Famous landmarks in Indonesia
17 landmarks · 7 animals · 2 places to discover
Indonesia on My Earth Toy, the free 3D toy globe for kids: 17 landmarks, 7 animals, 2 places to discover. Here you can see its flag, capital and size, then fly to every place on the globe.
Two equal horizontal stripes: red on top and white below.
Read about this flag →Indonesia at a glance
- Capital
- Jakarta
- Continent
- Asia
- Area
- 1,904,569 km²
- Population
- 283.5 million
Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia made up of thousands of islands stretched between the Indian and Pacific oceans, along both sides of the equator. Its capital is Jakarta, on the island of Java. Indonesia is the largest country in the world made only of islands and one of the most populous countries on Earth. It is famous for volcanoes, rainforests, coral reefs, ancient temples and an enormous variety of plants and animals.
On My Earth Toy you can visit Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple, the Hindu temples of Prambanan, Bali's Tanah Lot and Pura Besakih, Jakarta's Istiqlal Mosque, and Komodo Island. Look for the Komodo dragon, the Bornean orangutan, the long-nosed proboscis monkey and the rare Javan rhinoceros.
Geography and nature
Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has well over a hundred active volcanoes. The main islands include Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. On New Guinea stands Puncak Jaya, 4,884 metres tall, one of the few places near the equator with glaciers. Thick rainforests are home to orangutans, tigers and hornbills, and the seas around eastern Indonesia have some of the richest coral reefs on Earth.
People, languages and culture
Indonesians speak more than 700 languages, but Bahasa Indonesia, a form of Malay, connects everyone. The Javanese are the largest group. Indonesia has more Muslims than any other country, while most people on Bali follow Hinduism, and there are Christian and Buddhist communities too. Batik cloth, wayang shadow-puppet plays and gamelan orchestras of gongs and metal xylophones are treasured traditions. Popular dishes include nasi goreng (fried rice), satay and rendang. The national motto means Unity in Diversity.
History in a nutshell
Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms ruled the islands for centuries: Srivijaya grew powerful on Sumatra from around the 7th century, Borobudur was built on Java in the 9th century, and later the Majapahit Empire united much of the region. Islam spread gradually through traders. The Dutch began colonising the islands in the 17th century. Japan occupied them during the Second World War. Indonesia declared independence on 17 August 1945, and the Netherlands recognised it in 1949 after years of struggle.
Fun facts
- The Komodo dragon, which lives only on a few Indonesian islands, is the largest lizard in the world.
- The 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora was so huge that 1816 became known in Europe and North America as the year without a summer.
- The last Javan rhinos live in just one national park, Ujung Kulon, on the western tip of Java.
- Borobudur is decorated with more than 2,600 carved relief panels.
Famous landmarks in Indonesia
Borobudur
Indonesia · Asia
The world's largest Buddhist temple, a stepped monument lined with reliefs and bell-shaped stupas.
Prambanan
Indonesia · Asia
Indonesia's largest Hindu temple compound, dominated by the soaring 47 m Shiva temple.
Komodo Island
Indonesia · Asia
A rugged volcanic island, home of the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard.
Istiqlal Mosque
Indonesia · Asia
Indonesia's national mosque, designed by Friedrich Silaban and opened in 1978, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia.
Autograph Tower
Indonesia · Asia
Jakarta's first supertall and Indonesia's tallest building, the 383 m centrepiece of the Thamrin Nine complex, designed by KPF and completed in 2022.
Tanah Lot Temple
Indonesia · Asia
A Hindu sea temple on a rock islet, cut off at high tide and famous for sunsets.
Pura Besakih
Indonesia · Asia
Bali's 'Mother Temple': terraced courtyards of black-thatched meru towers climbing the slopes of Mount Agung.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana
Indonesia · Asia
A 121 m statue of the Hindu god Vishnu riding the mythical bird Garuda.
Wisma 46
Indonesia · Asia
A 262 m office tower on Jalan Sudirman by Zeidler Roberts Partnership with DP Architects, completed in 1996 and Indonesia's tallest until 2016.
National Monument (Monas)
Indonesia · Asia
A 132-metre white marble tower in the middle of Merdeka Square, Jakarta, crowned with a gold-covered 'flame of independence' that celebrates Indonesia's fight for freedom.
Mount Bromo
Indonesia · Asia
An active volcano puffing white steam from the middle of the Tengger caldera's 'sea of sand' in East Java; its sunrise view beside the ribbed cone of Mount Batok is world-famous.
Jam Gadang
Indonesia · Asia
The white clock tower that symbolises Bukittinggi in West Sumatra, with a clock on all four sides and a Minangkabau roof whose tips curve up like buffalo horns.
Pura Ulun Danu Beratan
Indonesia · Asia
A Balinese Hindu water temple that seems to float on Lake Beratan in the highlands; its 11-tier shrine (meru) with black palm-fibre roofs honours Dewi Danu, goddess of the lake.
Raja Ampat (Piaynemo)
Indonesia · Asia
Raja Ampat in West Papua has some of the richest coral reefs on Earth.
Lake Toba
Indonesia · Asia
The largest volcanic lake in the world, formed by a supervolcano eruption about 74,000 years ago.
Tongkonan of Tana Toraja (Ke'te Kesu)
Indonesia · Asia
Tongkonan are the ancestral houses of the Toraja people of Sulawesi: boat-shaped roofs that sweep up at both ends, walls carved in red, black and yellow, and rows of buffalo horns on the front post.
Animals in Indonesia
Places to discover in Indonesia
Questions
What is the capital of Indonesia?
The capital of Indonesia is Jakarta.
Which continent is Indonesia in?
Indonesia is in Asia.
How big is Indonesia?
Indonesia covers about 1,904,569 km².
How many people live in Indonesia?
About 283.5 million people live in Indonesia.
What are the most famous landmarks in Indonesia?
Some of the best-known landmarks in Indonesia are Borobudur, Prambanan, Komodo Island, Istiqlal Mosque and Autograph Tower. My Earth Toy has 17 landmarks from Indonesia on its free 3D globe, each with a photo and quick facts.
Which animals can you find in Indonesia on My Earth Toy?
On the globe you can find Bornean orangutan, Komodo dragon, Proboscis monkey, Green peafowl and Javan rhinoceros in Indonesia.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-30