Page 44 - The World About Us

Mount Bromo
2.2.3

Indonesia: shaped by history and geography.

Indonesia is categorised as an U.K. (ranked 28th). However, prices for fig.112 Balinese rice terraces.
Emerging and Developing Country most goods are much cheaper in
(EDC). Its economy has been rapidly Indonesia and so, when adjusted for
changing over the last 30 years. Purchasing Power Parity, Indonesia's
GNI rises to $10,700 (source: World
With a Gross Na onal Income of
$3,440, Indonesia is ranked by the Bank, 2017).
World Bank at 146 in the world. This Indonesia's landscapes and
GNI compares to a global average of economy have been shaped by both its
around $10,800 and $43,390 for the physical geography and human history.

Tropical islands and volcanoes

Straddling the Equator, Indonesia result, Indonesia is a country of these terraces can produce up to three
also sits above the boundary between volcanoes. Over 400 volcanoes stretch crops of rice in a year. Irriga on water
the Eurasian-Pacific and the Indo- from Sumatra in the West to the from Lake Batur is fed through a
Australian tectonic plates. This region is Banda Sea in the East. 127 of these are complex network of channels down
known as a subduc on zone, where s ll ac ve today. through the paddy fields.
one plate is forced under another. This Indonesia's volcanic history has Not all of Indonesia's landscapes
creates regular earthquakes. In created a drama c set of landscapes. are lush. The island of Komodo, home
addi on, as the subducted plate is Some of these are dominated by to the famous Komodo dragon, is a
forced down into the mantle, it begins natural features such as the volcanic parched landscape of thorn scrub and
to melt and as molten magma rises up caldera of Mount Bromo, which last bare rock. Meanwhile, far to the East,
through the crust to emerge on the erupted in 2010. To the east, the three the towering mountains of western
surface in volcanic erup ons. As a
brightly-coloured volcanic crater lakes New Guinea/Papua, with their scree-
of Mount Kelimutu, on the island of covered slopes and glacial valleys,
fig.113 Gunung Kelimutu. Flores, stand out against the monsoon appear more Alpine than Equatorial.
forested slopes. In Sumatra and
Kalimantan (Borneo), dense rainforests
s ll cloak the mountain sides in some
areas (see pages 23-25).
In other parts of Indonesia, human
ac vity has shaped the landscapes. The
rice terraces of Bali have been carved
onto the flanks of the island's three
volcanoes. On the southern slopes fig.114 Komodo dragon.

Indonesia’s climate east from June to October and from the small kingdoms flourish. These were
north-west from November to March. soon trading throughout the islands
Indonesia has a predominately and as far as India and China.
Equatorial climate. This means that the Indonesia's closeness to the
temperatures stay high and rela vely Equator means that it doesn't suffer Today, Indonesia's climate makes it
stable all year. Indonesia tends to from the tropical storms or typhoons an ideal loca on for growing oil palms,
experience both wet and dry seasons. in the same way that the islands of the as well as rubber trees. Rubber
Philippines do, further north. planta ons cover 3.65 million
In the west, the large islands of hectares, making Indonesia the world's
Sumatra and Borneo experience only Climate and development second largest rubber producer. Rubber
small changes in rainfall through the and rubber tyres accounted for 3.6% of
The warm and wet tropical climate,
year. However, as you travel east along coupled with rich, volcanic soils, led Indonesia's exports in 2015.
the archipelago, the dry season tends early inhabitants of the archipelago to
to become more pronounced. Cooler develop very produc ve agricultural Oil palm planta ons cover over 8
climates are found in highland areas. million hectares, making Indonesia the
systems. Rice was being cul vated in world's largest producer. Palm oil
Monsoons (see page 89) bring flooded paddy fields as early as accounted for 7.6% of exports in 2015
moist oceanic air from the south and 800BCE. Produc ve farming saw many with a value of $12.3 billion.

44

Many factors contribute to a country’s economic development.