Earth Day – 13 Interesting Facts About Indonesia!

To celebrate Earth day this year we thought it fitting to provide some interesting facts about the home of one of our most beloved plants – Indonesia.

1. An archipelago (an area that contains a chain or group of islands)- Indonesia is made up of more than 17 thousand islands and is located off the Southeast coast of Asia in both the Indian and the Pacific oceans.
2. The capital of Indonesia is named Jakarta and it sits on the northwest coast of the island of Java. Jakarta is the most populated city in Indonesia and is known for its exciting nightlife and lively shopping areas.
3. Until 1945, Indonesia was ruled by the Netherlands and was formerly known as the Dutch East Indies.
4. Indonesia’s islands span such a large area that it is split into three time zones.
5. Indonesia is home to the Earths’ largest tree-dwelling animals one of the great apes known as the Orangutan. Unfortunately due to habitat loss, illegal poaching and pet trade, these great apes are on the endangered species list.
6. The landscape of Indonesia is extensively mountainous and there are currently more than one hundred active volcanoes while hundreds of others are extent. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes and well-known for its frequent seismic activity and its the hottest spot on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
7. The world’s largest smelliest flower known as the corpse flower is found in Indonesia. The odor it gives off is often compared to the smell of rotting flesh hence the name. Its stinky smell is let off to attract insects.
8. Most of Indonesia gets heavy rainfall throughout the year and its climate is nearly entirely tropical with mainly hot and humid days and nights. Due to its location to the equator, its temperatures remain consistently high.
9. Most Indonesians live on the island of Java, which is about the size of New York State and its an understatement to say Indonesia has a lot of people. With a huge population of over 264 million, Indonesia ranks as the 4th most densely populated nation in the world.
10. Kratom trees grow in humid and tropical locations like the forests across Southeast Asia and are native to Indonesia. The kratom tree is impressive and it can reach heights of 80 feet or more in many cases. While the tree is impressive, the leaves of the tree are responsible for the creation of kratom we’ve come to appreciate in the US. Kratom is an evergreen tree and the leaves regrow throughout the years; when they mature they fall off or they can be harvested early.
11. The economy of Indonesia is mainly based on agriculture and oil with approximately 90% of the population being engaged in agriculture.
12.  Indonesia’s islands span such a large area that it is split into three time zones.
13. Unfortunately, there are 69 endangered species in Indonesia and 517 vulnerable species. These wildlife will be eventually extinct if there is no action to save them from extinction.

Indonesia is an incredibly diverse, beautiful, and wonderful country. This earth day, we encourage you to do some first-hand research on Indonesia to learn about its many amazing cultures, animals and plants.