12
SINGLE NATION
Indonesia is home to about 250 million
people. The Indonesian population is
larger than that of any other country in
Southeast Asia and all the other countries
in the world apart from India, the United
States, and China. The national motto
of Indonesia is
“Bhinneka Tunggal Ika”
or
“Unity in Diversity.”
This refers to the single
nation that is made up of many different
islands with as many as 300 different
ethnic groups. Each group has its own
unique cultural identity, which can include
a distinct language, rituals, ceremonies,
and celebrations.
JAVANESE AND SUNDANESE
A third of Indonesians are part of the
Javan ethnic group. Most live in central
and eastern Java in densely populated
agricultural regions. The city of Yogyakarta
is especially important to Javan culture as it
once was capital of the largest Indonesian
kingdom. It still retains a sultan as its
traditional and cultural, but not political,
leader. The second largest group, the
Sundanese, also live mostly on Java. Smaller
ethnic groups live on other islands, such as
the Dayaks of Kalimantan, the Bataks of
Sumatra, and the Asmat of Papua.
Dayaks buy and
sell wares at a
floating market in
south Borneo.
CHAPTER 2:
POPULATION
DIVERSE PEOPLE
