Indonesia sits centrally on the equator and is surrounded by Malaysia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, Vietnam, Thailand, and India. A plethora of cultures have added to Indonesia's history, going back to Chinese and Indian traders in the 1st century AD. Marco Polo was the first European to land at Sumatra, and later in their search for the legendary Spice Islands, Portuguese and Spanish explorers also learned of Indonesia. Starting in the late 1500's, the Dutch held the islands for three centuries and the islands were commonly termed the Dutch East Indies. In 1945, the Indonesian people declared independence and they officially achieved statehood in 1950. In many ways a young and forward looking country, Indonesia embraces all of its diverse population and traditions under the banner of 'One Country, One Nation'.
Of Indonesia's multitude of islands, about 6,000 can be considered inhabited. The six...