5 Natural Resources of Indonesia – Types

Review by : Yuli SE., MM

Indonesia is an archipelago country, one of the largest country in the world by population. Located in tropical line, Indonesia posses so many natural resources, be it biotic or abiotic elements. You probably have heard it back in high school. Biotic elements means resources that are alive such as plants and animals. Abiotic resources means natural resources that are not a living being. This includes air, land, water, forest, etc. In this article, we will talk further about these natural abiotic resources that this country have.

It’s not a secret that Indonesia has so many natural resources spreading out throughout the country. You can find it in almost everywhere. With the width of 1.905 million km2, Indonesia has a lot to offer when it comes to its natural resources. You can find that people from all around the world were interested in our resources. Coming and going to find what’s to offer in these paradise of resources. In fact, there is a song from one of the famous singer in this country that goes like this : Indonesia is a land of paradise. When you plant a stick to the ground, you’ll find that the stick grows into food. It was a beautiful song, and it was true. From its forest, land, air, all the way through gas and oil, Indonesia has it all. Now let’s take a look at each one of them. Here the review of Natural Resources of Indonesia.

1. Land

This one is no brainer, of course. Every single country in the entire world has this particular natural resources. Land is the area of a country in which the human life are circling around that. You can use this resources for plenty of stuffs. You can use the land for building your house, planting vegetables for you to eat, farming, construction production resources, arts, home utilities, animal habitat, well balanced ecosystem, mining, all the way to the making of new island. (see also: Festivals in Indonesia)

Because Indonesia is an archipelago country, you can be pretty sure that our land is a resources that are spreading in between the seas. Land could be accumulated through the natural process of weathering. In this country, you can define the land based on its original source of the rock.

Volcanic soil – This particular soil was made through the explosion of active mountains. Volcanic soil is very easy to process, one kind of soil that are fertile and good for plants. Indonesia has many farms located in the feet of the mountain, particularly because of this reason. Those farmer knows that they are the best areas to plant something and grow their source of foods, be it rice or another vegetables. (see also: Native Plants of Indonesia)
Non-volcanic soil – Another name from this soil is tertiary soil, which is soils that were not made from vulcanize process. You can find non volcanic soil throughout the Riau area, Sumatera island, and Bangka archipelago. (see also: Cycling in Indonesia)
Organic soil – another name of this soil is peat moss or humus. You can find this particular soil in around the swamps. This soil were originated from plants that are rotten and you can find it often in Merauke and Kalimantan island. This soil has the solid black color – also very good for plants.

2. Air

Next Natural Resources of Indonesia is Air. We might think that air is not a natural resources, simply because we can’t see it. This is not true. Air is one of the most important and significance resources we could ever have in this planet, simply because of its tremendous benefits. In Netherland, people are using air for their source of energy (through the technology of windmill). You can divide the air resources into three category : sun energy resources, wind energy resources, and gas energy resources. They are all having their own benefits when it comes to its application to the world.

There are so many benefits of air that we might taken for granted. What are they? Let’s check them out.

For breathing – Of course we all knows this. Air is the most important element in the live of living beings because we need oxygen in order to keep living. Not only us human, another living substances like animal and plants are also needing air as their source of live.
Photosynthesis – The plants are unique living beings. They produced oxygen and absorbing dioxide carbon in order to do their process of food making – photosynthesis. This process is also helping us human because we need more oxygen for us to breath and less dioxide carbon because of its toxic nature. This is why plants hold such important role in our life.
Electricity generator – Air is so beneficial when it comes to its ability to produce electric. Moving air (wind) is a natural resources that could produce energy and it has all kinds of benefits on its applications. You can find them in the country of Netherland, they are producing the mass amount of wind electricity generator by now. (Se also: Diversity in Indonesia)
Give coolness – Moving air called wind, and wind is very good for people, especially in the tropical country where the sun is burning in the day. We can use this moving air to cool ourselves and give us chilly sensation. Not too much though, because too much cold air is also not good for our body. (see also: Javanese Wedding Culture)
Protecting the planet – Air is one important component of earth because of its effects on protecting. You can be safe living here, without the risk of getting hit by meteor or other planet. Thanks to the atmosphere that are spreading around the planet, protecting us from all kinds of damage from the universe. (see also: Why is Indonesia Important)
Sound and light mediator – Air is a mediator for all lights and sounds that we feels and hear. Without it, we can never listen to our favorite music or seeing our favorite program in television.

3. Sea/Ocean

Ocean is another abundant resources that are available in this country. As Indonesian citizen, we are all surrounded by ocean from every corner of our island. The using of this resources is varied, as ocean gives so many benefits to human everyday life. Indonesia has been known as marine country in the past, this was all because the area of this country is surrounded by ocean and sea. The fish potential in Indonesian sea could reach up to 6 million ton each year. (see also: Festivals in Indonesia)

The ministry of ocean and fishner has been doing some effort to make sure that the fish catching act is increasing each day. These fishes then being processed to various products, which one of them is pretty famous : canned fish. Not only fish, the potential that is inside the ocean of Indonesia is including various life in the ocean. There are approximately 500 kinds of sea grass and more than 900 kinds of ridge rock. (see also: Indonesian Floating Market)

Let’s talk further about the potential of the ocean life in this country.

Salt – Salt is one of the most important thing in our food. Almost every single one of us needs salts in order to keep our food tasty and balancing the amount of sodium in our body (sodium is really good for our body, if its taken sufficiently). We can get this particular element from the sea water that are being dried up, leaving grains of salt to be used by us human.
Fish – We all know the benefits of fish for our body. Proteins, vitamin B, vitamin A, you name it : fishes got it all. The ocean got plenty of fish for human to consume. This is completely fine of course, even though we still need to think further about our way of this resources utilization. We shouldn’t be excessive in exploiting this particular resources.
Underwater Plants – Underwater plants could be consumed by human and it has good effects on human body. Plants like sea grass could actually helps our body to digest food, making our body healhtier and more stable, as well as having better energy level to do our activities. (see also: Komodo Dragon Island)
Phosphate – phosphate means the dead fish backbone that are dead. These bones are gathered and then processed as organic fertilizer.
Ridge rock – This is one unique resources. You can actually know the cleanness of an area of the sea by looking at its ridge rock. When there are plenty of these babies here, you would know that the sea is clear and healthy for other animal. Ridge rock also produces oxygen, in which can help the live of other living beings in the ocean.
Wave – We all know this, the beautiful movement we often adore every time we are going to the sea. Wave happens because there is a difference between the sea surface and wind. We might not know this, but we can use wave for triggering out electrical energy. In Indonesia, these kind of utilization has not been used very often, but in the ocean edge, these method has been used a lot. It helps the villagers get electricity. (see also: Rafflesia Arnoldii Flower Facts)
Plankton – Plankton is one kind of sea plant that are spreading around in the entire ocean. You can find plankton almost everywhere, being the food of some fishes. In human life, plankton is often be used in the mixture of pet fish.
Pearl – When you gave food to the clams, that clams will produce saliva. That saliva will then turn into beautiful pearl that you might see often in the middle of a woman’s neck. Yes, pearls are one of the most favorable jewelry to women throughout the century.

4. Forest

Forest also one of Natural Resources of Indonesia. Now this is everybody’s favorite. Indonesia is one hell of a country when it comes to its forest, this is almost no brainer. We can find this particular resources at almost everywhere in Indonesia. Indonesia has 99,6 million hectare of forest and this is spreading around throughout the country. Even though Indonesia is only a little country that has 1.3% area of the world, Indonesia’s forest are so rich. The richness of our forest is approximately covered 25% of all kinds of fish in the entire planet, 17% of all birds, 16% of all reptilians, and 12% of mammals. (see also: Effects of Deforestation in Indonesia)

We all know that forest gives so many benefits for human everyday life. You can take the trees and make house with it, complete with its properties. You can also find many animals that are ready to be hunted for your thrills and stomach. (Don’t hunt endangered animals though, because it will get you into jail as soon as possible.). However, forest benefits are not just it. Let’s take a look at what we can utilize from this so called area full of trees. (see also: Indonesian Tribes)

Wood provider – Wood is one of the resources that almost everybody needs. We can find woods in almost every single thing from our everyday life. From table, chair, plate, decorating stuffs, our bed, until the wall of our house, wood is one handy resources of all these. Forest is one place we can look at if we want to find woods to be used as we like.
World’s Lung – We heard about it before. Forest is one good place to be if we want to save the world. All trees and plants are producing oxygen and absorbing dioxide carbon, and this is very healthy for our world. As we might know before, dioxide carbon happens to be the source of green house effects and other malignant environmental problems. We should plant trees as much as possible if we really want to save our planet. (see also: Edelweiss Flower Facts)
Prevents flood – The reason of flood is deforestation. When you cut those trees off without anything left, you would find that there is no strong stopper for the flood to happens. There is nothing that is holding the water together for a long time, as this is tree’s job. So, forest is a really great place to save as this can save our life too. (see also: Indonesian Democracy)
Animal habitat – We know that forest are not just places for us to be taken by its benefits. This is also a place for all animals to live. Therefore, if we endangered the forest, we will also make the life of its inhabitants in danger. (And of course, this is no good for us).
Source of food and medicine – There are many things that we could get from the forest. Food is one clear thing, but medicine is also another important thing. When you are sick, herbs and natural medicines are very good for you and your body. Those medicine with chemicals are actually could be dangerous for your body if taken excessively. However, if you decided to consume natural remedies, it will be very safe for you and your body even if you are consuming it in the long terms.

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5. Mining Resources

Last Natural Resources of Indonesia is mining resources. Indonesia is a rich country when it comes to its mining resources. The three crucial mining resources that you could find in this countries are gas, petroleum, and coals. These three mining resources are often be used as a fuel for various machines in our everyday life.

Gas – Natural gasses came from the fossils of plants and animal that are buried for million years in our land. You can find that natural gas is actually very beneficial for us, as we can use it for the fuel for our vehicles. Other than that, we can use natural gasses for electric generator, industrial life, weather manipulation, etc. With these many benefits that we get from natural gas, of course one thing is clear : gas is helping our economic system big time.
Petroleum – Petroleum is one very crucial resources in human everyday life. Nowadays, in the era of technology, we can only imagine how it will feels like to live without petrol. If we take a look at its benefits, we will find that petroleum is actually very helpful in our life. From the energy source, fuel, industrial sources, kitchen stuffs, up until the car necessary utilities, we can find that petroleum has a big role in it. However, petrol is a resources that can’t be renewed. It takes milion years for animal fossils that were buried deep in the ground to be able to become petrol. This is why nowadays, the world are looking for various alternative of using petrol as its source of energy.
Coals – Coal is another resources that we can get deep down. This resources was originated from plant fossils that are buried for about 350++ years. These plants that were buried are blending with plankton , oxygen, carbon, etc and then melted together and formed coals. You can get so many benefits from the utilization of coals. From electricity generator, industrial works, the making of medicine, the making of gas, chemist industry, etc.

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So there you have it. 5 natural resources that are crucial and important for human everyday life. They are all extremely beneficial for our lives and gave us so many benefits. It will be very difficult for us to live without these resources. However, we must also remember that these things that are provided by the nature are not gonna be available forever if we don’t take initiative to renew it. This is why for us to learn sustainable development is very important. We need to know how can we use these resources that are provided for us with responsibility and careful calculations so that our kids and grandkids could also live happy in the future using these resources.

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