indonesiaFIndonesia(i/ndni/in-d-nee-zhor/ndonizi/in-doh-nee-zee-), officially theRepublic of Indonesia(Indonesian:Republik IndonesiaIndonesian pronunciation:[rpublik ndonesia]), is asovereign stateinSoutheast Asia.Indonesia is anarchipelagocomprisingthousands of islands.[7]With an estimated total population of over 252 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most-populouscountry. Indonesia's republican form of government comprises an elected legislature and president. It encompasses34 provinces, of which five have Special Administrative status. The nation's capital city isJakarta. The country shares land borders withPapua New Guinea,East Timor, andMalaysia. Other neighbouring countries includeSingapore, thePhilippines,Australia,Palau, and the Indian territory of theAndaman and Nicobar Islands. Indonesia is a founding member ofASEANand a member of theG-20 major economies. TheIndonesian economyis the world's16thlargest by nominal GDP and the8thlargest by GDP (PPP).The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the 7th century, whenSrivijayaand then laterMajapahittraded withChinaandIndia. Local rulers gradually absorbed foreign cultural, religious and political models from the earlycenturiesCE, andHinduandBuddhistkingdoms flourished.Indonesian historyhas been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources.Muslimtraders brought the now-dominantIslam, while European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands ofMalukuduring theAge of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries ofDutch colonialism, Indonesiasecured its independenceafterWorld War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters,mass slaughter,corruption, separatism,a democratisation process, and periods of rapid economic change.Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct nativeethnicandlinguistic groups. The largest and politically dominant ethnic group are theJavanese. A shared identity has developed, defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a majority Muslim population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. Indonesia's national motto,"Bhinneka Tunggal Ika"("Unity in Diversity"literally,"many, yet one"), articulates the diversity that shapes the country. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support the world's second highest level ofbiodiversity. The country has abundant natural resources, yet poverty remains widespread.[8][9]