| Fossil evidence suggests the Indonesian
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| | existed in various forms for over 300
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| archipelago was inhabited by Homo
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| | years until the Japanese occupation in
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| erectus, popularly termed the Java Man.
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| | the second World War. During the war,
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| Estimates of its existence range from
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| | Sukarno, a popular leader of the
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| 500,000 to 2 million years ago. The
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| | Indonesian Nationalist Party, cooperated
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| modern peoples of Malay people origin are
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| | with the occupying Japanese with the
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| descendants of immigrants from mainland
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| | intention of strengthening the
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| South East Asia beginning around 6,000
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| | independence movement. On August 17,
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| years ago. Ideal agricultural conditions,
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| | 1945, Sukarno, with the Japanese
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| and in particular the mastering of
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| | organised National Committee of
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| wet-field rice cultivation as early as
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| | Independence (BPUPKI) unilaterally
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| the seventh century BC, allowed villages,
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| | declared Indonesian independence. Sukarno
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| towns and eventually small kingdoms to
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| | then became the first president, while
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| flourish by the first century AD. Around
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| | Muhammad Hatta became the vice-president.
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| the same time, trade was established
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| | Over the next four years, the Netherlands
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| between both India and China, fostered by
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| | mounted military campaigns to reoccupy
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| Indonesia's highly strategic sea lane
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| | Indonesia, but in the face of
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| position which would continue to greatly
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| | international pressure acknowledged
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| influence the country's history.
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| | Indonesian independence in 1949.
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| It was upon this trade, and the Hinduism
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| | Increasing tensions between the Communist
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| and Buddhism that was brought with it,
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| | Party of Indonesia (PKI) and the
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| that the Sriwijaya kingdom flourished
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| | Indonesian military culminated in an
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| from the 7th century AD. It became a
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| | abortive coup on 30 September 1965 which
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| powerful naval state, which grew wealthy
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| | saw six top-ranking generals murdered in
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| on the international trade it controlled
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| | circumstances that remain contentious
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| through the region until its decline in
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| | even today. A quick counter-coup led by
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| the 12th century. During the 8th and 10th
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| | Major General Suharto resulted in an
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| centuries AD, the agriculturally-based
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| | anti-communist purge centred mainly in
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| Buddhist Sailendra and Hindu Mataram
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| | Java and Bali, and to the deaths of
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| dynasties thrived and declined in inland
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| | hundreds of thousands of communists and
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| Java with great monuments built,
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| | their sympathisers. Suharto capitalised
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| including Borobudur and Prambanan
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| | on Sukarno's gravely weakened position
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| respectively. The Hindu Majapahit kingdom
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| | and, by 1967, had manoeuvred himself into
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| was founded in eastern Java in 1294, and
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| | the presidency. Commonly referred to as
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| under its military commander Gajah Mada
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| | the New Order, Suharto's administration
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| stretched over much of modern day
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| | encouraged major foreign investment in
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| Indonesia. This period is referred to as
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| | Indonesia, which was to become a major
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| a Golden Age in the country's history.
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| | factor in the subsequent three decades of
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| Arab traders first brought Islam to
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| | substantial economic growth.
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| Indonesia in the late 12th century,
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| | From 1997 to 1998, however, Indonesia
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| establishing settlements in the Aceh
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| | became the country hardest hit by the
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| region. It spread across the Indonesian
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| | East Asian Financial Crisis, aggravating
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| archipelago, following trade routes.
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| | popular discontent with Suharto, who
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| Rather than a violent conquest, it was,
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| | already faced accusations of corruption,
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| for the most part, peacefully laid over
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| | and further inflaming popular protests in
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| and mixed with existing cultural (and
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| | early 1998. On 21 May 1998, President
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| even religious) influences to form what
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| | Suharto announced his resignation,
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| is still the predominant form of Islam in
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| | ushering in the Reformasi era in
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| Indonesia today, particularly in Java.
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| | Indonesia. A wide range of reforms have
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| European traders first arrived in the
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| | been introduced since then, including
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| early sixteenth century seeking to
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| | Indonesia's first direct presidential
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| monopolise the sources of nutmeg, cloves,
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| | election in 2004, but progress has been
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| and cubeb pepper in The Moluccas. In 1506
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| | slowed by political and economic
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| the Portuguese, led by Ferdinand
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| | instability, social unrest, terrorism and
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| Magellan, were the first Europeans to
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| | recent natural disasters. Although
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| arrive in Indonesia; the Dutch and
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| | relations between different religious and
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| British followed. The Dutch became the
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| | ethnic groups are largely harmonious,
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| dominant traders in Indonesia,
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| | acute sectarian discontent, even
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| establishing the Dutch East India Company
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| | violence, remains a problem in some
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| (VOC) in 1602. The VOC, however, was
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| | areas. Political settlements relating to
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| dissolved in 1798 and the government of
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| | separatism issues have been achieved in
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| the Netherlands established the Dutch
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| | Aceh and East Timor, the latter having
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| East Indies as a fully-fledged colony.
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| | seceded from Indonesia in 1999.
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| The Dutch colonial presence in Indonesia
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