The name Indonesia has its roots in two Greek words: "Indo" meaning Indian and "Nesos" which means islands. It is an appropriate description of the archipelago as there are estimated to be a total of 17,508 islands, of which only about 6,000 are inhabited, stretching for 5,150 kms between the Australian and Asian continental mainlands and dividing the Pacific and Indian Oceans at the Equator.

Five main islands and 30 smaller archipelagoes are home to the majority of the population. The main islands are Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Irian Jaya and Java, home to 70% of the country's population. Indonesia shares Irian Jaya with Papua New Guinea and two thirds of the island of Kalimantan with Malaysia and Borneo.

The people of Indonesia constitute the fourth most populated nation in the world after China, India and Pakistan. The islands offer a stunning variety of topographies and ecologies mist-shrouded volcanoes and mountains, unexplored rain forests, thousands of miles of beaches, and endless offshore reefs support a dazzling abundance of wildlife, making Indonesia an ideal destination for adventure and eco-travel. There are 365 ethnic and tribal groups. The principal ones are Acehnese, Bataks, Minangkabaus (Sumatra); Javanese, Sundanese (Java); Balinese (Bali); Sasaks (Lombok); and Dani (Irian Jaya).