“Asian Review 034” ― Jakarta part 1
A country called Indonesia
Last year we had many disasters in Japan and Indonesia. We had entered the year 2019 and we wish everyone a happy new year.
I would like to explore Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia for a while from this post. There are many people who have visited Bali, but I suppose a few people stepped in Jakarta, the capital. As of 2017, Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world, the third in Asia, with a population of 260 million (IMF survey). However, it may be one of the countries in Asia, not familiar amongst the Japanese.
The land consists of 13,466 islands across the equator, including Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan island (English name is Borneo). About 300 ethnic groups live on the islands. After the age of hegemony by the Dutch East India Company, the era of governance by the UK, and after the World War II, the country became independent in 1949. On the national emblem, the golden god Bird Garuda which is a symbol of independence is depicted, the word “unity in diversity” is written in Javanese. Muslims account for 86% of the population, but Hindus is the majority in Bali and Christianity is the majority in some islands. The people seem to be trying to acknowledge each other’s diversity.
Chinese who started immigration in the 10th century (immigrants from China and Taiwan) has now increased to 7.4 million people, and Chinese companies also have power in the business world. In the relationship with the successive regime there was a time when it was persecuted, but basically seems to secure a stable position in the process by “relating to the economy and by avoiding politics”. PricewaterhouseCoopers and other organization’s forecasts indicate that Indonesia’s GDP will surpass Japan in the 2030’s and it is said to be the fourth in the world in 2050.
Let’s explore what kind of aspect Jakarta shows, as the capital of Indonesia.
