Indonesia’s capital is located on Java’s north-west coast. From a small trading town, it has grown in less than 100 years to become one of Asia’s largest cities. The official population is around 11 million. Probably the correct...
When you arrive in Java, head west, not east. The producers of the famous film Krakatoa, East of Java had clearly missed the geography lessons that dealt with the area where this volcano is located. Several powerful eruptions have been recorded...
The Indonesian archipelago is home to an astonishing diversity of fighting styles. The well-known and learned martial artist Donn Draeger thought there were between two and three hundred, but many believe that one can find that many styles without...
The fearsome Komodo dragons measure four meters from snout to tail tip, and weigh 150 kilograms. They can smell prey from several kilometers away and the blow from the tail can kill. Since the days of the dinosaurs, the bloodthirsty lizards have...
The rhythmic steps of youngsters marching with millimeter precision are approaching. As they pass me, they raise their fists in a salute before continuing out of sight. Less than an hour ago, they were excited young boys and girls who came to a...
The animal and plant life is strongly influenced by the fact that Indonesia lies between the Asian mainland and the Australian continent. The dividing line between these two, the Wallacea line, runs from the east of Borneo in the north and to the...
The national anthem is called Indonesia Raya, which means Strong Indonesia. The song was composed in 1928. The policy of the colonial power at the time when the national anthem was written was to divide and rule. This was a policy which deliberately...
The population of Indonesia is a mix of the indigenous population and those who arrived in the Neolithic period (3000 – 2000 years before Christ). These people came from the Asian mainland. Today, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country...
SHIKHAN (Kurdistan Region of Iraq): The spiritual leader of the Yezidi people said the minority he leads needs international help to recover from the worst atrocities they have suffered in their 74th genocide. Help is also needed to reintegrate...
Most people have a breaking point. For some, it is achieved under fairly everyday pressure. For others, it hits hard when the conditions are so cruel that they are almost unbearable. And you shout out to humanity that they must see what is happening...