The Republic of Indonesia consists of approximately 17,000 islands, in the north eastern corner of the Indian Ocean and to the north west of Australia. With a land surface area of nearly 2,000,000 square kilometres and a population of almost 250,000,000, Indonesia is a major nation in the Asia-pacific region and the third largest democracy in the world.

Since 1950, Indonesia has been an independent nation. The Presidential system of government has been under regular revision as it is adjusted and fine-tuned to meet the needs of this complex collection of peoples on the various island groups. During the mid-twentieth century, there was much civil unrest with the changing of political power from a communist influenced regime to a more right-wing one with huge loss of life ensuing. In recent times, political stability has increased with clear moves in the direction of improving the democratic process and the promotion of economic development.

Indonesia has a large and diverse economy with globally significant reserves of oil and gas. The islands are extremely fertile with a tropical climate and volcanic soils. Frequent geological events such as earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis are experienced as a result of being located near the junction of the Indian Ocean, Eurasian and Pacific tectonic plates.

Bahasa is the official language but there are several hundred other languages also spoken. Indonesia is predominantly an Islamic nation with approximately 86% of the inhabitants following this faith. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity are the significant minorities although in some regions, they are the major faiths. This variation gives rise to regional tensions that have precipitated violent confrontations and bloodshed at times.

The relationship between Indonesia and Australia is one that has flourished in recent years with Indonesia being the recipient of nearly $500 million per annum in Australian aid.