Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago nation, consisting of more than 17,000 islands.
The country spans the equator between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Five principal islands—Sumatra, Java, Borneo (Kalimantan), Sulawesi and New Guinea (Papua)—make up most of its land area, alongside thousands of smaller islands. Indonesia officially lists over 17,000 islands, though counts change as remote features are surveyed and defined.
Indonesia lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire and has more active volcanoes than any other country. Its strategic position supported historic maritime trading kingdoms and later European colonization. Jakarta, on Java, served as the capital for decades; Nusantara in East Kalimantan is being developed as the country’s new capital.