Energy Security in Indonesia

Indonesia, which spreads over more than 17,000 islands and has a population of approximately 230 million, is the world’s largest archipelago and the fourth most populous nation. It stretches along the equator for about 6000 kilometres — approximately the same distance as from San Francisco to New York. The territory extends roughly from 6° N to 10° S and from 95° E to 142° E, between the Indian and Pacific oceans and links the continents of Asia and Australia. While the country’s territory covers an area of approximately 7.9 million km2 (including the coastal Exclusive Economic Zone area), only approximately 1.9 million km2 is land. Indonesia is the largest member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and accounts for nearly 40 per cent of its population and 36.5 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) (ASEAN, 2010).