Indonesia
Country in SE Asia, made up of 13,677 islands situated on or near
the Equator, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the
world's fourth most populous country, surpassed only by China,
India, and the USA.
Government
The 1945 constitution (amended 1950 and 1969) is based on a state ideology,
the Pancacila (Five Principles), of monotheism, humanitarianism,
Indonesian unity, representative democracy by consensus, and social
justice. The people's consultative council (Majelis Permusyawaratan
Rakyat, MPR) is the supreme organ of state. It comprises 500 members
of the house of representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, DPR)
as well as 500 appointed representatives from regional assemblies
and functional groups (including 200 from the armed forces). It
sits once every five years to elect an executive president and
vice president, and sanctions the guidelines of state policy.
The DPR functions as a single-chamber legislature, comprising
400 directly elected members and 100 presidential appointees (of
whom three-quarters represent the armed forces). It meets at least
once a year, with elections every five years. Indonesia has a
three-party system, with Golkar holding power since 1967. The
president (elected every five years by the MPR) works with an
appointed cabinet, exercises the right of veto over DPR bills,
and appoints governors for each of Indonesia's 27 provinces.
History
Indonesia's geographical location has always assured its historical
prominence. The archipelago dominates the main lines of communication
both west-east (from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to the Pacific)
and north-south (from the great Eurasian landmass to Australasia).
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