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Indonesia (Republic of Indonesia)
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State in Southeast Asia, on the islands of the Malay Archipelago and the western part of the island of New Guinea.
Territory - 1904.4 thousand sq. km.
Population - over 148 million (1979); more than 150 nationalities, the most numerous are Javanese, Sunda, Madurians, about 3 million Chinese.
The capital is Jakarta (over 6 million inhabitants).
The state language is Indonesian.
90% of believers are Sunni Muslim.
For more than three and a half centuries, Indonesia was a colony of Holland. In August 1945, the liberation struggle of the Indonesian people led to the creation of an independent republic. Many foreign enterprises, plantations and banks were nationalized. The republic received great support in strengthening its independence and economic independence from the USSR and other socialist countries.
As a result of the coup d'état in 1965-67. in Indonesia, a political regime was established in which the main role belongs to the armed forces. The Communist Party and a number of progressive social and left-nationalist organizations were defeated and banned, and the spread of the ideas of scientific socialism was banned.
In the last parliamentary elections (1977), 360 out of 460 deputy mandates were contested (100 mandates are allocated to representatives of the command of the army that does not participate in the vote). The largest number of seats in parliament (232) went to the Organization of Functional Groups (Golkar), which enjoys the support of the authorities.
Indonesia has proclaimed the principle of non-alignment as the basis of its foreign policy. However, economic dependence on the West and elements of anti-communism in domestic politics make it difficult to pursue a truly independent course. At the same time, the mood in the country is growing in favor of pursuing a more independent foreign policy course, for expanding cooperation with socialist and developing countries.
In recent years, Indonesia's relations with the USSR have developed somewhat . In December 1974, an agreement on economic and technical cooperation was signed between the countries. The volume of Soviet-Indonesian trade expanded. There is an exchange of visits by statesmen and public figures. Indonesia's ties with other socialist states have also intensified somewhat.
Indonesia is a unitary republic. The head of state is the president (since 1968 - General Suharto), who heads the cabinet of ministers and at the same time is the supreme commander in chief of the armed forces. He appoints and removes ministers who are responsible only to him. The highest legislative body - the People's Consultative Congress - according to the constitution, meets at least once every 5 years in session, where it elects the president and approves the general course of the country's policy. The current legislation is implemented by parliament - the Council of People's Representatives (CPR) - with the approval of the President. Members of the SNP are simultaneously members of Congress, along with representatives of the adm. regions and various segments of the population (functional groups).
There are 3 legal parties in the country: the Unity and Development Party, which in 1973 united 4 Muslim parties; The Democratic Party of Indonesia (formed at the same time as a result of the merger of parties of nationalist and Christian trends) and the Organization of Functional Groups, uniting various professional, youth, women and other organizations that support the government program.
The Communist Party of Indonesia (CPI) - founded in 1920, has been operating underground since the end of 1965, subject to persecution by the authorities. In its party documents, the Communist Party calls on all patriotic forces to create a National Unity Front in the country capable of representing the interests of the entire Indonesian people in the name of building a free democratic Indonesia, implementing urgently needed social transformations in the interests of the majority of the country's people.
The trade unions are united in a nationwide trade union center - the All Indonesian Federation of Workers. Organizations of a similar nature were created to unite peasants and youth throughout the country.
Economically, Indonesia remains predominantly an agricultural country. It has rich mineral deposits: high-quality oil (explored reserves - about 7 billion g), tin, bauxite, nickel, manganese, lead, copper, zinc, chromium. More than 60% of the territory is covered with forests with chain tree species.
The economic policy of the state provides for the wide attraction of foreign investment. By the end of 1979, direct and mixed investments in the amount of $ 7.4 billion were allowed, not counting investments in oil production and processing, amounting to an additional $ 1.1 billion. The main investors are Japanese, American, West German, Dutch and other foreign monopoly. A significant part of foreign property, nationalized before 1965, was returned to its former owners. In recent years, under the influence of anti-imperialist sentiments in society, the government has announced some measures to partially restrict the sphere of investment of foreign capital.
Agriculture employs up to 70% of the independent population (mainly land-poor peasants and agricultural workers). The rather moderate 1960 Agrarian Reform Law is practically not implemented due to the resistance of large landowners. The main food crop is rice (harvest in 1978 - 16.7 million g). The production of cane sugar and rubber is important. Fishing is developed. Fish catch (marine and freshwater) - up to 1.7 million g per year. Annual timber production - over 25 million cubic meters. m.
The most important industry is mining, which is largely controlled by foreign capital. In 1979, more than 80 million tons of oil were produced, and about 1 million tons of bauxite; nickel ore produced - about 1,300 thousand tons, tin concentrates - 28 thousand tons
There are factories for oil refining, assembly of cars, bicycles, radio equipment, electrical appliances, ship repair, production of cement, mineral fertilizers, car tires, food and textile industries.
The main types of transport are railways. (on the island of Java) and sea. There are several nat. airlines, of which the main one is Garuda Indoyezian Airways.
The monetary unit is the Indonesian rupee. 1000 rupees = RUB 1.03 (February 1980).
The main export is oil and oil products. Also exported are rubber, timber, bauxite and nickel ore, tin concentrate, coffee, spices and other goods; imported consumer goods, prom. equipment, raw materials, means of transport, food.
Main trading partners: Japan, USA, Singapore, Germany, Netherlands.
The rise in prices in 1979 for basic necessities was about 25%. The number of completely unemployed in 1979 reached 3.5 million, partially unemployed - 21 million.
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