Its neighbor to the north is Malaysia and to the east is Papua New Guinea.
Earthquakes are frequent.
A.D. Muslim invasions began in the 13th century, and most of the archipelago had converted to Islam by the 15th. Portuguese traders arrived early in the next century but were ousted by the Dutch around 1595. The Dutch United East India Company established posts on the island of Java, in an effort to control the spice trade. In 1922 Indonesia was made an integral part of the Dutch kingdom. During World War II, Japan seized the islands.