Indonesia consists of about 3,000 inhabited islands, and thousands more uninhabited ones, straddling the Equator in the Indian Ocean. It includes Java, Sumatra, half of Borneo and the western part of New Guinea. The islands are volcanic, with mountains and coastal plains, dense rainforest and a wet tropical climate. Over half the land is forested and timber products are exported.
Rice is cultivated extensively, while cash crops include coffee, tea, rubber and palm oil.
There are immense reserves of oil and gas, and much mineral wealth, including tin, bauxite, nickel, copper and gold. There are various manufacturing industries. The islands had been involved in maritime trade for centuries when Europeans arrived. The Dutch East Indies Company was dominant from 1602 and despite interest from the British, Portuguese and Spanish, Indonesia remained in Dutch control until independence in 1945.