Area 1,919,317 sq.km. The Republic's 17,000 islands stretch 6,400km of land over 9.5 million sq.km of the Indian/Pacific Oceans, with 23 provinces, 2 special regions and the capital district. 94% of the people are Indo-Malay, 4% are Chinese, 1.2% are Papua peoples and 0.8% others (Arab, Indian, European, mixed race). Literacy rate is 83.8% and is rising steadily.

In 2000, 48% of the population lived below the poverty line. Economic recovery is hampered by endemic corruption, the continuing strenght of anti-democratic forces, the spread of sectarian violence and lack of bank and debt restructuring. This hold back the inflow of international aid and finance.

(Data extracted from operation world 2000)