Bali is known as the Pearl of Indonesia. Capital: Jakarta Official language: Bali, Indonesian Currency: Indonesian rupiah Passport and visa: A Finnish citizen needs an Indonesian visa, which can be purchased at the airport upon arrival in Bali. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of arrival. Indonesia’s foreign departure tax of IDR 150,000 will be paid in cash at Denpasar Airport upon departure. Time zone +8 Daylight saving time is not used
Agriculture and fishing
Indonesia’s tropical climate with rich rainfall in large parts of the country means that the conditions for agriculture are good. The fall of volcanic ash has made the soil fertile in many places, especially in Java and Bali. Large unspoilt areas are found on Sumatra, Kalimantan and east of the island world, where fertility is worse.
CountryAAH: Comprehensive import regulations of Indonesia. Covers import prohibitions and special documentation requirements for a list of prohibited items.
Agriculture employs almost a third of the labor force. Most of the land is grown by small farmers in self-catering. Large plantations account for the remaining crops.
The most important crop is rice. With the help of new technology, irrigation and chemical fertilizers, rice production has increased significantly. Nevertheless, rice has been imported most years. Other important food crops are corn, cassava, sweet potatoes and soybeans.
Indonesia is one of the world’s largest exporters of palm oil and natural rubber. The country also sells large quantities of coffee, tea, cocoa, spices, sugar, tobacco, bananas and coconut products abroad. For Indonesia defense and foreign policy, please check recipesinthebox.
Coastal fishing is of great importance to the locals. In 1982, the waters between Indonesia’s islands were declared to be part of the country’s territory. Sales of shrimp and tuna to other countries in the region account for most of the export earnings from fishing. Poaching by foreign vessels is a serious problem. Along the coasts, fishing methods with dynamite and cyanide cause severe damage to the coral reef.
Animal breeding is of little importance to the country’s economy, but for many rural residents, small-scale livestock farming is an important addition to both the diet and the household economy. Breeding of chickens and goats is most common.
FACTS – AGRICULTURE
Agriculture’s share of GDP
12.8 percent (2018)
Percentage of land used for agriculture
31.5 percent (2016)
Abbreviationfinder.org: Offers how the 3-letter acronym of INA stands for the state of Indonesia in geography.
2020
June
Ex-minister sentenced to prison for bribery
June 29
Imam Nahrawi, former sports minister, is sentenced to seven years in prison for bribery. Nahrawi is being arraigned at a special corruption court in Jakarta for receiving $ 800,000 in bribes. The former minister may not hold a public office for the next four years and he must also repay $ 1.3 million within a month. Otherwise, his private property will be auctioned off. Nahrawi resigned as sports minister in 2019 when he was served suspected of bribery.
Jail for attempted murder of minister
June 25
The real couple charged with the attempted murder of then-security minister Wiranto (see October 2019) are sentenced to long prison terms for terrorism. The husband is sentenced to 12 years in prison while his wife is given nine years. The prosecutor had applied for 16 and 12 years respectively. According to the ruling, the couple belongs to the local terrorist group Jad (Jamaah Anshurat Daulah) with links to the Islamic State (IS). The man attacked and stabbed Wiranto as the minister got out of his vehicle in a Java town.
Jakarta is gradually opened
June 5
The governor of Jakarta announces that the capital will be gradually reopened, following the closure due to the corona pandemic. The opening begins with the city’s mosques, churches and other places of worship opening the doors. Within the next few weeks, offices, restaurants, malls and tourist attractions will also be allowed to start their businesses again.
May
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are deployed
May 26
The government orders 340,000 soldiers to deal with those who violate the rules on social distance. The soldiers are deployed in more than 20 cities, including Jakarta. They should ensure that people wear mouthguards and keep enough distance from each other to slow down the spread of the corona virus.
April
Boat and air traffic are prohibited
April 24
All passenger traffic at sea and by air is prohibited until 1 June. The ban is introduced on the first day of Ramadan and aims to reduce the extensive travel that happens in Indonesia when millions of people visit their hometown and family during ID-ul-fitr, the holiday that ends the fasting month.
Jakarta is quarantined
April 10
President Widodo decides to severely restrict activities in Jakarta in an attempt to slow down the spread of coronas. The capital’s streets are patrolled by police and soldiers trying to control that people do not violate the new rules introduced, including a ban on crowds of more than five people, a ban on restaurants selling food other than online, and heavily curtailed public transport. Taxi service is reduced and city residents are encouraged to stay at home. Religious and religious meeting rooms are closed. Anyone who violates the rules can be fined or imprisoned for up to one year.
IS faithful couple face trial for attempted murder of minister
April 9
The trial starts against the genuine couple with links to the Islamic State (IS) who is charged with the attempted murder of Security Minister Wiranto (see October 2019). The couple risk the death penalty if found guilty of terrorist offenses or life imprisonment if convicted of attempted murder. The couple attacked the minister with a knife. He sustained injuries to the abdomen but survived the assault. The defendants are said to be members of the indigenous IS faithful group Jad (Jamaah Ansharut Daulah). Jad has been behind a series of terrorist acts in Indonesia, including suicide bombings against churches in Surabaya 2018, when more than 10 people were killed. In Indonesia there may be between 10 and 15 IS faithful groups.
March
State of emergency throughout the country
March 31st
President Widodo introduces state of emergency throughout Indonesia in an effort to curb the spread of corona pandemic. Many voices are being raised for Indonesia to quarantine its cities as well, with curfews and barriers, but Widodo says no to this. Jakarta’s governor calls for the mega-city to be isolated, but the president rejects this. About 30 million people live in Jakarta and its environs. Widodo calls for social distancing and says a $ 1.5 billion support package is being invested in grants and social assistance to poor households. When the decisions are made, Indonesia has 1,528 confirmed cases of corona infected residents and 136 deaths in covid-19.
Tourism plunges due to pandemic
March 19
The number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia is declining significantly in the wake of the spread of the new corona virus, sars-cov-2, which caused a pandemic. This is particularly evident in Bali. Flights to and from China are prohibited. The Chinese are the second largest tourist group after Malaysians. Travel restrictions are also being introduced for the hard-hit countries of Iran, Italy and South Korea.
Dutch monarchy apologizes
11th of March
The King of the Netherlands apologizes to the monarchy for Indonesia for “excessive violence” under Dutch colonial rule (see Ancient History). This is the first time the Dutch monarchy has apologized. The Dutch government has previously apologized and also paid damages.
February
IS warriors do not welcome home
February 11
Indonesia will not receive the 689 Indonesian citizens who have chosen to join the terrorist group IS fighting in Syria, Security Minister Mahfud MD said. The reason is the security risk it would pose to Indonesia, which has been hit hard by the violence of IS-loyal groups in recent years. However, Indonesia is considering accepting the children of IS warriors if they are ten years or younger. Decisions regarding the fate of these children will be made “on a case by case basis”. The decision on IS warriors shares Indonesian opinion, with some saying it would be better to welcome them back for rehabilitation rather than risk being further radicalized abroad.
January
Indonesia breaks with the World Nature Fund
January 29th
Indonesia cuts ties with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) since the organization criticized the government for lack of action against major forest fires on Borneo and Sumatra in the summer of 2019. The cooperation between the government and WWF has been primarily about forest conservation and protection for endangered animals. The Ministry of the Environment accuses WWF of going too far in matters concerning climate change and waste management without having anchored it with the government. WWF says that the organization acts within the limits of the mandate. It is still unclear what the clash with WWF will mean for the organization’s operations in Indonesia.
