:

Indonesians are famous for eating rice at every meal and joking that they have not eaten unless they have eaten rice that day. Traditional food is often described as “peasant food” meaning that it uses fresh, simple ingredients and a variety of natural spices to create delicious dishes. Most meals include rice (nasi) and a side of meat. The rice and meat can both be done a million different ways; which vary with region, spices, and personal preference. Nasi goreng and gado gado are famous dishes that include vegetables and peanut sauce.

Indigenous / Foreign influenced foods:

Many dishes in Indonesia are heavily influenced by Dutch traditions that were adapted while the Netherlands held Indonesia as a colony. Sumatran cuisine is influenced by India and the Middle East (as seen in the heavy use of spices). The Chinese have change Indonesian bakmi (noodles) and some meat dishes. More modern food chains such as McDonalds are purely American with tiny hints of Indonesian culture. Because Indonesia had been a part of many different trading empires, its traditions of food are increasingly diverse. Indonesian cuisine is often viewed as a mosh-posh of Asian and Middle Eastern foods all served with a unique twist.

Regional Differences:

West Java eats lots of fresh vegetables and sambal (chili sauce). They also serve their tea without sugar. Javanese people typically eat sweet foods and foods are normally more sweet than spicy.  West Sumatra is famous for it’s very spicy food. The coastal areas such as Java and Sumatra use more spices than other locations. Both of these areas use a wider variety of spices and rubs that produce spicier foods with richer flavors than the more subtle flavors of Javanese foods. Javanese foods add fresh spices, chilies and sugar to dishes instead of harsh spices

Costs:

	Prices in Indonesia USD          (IDR)	Prices in Ponte Vedra (USD)
Liter of Milk	1.47          (13,465)	1.80
Dozen Eggs	1.54          (14,106)	1.99
Loaf of Bread	1.11          (10,167)	2.59
Chicken Breasts (1kg)	3.24          (29,678)	6.59
Potato (1kg)	1.03          (9,434)	2.18
Water (1.5L)	0.49          (4,488)	1.19

New Fruits and Vegetables:

There are tons of Asian fruits and Vegetables that are rarely found in American cuisine. 

Fruits Include:  Jus alpukat, kue pisang, bika ambon, mangosteen and many more.

Rambutan

Lychee

Star fruit

Durian

Vegetables include: Kangkung, genjer, melinjo, temu kunci, labu siam (chayote), kelor, gambas and belustru, and many more.

  kacang panjang (yardlong bean) 

  abu air (calabash) 

  kecipir (winged bean) 

  kecombrang 

Spices:

Indonesia is often praised for it's rich spices that made it a valuable colony to the Dutch. Spices are used in most meals (more often is certain locations) and are key ingredients to the traditional dishes. Some of these spices include:

Asam (Tamarind)- This is a sour pulp found in the pod of a Tamarind tree. It is sour and the word Asam even means sour in Indonesia. It is mostly used in curries and fish dishes.

Daun Jeruk Perut (Kaffir Lime Leaves)- Used in a similar way as Bay leaves are in the United States. They taste tart, and they are taking out of the dish before eating.

Gula (Sugar)- Sugar made from Palm trees. It is sold in a block and pieces are chipped off as needed.

Laos & Kencur (Galangal)- Has the same function as ginger, but it is more bitter. Kencur is stronger than Laos.

Chili- Normally stronger than American chilies, this is liberally used in most Indonesian dishes. It is very hot; the best way to stop the burning is to eat plain rice.

Sambal (Chili sauce)- It is made many different ways and on the table for every meal. This sauce is a crucial element to Indonesian cuisine. 

Saus Kacang (Peanut Sauce)- This sauce is very versatile and is used to add flavor to many different dishes.

Food Pyramid:

The Indonesian Government has not released a ‘nutritional guideline’. The majority of Indonesians live in complete poverty, and the government has focused on getting them food not getting them ‘healthy food’. Americans are more likely to be overweight and eat processed foods that poor, rural farmers in Indonesia. The government is not concerned what they eat as long as they are eating. This is very different from what I was raised with because I have always lived in well-off neighborhoods where I am not surrounded by starvation and desperation.

Water:

Water in Indonesia is not safe. Purification systems are poor and most water is ‘not fit for human consumption’. While in Indonesia, water should only drunk from reliable mineral water bottles. These bottles should be from large supermarkets not street vendors. Street vendors are not required to have licenses to sell food and the often do not meet sanitation requirements. Tap water is almost never OK to drink, so do not drink it. Any boiled drink (teas etc.) is better because the water has been boiled and is less likely to carry contaminates. All travelers should get immunizations for smallpox, cholera and yellow fever, which are often spread in the water. If in doubt do not drink it.

Health

Statistics:

	Indonesia (2010)	United States
Life Expectancy	71 years	78 years
Infant Mortality	27	6.3
Birth Rate	18.84	13.82
Leading Causes Of Death (Top 10)	Coronary Heart Disease 17% Influenza & Pneumonia 12% Stroke 9.7% Lung Disease 5.6% Tuberculosis 4.85% Diabetes Mellitus 3.4% Road Accidents 3.4% Hypertension 3.1% Lung Cancers 2.5% Low Birth Rates 2.4%	Coronary Heart Disease 21% Alzheimer’s/Dementia 8.3% Lung Cancers 7.95% Stroke 7% Lung Cancers 6.3% Diabetes Mellitus 3.6% Colon-Rectum Cancer 3% Hypertension 3% Influenza & Pneumonia 2.8% Kidney Disease 2.45%
Incidence of Smoking Males Females Total	63% 5% 34%	21.5% 17.3% 19.3%
HIV	0.2%	40,000 new cases per year
TB	3%	3.6 cases per 100,000 persons

Sick Remedies:

People in Indonesia typically use Western medication to treat colds and sores. Household remedies include Vicks44 and counter-pain for muscles. Richer households take pills much more often that they take herbal medications.

Immunizations:

Before I leave I will need to get the following vaccinations:

-Hepatitis A & B

-Typhoid

-Polio

- Japanese encephalitis

- Rabies

- Tetanus-diphtheria

- Measles-mumps-rubella

- Cholera

- Yellow fever

Exercise:

Approximately 54% of Indonesia’s population lives in rural areas, and most of these people are farmers or manual workers. Out of the percentage that does live in cities and suburban areas, many are industrial workers. The fact that the majority of Indonesia’s population lives in complete poverty can explain why not many people in the country actively “work out”. Farmers and Industrial workers make just enough money to get by (and often not even that), the last thing they are thinking about is how defined their abs are. The rich city-dwelling population may work out, but the majority of their ‘exercise’ includes walking and traveling inside the city. 

Medical Care:

The Medical System in Indonesia is poor and expensive. Many people choose to travel to Singapore for more serious issues. Hospitals are rarely up to western standards. SOS Indonesia is a popular option for helping international travelers in Indonesia. There are 0.06 hospital beds per 1,000 people and Indonesia is the lowest of all Asian countries for this statistic. Indonesian health care system is broken into three ranking tiers, each with a decreasing level of service as the area becomes more rural. The government has reduced spending in medical care despite the obvious need for more money. To become a specialized medical professional, the medical student is required to spend a certain amount of time in rural areas practicing medicine for community service. Even with incentives, it is difficult to attract people to become doctors in rural areas. With little government funding, the people pay for their own medical services. 

Poverty:

Extreme poverty in Indonesia causes many poor, rural families to go hungry. The government does not recognize ‘poverty’ until the family lives on less that $16.80 a month, which is not even enough to but 2,100 calories of food a day. Poor, rural families find it nearly impossible to find safe food, water and health care. 

Sports

Popular Sports:

The most popular sport in Indonesia is international football (soccer). Traditional sports vary by island but they are normally some form of martial arts. Pencak silat uses knives and sticks along with many other weapons and is mainly practiced on Java and West Sumatra. A type of ‘handless’ wrestling called sisemba involves athletes kicking their competitor into surrendering and it is popular in the Tana Toraja region of South Sulawesi. Cockfights and gambling are also popular activities. Badminton is often described as the ‘national passion’ and Indonesia has dominated the sport in the Olympic since Badminton was introduced in 1992. 

History of Soccer:

The Dutch introduced Indonesia to soccer and in 1930 six regions from around the country formed the NIVU. At the same time in 1930, the PSSI was formed to regulate the sport and organize games. Until after Indonesia won its independence from the Netherlands (after WWII) both the NIVU and the PSSI ‘controlled’ the soccer competitions. In 1951 the PSSI started playing in the Asian Games and even won a game against Singapore. The National team was not far behind and won against Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1953. Indonesia was the first Asian country to make it to the World Cup (1958) the country did well but refused to play Israel for political reasons and was banned from the torment for twenty years. Indonesia has never been a dominant football force but it defiantly a contender and is getting better every year. 

Big Rivalries:

Indonesia has heavy competition with all the countries in the ASEAN (Asian Soccer group) and the ASEAN games championship is highly sought after. Indonesia’s greatest competitor is Malaysia and tensions often get dangerous between the two teams. 

Teen Sports:

Most Indonesian schools do have sports and extra activities. In classes between Kindergarten and High school PE is a mandatory activity in school. In the 3^rd grade students start doing gymnastics and by 4^th grade they are introduced to traditional martial arts and other team games. In middle school teens are separated by gender and they can choose one sport to ‘specialize’ in. At the end of semesters it is popular for students to compete with other teams in the school. Unfortunately, most Indonesian households emphasize academics over athleticism, and having a rewarding career in Indonesia is difficult and much less rewarding than similar positions in the USA. Students can also join clubs outside of school for more practice and competition.

Women in Sports:

Women’s opportunities in sports are much less than men, and it is not popular for women to participate in competitive sports. Indonesia doesn’t forbid women sports but, it is a traditionally male-dominated field. Indonesia is trying to encourage women to play sports more often as seen in its creation of the Indonesian Association of Physical Education and Sports for Girls and Women (PERWOSI). PERWOSI works to promote sports and physical education to women and girls in Indonesia.