The Provinces.
The five main islands are : Sumatra, which is about 473,606 sq km insize; the most fertile and densely populated
islands, Java/Madura, 132,107sq km; Kalimantan, which comprises two-thirds of the islands of Borneo and measures
539,460 sq km; Sulawesi, 189,216 sq km; and Irian Jaya, 421,981sq km, which is part of the world's second largest
island, New Guinea. Indonesia's other islands are smaller in size.
The archipelago is divided into three groups. The islands of Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan, and the small islands
in- between, are situated on the Sunda Shelf stretching from the coasts of Malaysia to Indo China. Irian Jaya which
is part of the island of New Guinea, and the Aru Islands, are on the Sahul Shelf, which stretches northward from
the Australian coast.
Located between these two shelves is the island group of Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Sulawesi. Coastal plains have
been developed around the islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya.
Source : "INDONESIA 1996 : AN
OFFICIAL HANDBOOK", Department of Information, Directorate of Foreign Information Services, Perum Percetakan
Negara RI, 1995/1996 |
