History of Indonesia

During its history Indonesia has been experiencing different influences: religious, cultural and ethnic. The country has been involved in maritime trade and the Chinese were the first to trade with the islands. In the 8th century Hindu and Buddhist merchants from India built up two empires, known as Srivijaya and Majapahit. These were supplanted in the 13th century by Islamic influences. In the 16th century the country got under the control of the Dutch East India Company. In 1920 the independence movement took place in Indonesia. It was initiated by the members of the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI). But it was suppressed by the Dutch.

The Dutch rule over Indonesia continued till the invasion of the Japanese during World War II. After the defeat of the Japanese in 1945, the PNI declared independence. The regime of Golkar, who won the election in 1998, brought Indonesia relative peace and stability and steady economic growth. One of the biggest challenges is Indonesia’s economic difficulties. Oil and natural gas are the most important raw materials produced by Indonesia. Nowadays tourism has become a major industry and vital source of foreign exchange.