Indonesia "The Largest Archipelago in the World"

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History of Indonesia

The islands of the Indonesian archipelago were first inhabited over half a million years ago, confirmed by the discovery of the so called 'Java man' after remains were found on the banks of the Solo river at Trinil in 1891. Ancestors of the present day Papuan's moved eastwards some 60,000 years ago eventually reaching New Guinea. They were followed around the 4th century by Malays, Javanese and Malayo-Polynesian groups who form the majority of the modern day population. Trade contracts with China and India attracted Buddhist and Hindu religious influences which are still evident throughout the archipelago today. The influence of Muslim traders also began to spread throughout Indonesia in the eight and ninth century and by the time the Italian explorer Marco Polo visited Sumatra in the late 13th century, the first Islamic states were already established. The Muslim faith gradually spread throughout the archipelago and today forms the majority of the countries religious beliefs. Indonesia's natural resources and abundant spices attracted much interest from powerful traders in Europe. The Portuguese were first to arrive in 1511, but when their trade was wrestled from them by the tenacious Dutch trade was monopolised and the Dutch settled in Indonesia. Dutch colonialism was to last almost three centuries, but Indonesia regained independence following the Second World War after Japanese invasion ended Dutch rule. Attempt by the government in Holland to regain control of Indonesia were thwarted and Sukarno became Indonesia's first President. However, over the following years a power struggle was to unfold and violent purges would kill close to one million people. In 1968, the head of the Military General Suharto overthrew Sukarno's government and was announced the new head of state. His New Order Administration was supported by the US government and subsequently encouraged foreign investment. Suharto military occupation ruled successfully, if not contentiously, for 30 years until Indonesia was heavily affected by the Asian Financial Crisis which increased popular discontent. Suharto was subsequently ousted and democracy duly restored. However, political and economic instability, social unrest, corruption and terrorism have slowed progress. In small factions violence remains a problem. Situated on the Pacific, Eurasian and Australasian tectonic plates, Indonesia is subject to numerous volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. It has been the victim of several major disasters that have killed hundreds of thousand of people, the eruption of Krakatoa in the 19th century and the more recently the 2004 Tsunami that hit Sumatra and the Yogyakarta earthquake just two years later.