A Transcontinental Country

Author: John Parks

Indonesia has been inhabited by people for at least half a million years. Fossilized remains of an early human, known as the “Java Man” were found in 1891. Scientists believe that the area was further populated by the migration of people from Taiwan to South East Asia around 2000 BC. These Austronesian people offset the native Melanesian people to the east. During the eighth century BC, Indonesians mastered the art of wet-field rice cultivation, which allowed for the continued creation of villages. Ultimately, Indonesia established a trading relationship with civilizations in both India and China, fundamentally cementing the country into an important region for the area. As trade grew with other nations, Hinduism and Buddhism thrived throughout Indonesia. A naval kingdom developed called Srivijaya during the seventh century. During the 10th century, the dynasties of the Sailendra and Mataram cultures declined, leaving a number of monuments to the culture. During the 13th century, a Hindu kingdom call Majapahit developed in the eastern Java region. The leader Gajah Mada raised the civilizations to great heights. It was at this time that early Muslim traders made their way to the islands. Northern Sumatra began to adopt Islam. This new religion mixed with traditional Indonesian culture. By the 16th century, Islam had taken root in nearly the entire country. Portuguese traders, led by Francisco Serrao arrived in 1512 and opened up trade with Europe. Nutmeg, pepper and cloves became highly sought-after commodities. The British and Dutch soon followed. The Dutch East India Company was founded in 1602 to help exploit the goods of Indonesia. After the company went bankrupt in 1800, the disillusionment of the company led to the founding of the Dutch East Indies Colony. Dutch control was light during the majority of the colonial period. During the 20th century, the Dutch began to exert more force throughout the country. World War II brought further war. The Japanese Empire invaded and occupied Indonesia for most of the conflict. After Japan surrendered in August 1945, Indonesia declared its independence two days later. The nationalist leader Sukarno took control of the country. The Netherlands again attempted to reassert its control over the nation. The conflict continued for four years, finally ending in December of 1949 with the Dutch formally recognizing the nation’s independence. In 1962, West New Guinea was also incorporated into Indonesia. Sukarno established an authoritarian government using the Military and Communist Party. On September 30, 1965, an attempted coup led to the deaths of at least half a million people. In the aftermath, General Suharto overthrew the leader and consolidated his power in March 1968. He received support from the U.S. government, growing the nation’s economic status over the next few decades. During the 1990s, Indonesia was hard hit by the Asian Financial Crisis sparking much political upheaval with the populace. Suharto resigned in 1998, followed by the secession of East Timor from the country. The democratic process continued for the next few years, ultimately culminating in the country’s first democratically-elected presidential process in 2004. However, conflict continued between religious and social groups, sparking continued terrorism and violence. For more information on Indonesia, visit
http://indonesiamicroblog.com
and
http://microblogindonesia.com
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – A Transcontinental Country

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