The vast Indonesian archipelago is spread over more than 17,000 islands. The largest islands are Sumatra, Java, Borneo (shared with Brunei and Malaysia), Sulawesi, and New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea). The other islands are Lesser Sunda Islands, Moluccas, East Nusa Tenggara, West Nusa Tenggara, and the island of Timor.
The official name of the country is the Republic of Indonesia. The name of the largest island, Sumatra, is derived from the Sanskrit word for “mountain”. Java is derived …