Ancient Kingdoms
This Buddhist maritime empire, based in Sumatra, dominated Southeast Asian trade routes from the 7th to 13th centuries.
Srivijaya
This Dutch trading company, founded in 1602, effectively ruled much of the archipelago for two centuries.
VOC
Indonesia declared independence on the 17th day of what month in 1945.
August
This mythical eagle-like bird is Indonesia's national emblem, clutching a ribbon in its talons.
Garuda
Indonesia's first president, who co-proclaimed independence on August 17, 1945.
Sukarno
This Hindu-Buddhist empire, centered in East Java, is regarded as the greatest pre-colonial empire in Indonesian history.
Majapahit
This European nation, arriving in the early 1500s, was first to seize control of the spice trade in Maluku.
Portugal
What is this brief document, read aloud by Sukarno on the morning of August 17, 1945, that formally declared independence?
Proklamasi
Inscribed on the national emblem's ribbon, this motto translates to "Unity in Diversity."
Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
Indonesia's first vice president and Sukarno's proclamation partner, an economist by training.
Mohammad Hatta
This legendary Majapahit prime minister vowed to abstain from earthly pleasures until he united the whole archipelago.
Gajah Mada
Introduced in 1830, this Dutch policy forced farmers to devote part of their land to export crops for the colonial government.
Cultivation System (cultuurstelsel)
This 1928 youth pledge declared one nation, one language, and one homeland: Indonesia.
Sumpah Pemuda
This wax-resist cloth dyeing technique was named a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.
Batik
This Javanese noblewoman, born in 1879, championed education and rights for Indonesian women.
Kartini
Built by the Sailendra dynasty in the 9th century in Central Java, this is the world's largest Buddhist temple.
Borobudur
Native only to Indonesia's Banda Islands, this fragrant spice was once literally worth its weight in gold.
Nutmeg
Composed by W.R. Supratman and first performed publicly in 1928, this became Indonesia's national anthem.
Indonesia Raya
Formulated by Sukarno in 1945, this five-principle philosophy is the ideological foundation of the Indonesian state.
Pancasila
This general led guerrilla resistance against returning Dutch forces despite suffering from severe tuberculosis.
Sudirman
Known from 5th-century Yupa inscriptions found in East Kalimantan, this is the oldest known Hindu kingdom in the Indonesian archipelago.
Kutai
Launched in 1901, this Dutch reform policy promised education, irrigation, and resettlement in return for colonial profits.
Ethical Policy
This December 1949 conference, held in the Netherlands, formally arranged the transfer of sovereignty to Indonesia.
Round Table Conference
Rooted in Hindu philosophy, this centuries-old Balinese cooperative irrigation system for rice terraces was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012.
Subak
This resistance leader from Aceh kept fighting the Dutch even after losing her sight in old age.
Cut Nyak Dhien