Yesterday, 17 August was Indonesian Independence Day \u2014 I didn\u2019t get around to mentioning it, I guess because I was pre-occupied with \u201cCat Nights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve mentioned before that I was in Jakarta one year for Independence Day and I usually remember it around this time of year. Indonesian Independence Day is known locally as Hari Merdeka<\/em> and is observed every August 17 to celebrate the nation\u2019s declaration of independence from Dutch colonization \u2014 in 1945.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Indonesia is the largest island nation on Earth, and Java is the world\u2019s most populous island. There are a lot of volcanos in Indonesia, some of them pretty famous \u2014 the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 is believed to be the loudest sound ever heard in recorded history. Mount Tambora erupted in 1816 and the eruption was so intense, it altered the climate so much it was incredibly cold throughout the year \u2014 1816 is known as \u201cThe Year Without A Summer\u201d and there\u2019s a volcano in Indonesia that erupts blue lava. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though two-thirds of the 17,508 islands that make up Indonesia are uninhabited, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country on Earth. Unlike the American Declaration of Independence, which contained over 1,000 words and contained 56 signatures, the Indonesian proclamation, when translated to English, consisted of only 45 words and contained two signatures \u2014 Sukarno, the new president, and Mohammad Hatta, the new vice president. It was drafted the night before declaring independence. Yesterday, 17 August was Indonesian Independence Day \u2014 I didn\u2019t get around to mentioning it, I guess because I was pre-occupied with \u201cCat Nights.\u201d I\u2019ve mentioned before that I was in Jakarta one year for Independence Day and I usually … Continue reading
Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. It was built in the 9th century and was constructed using over two million stone blocks.
The national animal is the komodo dragon \u2014 the world\u2019s largest lizard. The national mystical animal of Indonesia is the Garuda \u2014 it is a golden bird that can be seen on Indonesia\u2019s national emblem. I\u2019ve spent a fair amount of time in Indonesian Airlines airplanes\u2026. the airline? Garuda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Happy Independence Day to Indonesia.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"