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The Republic of Indonesia (pronounced /ˌɪndoʊˈniːziə/ or /ˌɪndəˈniːʒə/) (Indonesian: Republik Indonesia), is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands, and with an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, as well as the most populous Muslim-majority nation, harbouring the largest Muslim population in absolute numbers; although no reference is made to Islam in the Indonesian constitution.

Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. The nation's capital city is Jakarta. The country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the seventh century, when the Srivijaya Kingdom traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually adopted Indian cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers fought one another to monopolize trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratization process, and periods of rapid economic change.

Across its many islands, Indonesia consists of distinct ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups. The Javanese are the largest and most politically dominant ethnic group. As a unitary state and a nation, Indonesia has developed a shared identity defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a majority Muslim population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. Indonesia's national motto, "Bhinneka tunggal ika" ("Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"), articulates the diversity that shapes the country. However, sectarian tensions and separatism have led to violent confrontations that have undermined political and economic stability. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support the world's second highest level of biodiversity. The country is richly endowed with natural resources, yet poverty is a defining feature of contemporary Indonesia.

The official national motto of Indonesia is Bhinneka Tunggal Ika which is Old Javanese and is often loosely translated as 'Unity in Diversity' but literally it means '(Although) in pieces, yet One'. It is stated in the national symbol, Garuda Pancasila (as written on the scroll gripped by Garuda's leg), and in the principal national constitution of Indonesia, Undang-Undang Dasar Negara Republik Indonesia Tahun 1945, on 2nd revision, part 36A.

This is a quotation from an Old Javanese poem kakawin Sutasoma, written by Mpu Tantular during the reign of the Majapahit empire sometime in the 14th century. Kakawin or Kawya, are epic poems written in Indian metres.

This poem is notable as it promotes tolerance between Hindus (Shivaites) and Buddhists.

Original

This quotation comes from canto 139, stanza 5. The full stanza reads as follows:

Rwâneka dhâtu winuwus Buddha Wiswa,

Bhinnêki rakwa ring apan kena parwanosen,

Mangka ng Jinatwa kalawan Siwatatwa tunggal,

Bhinnêka tunggal ika tan hana dharma mangrwa.

[edit] Translation

It is said that the well-known Buddha and Shiva are two different substances.

They are indeed different, yet how is it possible to recognise their difference in a glance,

since the truth of Jina (Buddha) and the truth of Shiva is one.

They are indeed different, but they are of the same kind, as there is no duality in Truth.

This translation is based, with minor adaptations, on the critical text edition by Dr. Soewito Santoso.

Indonesial Raya (composed in 1924, "Indonesial Raja" in old Indonesian spelling) is the national anthem of the Republic of Indonesia. The song was introduced by its composer, Wage Rudolf Supratman, at 28 October 1928 in a national youth convention in Batavia (now Jakarta). The song marked the birth of the all-archipelago nationalist movement in Indonesia that supported the idea of one single "Indonesia" as successor to the Dutch East Indies, then split into several colonies. The first paper to openly publish the text "Indonesia Raya" - a daring act of defiance towards the Dutch authorities - was the Chinese Indonesian weekly Sin Po, a fact still noted with pride by the Chinese Indonesian community.

It was chosen as the national anthem when Indonesia proclaimed its independence at 17 August 1945.

Jozef Cleber created Indonesia Raya arrangement for philharmonic orchestra in 1950. This arrangement is widely been used currently for formal and some informal purposes.