15 Facts about Indonesia that may sound quite curious to Brazilians

Known for cinematographic scenarios and for being the destination of thousands of tourists around the world, Indonesia is a country full of mysteries, formed by diverse ancient cultures and influence from many other countries. Despite this, not everyone knows how different this archipelago can be, in many ways, from our western culture.

we, from awesome.club, we love to explore new places and learn about habits and customs that expand our perception of the world. So we have gathered some very interesting facts about Indonesia. Check it out!

Despite having the territory fragmented into several islands, Indonesia is the 16th largest country on the planet, reaching about more than 17 thousand islands, since the exact number is unknown. The main ones are Java — the most populous island in the world and home to the capital, Jakarta —, Bali, Borneo, New Guinea, Sumatra and Celebes. Even with so much land, the land borders are only with Papua New Guinea, Malaysia and East Timor. Apart from these, only a narrow strip of water separates Indonesia from Australia, the Philippines and Singapore.

Babies do not touch the ground for the first three months as they are considered too pure to have contact with the ground. Thus, they pass from hand to hand among relatives to avoid being “contaminated”. When the period passes, there is a ceremony in which the newborn is finally put down.

Another local tradition involving birth is Setra ari ari, which consists of hanging the placenta, inside empty coconuts, on trees in a cemetery. The belief is that this will protect the child against certain evils in the future. This local custom attracts many visitors and has been classified as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the country.

Indonesian natives rank last in the world’s height comparison, with an average of 1.58 m, behind Bolivia and the Philippines. For the record, the first place went to the Netherlands, with an average of 1.83 m. This genetic trait may be related to the ancient inhabitants of the island of Flores. There, people only 1 m tall lived there, nicknamed “hobbits” by researchers. Their species is still unknown, but it is known that they were not Homo sapiens. So, it is speculated that they would be relatives of Homo erectus, which dwindled after a few generations.

To get an idea of ​​how great Indonesia’s biodiversity is, 60% of the territory is covered by forests. In this regard, it is only behind our dear Brazil. In terms of the number of endemic species – which only exist there – the country is also in second place, after Australia. In fact, the fauna and flora of Indonesia are more Asian to the west and Australian to the east, after all, the islands that comprise it were once joined to these two places. In addition, Indonesia is part of the Coral Triangle, the region with the greatest diversity of coral reef animals.

In addition to not using a shower, there is usually no hot water available, which can be a challenge in the rainy season. Indonesian bathrooms often have a bucket or bathtub, from which water is drawn using a ladle, or gayung, for showering, brushing teeth, cleaning oneself, and washing one’s face and hands. It is the famous Brazilian gourd bath, but as a norm and not an exception. This practice is also customary in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Timor-Leste.

Kopi Luwak is considered the most expensive coffee in the world, reaching a thousand dollars a kilo. To obtain it, producers count on the participation of Civet — a mammal of the meerkat family —, which plays an important role in the processing of this product. The fruit of this coffee is digested by the animal and the seed is excreted in perfect condition to be rescued, cleaned and processed, becoming a culinary ingredient with unique characteristics.

As it is a slow and laborious process, the result is, on average, 230 kg of coffee per year, which is the reason for its high market value. Baristas — who are the coffee experts — describe the taste of the drink as a mixture of “grape juice and chocolate”, less bitter and less acidic than traditional coffees.

In terms of number of people, Indonesia is second only to China, India and the United States, with more than 270 million people, this represents 3.51% of the world population. This large population is made up of more than 300 native ethnicities, of which 42% are Javanese, the largest group. Despite this diversity, there is strong Indonesian national recognition. Also, the country has a young population compared to western countries, with an average age of 29.7 years.

In many places around the world, New Year’s Day is a day of celebration and celebration, but on the island of Bali this is called Nyepi or Day of Silence. It takes place on different dates according to the Balinese calendar, for example in 2021 Nyepi fell on March 14th. So, starting at 6 am on the last day of the year, there are 24 hours of pure fasting, silence, meditation and self-reflection. So anything that might disturb the quiet is forbidden, which includes keeping the lights down, not working or playing, not traveling, and for some people, not even eating or talking.

On that day, the streets are deserted and hardly any movement is heard or seen. It is not allowed to go to the beach or walk on the street without a good reason, as is the case with ambulances and rescuers. Despite this, the next day — called Ngembak Geni (Reviving the Fire) — everything returns to normal and an unusual festival takes place, the Omed-omedan. In it, groups of young singles split up and, after a signal, run into each other and kiss, while others throw buckets of water at them. The festival has become a hangout for singles and many couples have formed there.

Indonesia sits right on top of the divide between the Eurasian and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, where one is moving towards the other, a region known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. In this place, there are more than 450 volcanoes and about 147 are in Indonesia, of these, 76 are active. Some of the best known are Kelut, Merapi and Krakatoa, which had one of the most famous eruptions in 1883, with effects all over the world.

This number reveals that the country is the second with the most languages ​​(after Papua New Guinea), accounting for 10% of the languages ​​spoken in the world. There, the average is 3 languages ​​spoken per person, but the official language is Bahasa Indonesia, used for most public communication and which is taught in schools across the country. Thus, each region can determine a second official language, as in Java, where Javanese is the most used along with Indonesian.

In 1991, the Borobudur Buddhist temple was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, being referred to as the largest such building in the world. It was built in the 9th century AD and abandoned around the year 1300, being rediscovered in 1814. It consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, with a central dome above. In addition, the decoration consists of 504 Buddha statues and 2,672 relief panels. Thus, it is one of the main destinations in the country and attracts thousands of tourists.

Generally, when the food is dry, you use your hand, but if it’s a sauce or soup, you use a spoon. Forks and knives are not common even in restaurants, with certain exceptions, as the portions are already cut into smaller pieces. It is normal to still have a bowl of water and lemon slices on the table, so that people can do a little hygiene.

Despite the custom, it is not just any hand that is used to eat, as it is considered impolite to use the left hand for this, the correct thing is to pass the food or take it to the mouth with the right hand or both hands. This is also used for handshakes, receiving or delivering an object or touching a person with the left hand. It is also common for meals to be served on the floor and to eat right there, sitting so that the soles of the feet do not show.

These two national symbols are really very similar and many think they are identical. The position of the two horizontal stripes, red and white, is the same, but Monaco’s is shorter. Both are several centuries old and yet there are still other “copies” out there. The Polish and Singaporean flags are very similar, differing in the order of stripes and a moon with stars, respectively.

The family plays a very strong role in Indonesian culture, so it is common for young people to seek advice from their elders or even continue to care for them after they form their own nucleus. There, regardless of age, a person will always be the son of his parents and maintain respect for them. So families usually show a lot of affection for each other and family gatherings are common, and it is also important to be an active member of the community.

This custom is related to the previous theme, respect for elders. Thus, reverence for the most experienced is constant in Indonesian culture and can be done by placing the forehead, or the tip of the nose, on the back of the older person’s hand. This gesture is called salim and is common in several Asian countries, where it can be known as mano po. This greeting is similar to the hand kiss that our ancestors used to do—and that some people still do—when asking for the blessing of their elders.

And you, have you ever thought about going to Indonesia? What’s the strangest custom you’ve seen in your area? Leave your comment!