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Featured Pictures of 2006

Week 32

Indonesia is culturally diverse, and every one of the 13,000 islands has its own cultural and artistic history and character. This results hundreds of differernt forms of music, which often accompanies dance and theater. The musics of Java, Sumatra, Bali, Flores and other islands have been documented and recorded, and research by Indonesian and international scholars is ongoing.

The most popular and famous form of Indonesian music is gamelan, an ensemble of tuned percussion instruments that include metallophones, drums, gongs and spike fiddles along with bamboo flutes. Similar ensembles are prevalent throughout Indonesia and Malaysia, but gamelan is from Java, Bali and Lombok. There are rivalries between different regions' variations of gamelan, especially Java and Bali.

Photo credit: Fir0002

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Week 33

Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi in Indonesian language, is a conical volcano in Central Java, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. Its name means Mountain of Fire. It is very close to the city of Yogyakarta, and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1700 m above sea level.

Several of its eruptions have caused fatalities. It was erupting from 1992 to 2002, and a particularly large explosion killed 43 people in 1994. It began erupting again in 2006, and scientists believe a large eruption is imminent. In light of the hazards it poses to populated areas, it has been designated a Decade Volcano.

Photo credit: Blethrow

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Week 34

Like many big cities in developing countries, Jakarta suffers from major urbanization problems. The population has risen sharply from 1.2 million in 1960 to 5.8 million in 2000, counting only its legal residents. The rapid population growth has outgrown the government's ability to provide basic needs for its residents. As the third biggest economy in Indonesia, Jakarta has attracted a large number of visitors. The population during weekends is almost double that of weekdays, due to the influx of residents residing in other areas of Jabotabek. Because of government's inability to provide adequate transportation for its large population, Jakarta also suffers from severe traffic jams that occur almost every day.

During the wet season, Jakarta suffers from flooding due to clogged sewage pipes and waterways. Rainforest depletion due to rapid urbanization on the highland areas south of Jakarta near Bogor and Depok has also contributed to the floods.

Photo credit: Jonathan McIntosh

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Week 35

The Bogor Botanical Gardens are located 60 km south of the capital of Jakarta in Bogor, Indonesia. The botanical gardens are situated in the city center of Bogor and adjoin the Istana Bogor (Presidential Palace). The gardens cover more than 80 hectares and are said to be the inspiration of Sir Stamford Raffles who was governor of Java from 1811-1816.

The extensive grounds of the presidential palace were converted into the gardens by the German-born Dutch botanist, Professor Casper George Carl Reinwardt. The gardens officially opened in 1817 and were used to research and develop plants and seeds from other parts of the Indonesian archipelago for cultivation during the 19th century. This is a tradition that continues today and contributes to the garden's reputation as a major center for botanical research.

Photo credit: hullie

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Week 36

The rumah gadang (Minangkabau, "big house") is the traditional house (Indonesian: "rumah adat") of the Minangkabau. A rumah gadang is a long house, and the roof of the building curves upwards at each end to form horn like shapes. With the Minangkabau society being matrilineal, the rumah gadang is owned by the women of the family who live there - ownership is passed from mother to daughter. One of the larger examples of the Rumah Gadang architectural style is the Pagaruyung Palace near Batusangkar.

Photo credit: Michael J. Lowe

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Week 37

Baitul Makmur Meulaboh Grand Mosque in Meulaboh, Aceh, left intact after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, that created a huge tsunami leaving at least 130,000 deaths in Indonesia only. A Navy HH-60H Seahawk helicopter, assigned to the "Golden Falcons" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Two (HS-2), was delivering relief supplies to the survivors in Meulaboh. More than US$ 10 bn aids were promised by tens of countries in one of the biggest humanitarian responses ever.

Photo credit: 3rd Class Benjamin D. Glass, a U.S. Navy personnel

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Week 38

A painting of Prambanan temple compound by Sir Thomas Raffles in 1870. During the Anglo-Dutch Java War, Great Britain conquered Java island in 1811 and Raffles was appointed as lieutenant governor of Java until 1816. Raffless has great interests on Java antiquities, including some Hindus and Buddhist temples in Java. Prambanan has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

Photo credit: Sir Thomas Raffles (1870).

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Week 39

The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest living lizard in the world, growing to an average length of 2-3 meters (10 feet). In the wild large adults tend to weigh around 70kg (154 pounds). Captive specimens often weigh more. The largest verified wild specimen was 3.13 metres (10 feet 3 inches) long and weighed 166kg (365 pounds), including undigested food.

Photo credit: Raul654

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Week 40

Prawn Crackers (American Shrimp Chip, Shrimp Cracker, originally Kerupuk, Keropok or Indonesian and Dutch Kroepoek) is an Indonesian and Malaysian snack consisting of deep fried crackers made of flour (Usually Tapioca flour or potato flour) and flavoured with fish, prawns or vegetables.

Photo credit: Jonathan McIntosh

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Week 41

Galunggung (Galoen-gong, Gunung Galunggung) is an active stratovolcano on Java, Indonesia. The last major eruption on Galunggung was in 1982, which had a volcanic explosivity index of 4 and killed 35 people.

Photo credit: R. Hadian

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Week 42

A gamelan is a kind of musical ensemble of Indonesian origin typically featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums, and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings, and vocalists may also be included.

Photo credit: Fir0002

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Week 43

Mall Taman Anggrek is the largest shopping mall and condominium complex in Southeast Asia. It is located in West Jakarta, Indonesia. The mall is named after a real orchid garden which occupied the building site prior to construction. Taman anggrek literally means 'orchid garden' in English.

Photo credit: Jonathan MacIntosh

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Week 44

Like many big cities in developing countries, Jakarta suffers from major urbanization problems. The rapid population growth has outgrown the government's ability to provide basic needs for its residents.

Photo credit: Jonathan MacIntosh

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Week 45

Kids in Ubud, Bali getting ready for a traditional Balinese ceremony. Despite 60 years of modernisation and increased sense of nationhood since Indonesian independence, Indonesians are still loyal to their regional ethnic identities.

Photo credit: Merbabu

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Week 46

The island of Java has a landscape dominated by sawah (Indonesian for "rice fields") and gunung api ("volcanos"), many of them active. Volcanic ash has provided the island with great agricultural fertility.

Photo credit: Merbabu

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Week 47

The island of Java has a landscape dominated by sawah (Indonesian for "rice fields") and gunung api ("volcanos"), many of them active. Volcanic ash has provided the island with great agricultural fertility.

Photo credit: Merbabu

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Week 48

Terraced rice fields ("sawah") in Tegalalang near Ubud, Bali. The Subak irrigation system has a great importance for the community. Terraces were built around temples and water management is controlled by a priest.

Photo credit: Adriano

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Week 49

On 3 June 1994, Mount Rinjani on Lombok island erupted with magnitude of three on VEI scale. The eruption lasted until at least in November and had caused some pyroclastic, lava and lahar flows.

Photo credit: Oliver Spalt
Between the 3rd and the 10th June up to 172 explosions could be heard each day from Sembalun Lawang Volcano Observatory.
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Week 50

Jamu is a traditional drink of Javanese people. Fluids from a certain herbs are extracted to create the drink. Javanese beliefs that drinking certain jamu can restore their energy, vitality or sometimes sexuality.

Photo credit: avantsteve

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Week 51

Kecak fire dance is a famous folk dance in Bali, performed by more than 100 men sitting in circular form. The dance depicts the Ramayana story which tells about the battle between Prince Rama and the evil King Ravana who steals Rama's wife, Sita.

Photo credit: Mr Aaron

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Week 52

Nasi goreng is a popular dish in Indonesia. It literally means fried rice in English. Rice is cooked and fried with sweet soy sauce. It is often accompanied by a fried egg and keropok (rice cracker).

Photo credit: Sakurai Midori

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