Indonesia trivia: 45 questions and answers

Jakarta. Jakarta is the capital. A new capital, Nusantara, is being built on Borneo, but by law Jakarta stays the capital until the president signs a decree making the move official, and as of September 2026 that has not happened.

Borneo. Nusantara is being built in East Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, far from crowded and sinking Jakarta on Java.

About 17,000. About 17,000. The official survey agency counted 17,380 named islands in 2024.

Indonesian rupiah. The Indonesian rupiah, written Rp. The ringgit is Malaysia's currency, the baht Thailand's and the peso the Philippines'.

Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea shares the island of New Guinea with Indonesia. Indonesia's other land neighbours are Malaysia, on Borneo, and Timor-Leste, on Timor. Australia, the Philippines and Singapore are neighbours only across the sea.

True. True. Indonesia drives on the left, a habit kept from colonial times, even though the Netherlands itself drives on the right.

17 August 1945. On 17 August 1945 Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta read the proclamation in Jakarta. It is Independence Day. On 27 December 1949 the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty.

Batavia. The Dutch East India Company called it Batavia. It was the centre of Dutch power in Asia and became Jakarta after independence.

Aceh. Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra, was closest to the earthquake. Around 170,000 people died in Indonesia.

True. True. On 28 October 1928 they pledged one motherland, one nation and one unifying language, Indonesian.

False. False. Raden Wijaya first used the Mongol army against a rival king, then turned on it, and the Mongols had to withdraw. He then founded Majapahit.

False. False. Indonesia proclaimed independence in 1945, but the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty only on 27 December 1949, after four years of fighting and talks.

True. True. The law passed in January 2022 says Jakarta keeps its role as capital until a presidential decree makes the move to Nusantara official.

The Minangkabau. The Minangkabau of West Sumatra. Rendang is beef slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices until almost dry.

A thick, sweet soy sauce. Kecap manis is a thick, sweet soy sauce made with palm sugar. It gives nasi goreng its dark colour.

Soybeans. Tempeh is made from whole soybeans, fermented with a mould that binds them into a firm cake. It comes from Java.

Keluak seeds. Rawon gets its dark colour and nutty taste from keluak seeds, which are fermented to make them safe to eat.

Only the dishes you eat from. Only the dishes you eat from. You do not order: you simply take what you want, and the rest goes back.

False. False. Most kopi luwak now comes from civets kept in small cages and force-fed coffee cherries, which raises serious animal welfare concerns.

False. False. Indonesians usually eat with a spoon in the right hand and a fork in the left. Knives are not normally used at the table.

Surabaya. Surabaya. The Battle of Surabaya in November 1945 won support for Indonesian independence.

True. True. The government moved to Yogyakarta in January 1946, when Jakarta was held by the Dutch, and stayed until the struggle ended in 1949.

Buddhism. Buddhism. Borobudur, built in the 9th century in Central Java, is the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

Shiva. The main temple honours Shiva. Smaller temples beside it honour Brahma and Vishnu.

The Komodo dragon. It was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard.

A shared system of canals and water temples. A shared system of canals and water temples, run by farmers together since about the 9th century. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Prambanan. Prambanan was listed in 1991. Tanah Lot, Monas and the Istiqlal Mosque are famous sights but not World Heritage Sites.

True. True. Lake Toba is the caldera of a supervolcano that erupted about 74,000 years ago. It is the largest volcanic lake in the world.

False. False. Bromo is 2,329 m high. The highest mountain in Indonesia is Puncak Jaya, 4,884 m, on New Guinea.

Java. Java, home to about 159 million people, more than half of all Indonesians.

Unity in diversity. It means 'unity in diversity' and comes from a 14th-century Old Javanese poem.

More than 700. More than 700 languages, about a tenth of all the languages in the world.

True. True. Rafflesia flowers can be about 1 m across, and they smell of rotting meat.

False. False. Most people in Indonesia are Muslim, but most people on Bali are Hindu.

Thank you. 'Terima kasih' means thank you. The reply is 'sama-sama', you're welcome.

Island. 'Pulau' means island. Mountain is 'gunung', beach 'pantai' and sea 'laut'.

Spicy. 'Pedas' means spicy hot. To ask for no chilli, say 'tidak pedas'.

Selamat pagi. 'Selamat pagi' is good morning. 'Selamat malam' is good evening, 'selamat sore' good afternoon and 'selamat jalan' goodbye to someone leaving.

Berapa harganya?. 'Berapa harganya?' asks the price. 'Apa kabar?' means how are you, 'minta bon' the bill please and 'permisi' excuse me.

False. False. 'Selamat malam' is good evening, used after dark. In the morning you say 'selamat pagi'.

The whole island shuts down, even the airport. On Nyepi the whole island shuts down, even the airport, and visitors must stay in their hotels.

100,000 rupiah. The largest note is 100,000 rupiah, so count the zeros carefully when you pay.

False. False. Use your right hand to give and receive money, food and gifts; the left hand is seen as unclean.

False. False. Tap water is generally not safe to drink. Drink bottled or boiled water.

False. False. Tipping is not required, though small tips are welcome in tourist areas. Many restaurants add a service charge, marked '++' on the menu.