Indonesia is a lot bigger than it seems. It has numerous things to offer to the world. They include its natural resources, culture, political system and technologies. Not many people realize it but most countries in the world depend on Indonesia. Below are 10 reasons why is Indonesia important in the world. Read on and find out more about Indonesia which you might not even know.
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1. A House to Endangered Flora and Fauna
Indonesia might only own a certain percentage of land on Earth but it manages to house more than hundreds of species. They include plants, mammals and all kinds of birds. Most of them are still thriving in nature while some are endangered.
The endangered animals include the Sumatran tigers, orangutans, elephants and Javan rhinoceros. In fact, the Javan rhinoceros are already in the critically endangered status. They have the potential of going extinct. As well as Sumatran tigers, so there is Sumatran tigers conservation by government and WWF
See also: Indonesia Orangutan
As for plants, the endangered ones include the world famous Raflesia flower, Gaharu wood and Nepenthes. All these animals and plants are important for studies and conducting further research on medicines. For example, the spit of a lizard is useful in making diabetes drugs. Additionally, aloe vera is a good plant in regulating the level of blood sugar.
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2. Most Active Volcanoes in the Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire is a large area where most of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions take place. Coincidentally, Indonesia lies on this region and makes up 75% of volcanoes in the world. There are currently 147 volcanoes throughout the archipelago, 76 of those are active volcanoes.
See also: Volcanoes in Indonesia
The famous volcanic eruptions include Krakatau, where it triggered tsunamis killing thousands of people. Another one is the Mount Tambora, it is known to have the largest eruption ever recorded in the world.
See also: Indonesia Java
As Indonesia contains most of the world’s volcanoes, it becomes an important location to carry out research. It is a place to enrich knowledge of volcanic activities, earthquakes and even potential tsunamis.
3. Marine Life in Indonesia
The marine life inside the waters of Indonesia is incredible. Indonesia gets the largest portion of the “Coral Triangle”. It is an area that houses most of coral species that exist in the world. The whole archipelago is declared as the largest manta ray sanctuary. The manta rays are able to live in the Indonesian waters.
Due to the diverse nature of the ocean, Indonesia has become a favoured tourism object for snorkelers and divers. This contribute to the income of the locals where they also depend on fishing.
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Another important aspect of the Indonesian deep waters is that a lot of new marine species are still being discovered. It also provides protection to the rare and endangered ones such as the Blue Whale.
4. Crucial Trading Route
On of main reason why is Indonesia important thus there are route for trading, specifically the Sumatra island. There is a waterway with the name of Strait of Malacca. It basically runs along the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
This waterway functions as the main trading route ever since the 16th century. It is one of the busiest waterway in the world and the most crucial. The reason for that is because it creates a connection between the Pacific and the Indian ocean. Thus, it shortens distance between countries.
Often times, it becomes a transit route for things coming from Europe to Asia. Even though there is still poverty in Indonesia, it significantly affects the transportation of goods from Asia to all parts of the world. In the coming years, it will still be a critical passage that will greatly impact the economy of every community in the world.
See also: Luwak Coffee
5. Potential Powerhouse in Asia
China and India are two countries that greatly contribute to the Asia economy. But Indonesia has the potential to become a third member in the powerhouse. In the future, Indonesia is expected to be in the top ten list of the largest economy. If the country is able to improve and resolve its problems, then it is possible to reach the goal by the year of 2030.
See also: Indonesia Military Power
Already a member of the G20, Indonesia holds an important role to influence the economy in Asia and outside of it. It could help the growth of small economies. It could also use its powerful position to push forward important issues, such as poverty, in Asia to the other members of the G20.
See also: Indonesian Women Rights
6. The Legacy of Bandung Conference
Bandung, a capital of the West Java province in Indonesia, is a home to the Asian-African historical meeting. It is also known as the Bandung Conference. Around twenty nine countries attended the conference in 1955. The countries ranged from those in Asia and Africa which had recently received independence.
See also : History of Jakarta
The main aim of the conference was to work with each other to stand against any sorts of colonialism. It also promoted equality and mutual respect to one another. It also aspired to expand economic and cultural values of the contributing countries.
See also: National Library of Indonesia
The conference has left a historical legacy and still holds a significant importance for international relations. The conference was last held in April 2015, marking its 60th anniversary. The main focus was to promote world peace and prosperity.
7. Highly Diverse Country
There’s no denying the fact that Indonesia is very diverse. Other than the 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia, there are also more than hundreds of ethnic groups. They are spread out all over the archipelago. Furthermore, these ethnic groups have their own language and culture. The people living in Indonesia also have various religions and beliefs.
With a large variation people mingling with one another everyday, they learn to live through all their differences. This is due to a value they uphold very highly which is Bhinekka Tunggal Ika. In English, it means Unity in Diversity. It becomes a kind of moral compass to overcome differences and problems that may arise.
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With everyone determine to live a fulfilling life in harmony, Indonesia’s democracy is an example to the world. Despite possible conflicts and issues, the country main focus is still to live alongside one another in peace.
8. Biggest Producer of Palm Oil
Currently, the biggest producer of palm oil in the world is Indonesia. It is able to produce more than 30 million tonnes of palm oil within a year. Palm oil itself is a type of vegetable oil harvested from oil palm trees.
See also: Indonesian Traditional Transportation
The usage of palm oil ranges from food, cosmetics and even medicines. Everyday products that may contain palm oil are lipsticks, shampoo, instant noodles, margarine, soap, cookies and bio-diesel.
As Indonesia holds the major distribution of palm oil, it is responsible for the edible and non-edible products that people use. Without it, industries could face troubles in meeting the ever increasing demand from consumers.
9. Southeast Asia’s Largest Democracy
Indonesia democracy began in 1998. Ever since then, the people has enthusiastically voiced their opinions by participating in political matters such as voting in elections. The people know that in order to help the growth of the nation, they must also be willing to contribute. They also know that democracy is important to avoid those in power from taking advantage of the citizens.
For most of the time, Indonesia has been successful in paving its way for fairness through democracy. Unlike other countries in Southeast Asia, in Indonesian Democracy, there is a noticeable improvement since the New Order era. There is more transparency and the law works to protect the people not to harm. Malaysia, for example, is a country that still struggles with the concept.
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The people in the country are active in making sure that their voices are heard. To maintain peace and equal opportunities for everyone, they believe in democracy.
See also: Indonesian Literature
10. Growing Technology and Startups
In 2016, Indonesia has more than 100 million internet users. With the growing development of internet all over the country, this number will continue to rise. This is a good thing because it stimulate the growth of startup companies.
Startup companies are small companies that are on their early stage and specialize in offering innovative services. Tokopedia, Traveloka and Go-Jek are some startup companies that have reached success. As they continue to expand, they also help in the development of technology of the country.
See also: The Biggest Stadium in Indonesia
They open up job fields and opportunities to the people. Since the amount of internet users is also very high, it contributes to the growing companies. Thus, there is a chance that more local companies will achieve recognition worldwide.
See also: Indonesian Heritage
There is always room for growth and improvement. 10 reasons above why is Indonesia important may have proven its importance to the world and in the coming years, it might play an even bigger role in the world’s economy, ecology and technological advancement.
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