Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic state by area.
Its territory stretches roughly 5,120 kilometres from west to east between the Indian and Pacific oceans. The country consists of more than 17,000 islands, although the exact total varies with surveying methods and definitions of islands. Major islands include Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea.
Indonesia’s size is often confused with the number of islands alone. The Philippines and Japan are also major archipelagic countries, while the Maldives is an extensive chain of small coral islands, but none has Indonesia’s combination of island territory and total area. Indonesia covers about 1.9 million square kilometres of land and inland waters.
Its geography has shaped its history. Straits such as Malacca, Sunda, and Lombok became important maritime routes, while the islands developed distinct languages, cultures, and ecosystems. Indonesia’s official national motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,” means “Unity in Diversity,” a fitting description of this vast island state.