Geography

Indonesia, the largest archipelago and the fifth most populous nation in the world, has a total of 17,508 islands, of which about 6,000 are inhabited. The islands extend 3,198 miles (5,150km) and are nestled between two continents, Asia and Australia, and two oceans, the Indian and the Pacific.

The main islands are Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Irian Jaya. Stretching like a backbone down the western coast of Sumatra is a line of active and extinct volcanoes. Much of Indonesia is rain forest, woodland and mangrove swamps. Only a fraction of the land is suitable for farming.

Climate
Situated over the equator, Indonesia tends to have a fairly uniform climate - hot. It is equatorial, but cooler in the highlands. Temperatures generally range from 68 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 32 degrees Celsius). Humidity ranges from 60 to 90 percent. Indonesia's "wet season" lasts from November through April and its "dry season" from May through October, with slight variations in its regional sub-climatic zones.

The country is predominantly mountainous with some 400 volcanoes, of which 100 are active. The highest mountain is Puncak Jaya (16,024 feet - 4,884 m) in the Sudirman mountain range of Irian Jaya. Many rivers flow throughout the country. They serve as useful transportation routes on certain islands, for example, the Musi, Batanghari, Indragiri and Kampar rivers in Sumatra; the Kapuas, Barito, Mahakam and Rejang rivers in Kalimantan; and the Memberamo and Digul rivers in Irian Jaya.