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10 Reasons Why is Indonesia Important to the World

Review by : Yuli SE., MM

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

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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.

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 16^th 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.