The Indonesian archipelago consists of more than 17,000 islands, of which about 6,000 are inhabited. The largest islands are Sumatra, Java, Borneo (Kalimantan), Sulawesi, and New Guinea. The easternmost islands are the Lesser Sunda Islands, between Bali and East Timor.
The Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or VOC) claimed the first territory in the archipelago in 1602, followed by the British East India Company (EIC) in 1616. Both companies eventually withdrew in favor of the Dutch and British …