Stacy Cook, age 15, of Dodge City, Kan., for her question:
HOW LARGE IS INDONESIA?
Indonesia is an island republic located in Southeast Asia. It consists of most of the Malay Archipelago and includes all of the former Netherlands Indies. The country consists of more than 13,600 islands, almost half of which are inhabited, and stretches across some 3,200 miles of sea in the region of the Equator.
Indonesia has an area of almost 800,000 square miles.
A stretch of relatively open water, consisting of the Java, Flores and Banda seas, divides the major islands of Indonesia into two unequal strings of islands: the comparatively long, narrow islands of Sumatra, Java, Timor and others on the south, and Borneo (Kalimantan), Celebes (Sulawesi), the Moluccas and New Guinea on the north.
A chain of volcanic mountains rising to heights of more than 12,000 feet extends from west to east through the south islands from Sumatra to Timor. The highest points are Mt. Kerinci (12,467 feet) and Mt. Semeru (12,060).
Each of the major north islands has a central mountain mass, with plains around the coasts. The most extensive lowland areas are on Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Irian Jaya.
Despite the position of Indonesia as a major world exporter of petroleum, natural gas, tin and rubber, most of the people remain tied to subsistence agriculture, fishing and forestry.
Rice is the major staple food of the country. Most of the rice is grown on Java. Other important crops are cassava, corn, sweet potatoes, sugar, soybeans, peanuts, tea, tobacco and coffee. More than 900,000 tons of rubber are produced yearly.
About two thirds of Indonesia is covered with forest and woodland. Almost all the timber harvested is made up of hardwoods, about 80 percent of which is used for fuel. In addition, valuable industrial woods are produced in significant quantities. These woods include teak, ebony, bamboo and rattan.
Indonesia is the fifth most populous country in the world. According to the 1980 official census, it had 147,490,298 inhabitants. A recent United Nations estimate says the population is now about 160 million.
The three largest cities in Indonesia are located on Java. Jakarta, with a population of almost 7 million, is the capital and chief commercial center. Other major cities on Java are Surabaya and Bandung.
Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution. Islam is the faith of about 43 percent of the population.
More than 100 languages are spoken in Indonesia, but Bahasa Indonesia is the official and most widely spoken tongue. It is based on Malay, long the market language of coastal towns, and it contains elements of Chinese, Indian, Dutch and English. Many persons also speak English.
Indonesian law requires all children to attend at least six years of elementary school. Because of a shortage of schools and teachers, however, many of the children are not enrolled in school.