Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 13,500 islands located astride the equator in Southeast Asia. Sumatra, the westernmost major island, lies south of Burma, while Irian Jaya on the island of New Guinea is the country’s eastern extreme. The islands command vital sea routes between Australia, Europe, and the Asian mainland and are the principal link between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Indonesia, formerly part of the Netherlands East Indies, proclaimed its independence on August 17, 1945, after more than 300 years of Dutch control. The largest and capital city is Jakarta