Official language:
Indonesian

Other languages:
Javanese

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• Islam .
• They have two funerals; the first one is a private affair straight away after the death, and the body is preserved in the house where it died until the necessary cash has been saved up for the second one, a much bigger, more public affair. Because the second funeral is effectively a huge party and can be held at any time, it tends to be organized for between July and October when the relatives can come to visit more easily, during the school holidays.
• The second funeral is a celebration of the person's life, of him or her making the step into the next world, where those left on earth make sure they send all the help they can to the person's spirit.
• One of the ways the dead is judged is on how successful it was in its previous life, and this is influenced by looking at the number of animal spirits that have been sent along with the person. In other words, the larger the number of animals that get slaughtered at the funeral, the better the spirit's chance of getting to the Torajan version of heaven.
• The best animal to get sent along for your journey to the netherworld is the water buffalo.
  
  
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• Rice is the basis of each meal, eaten as a soup or with an assortment of hot and spicy side dishes. Nasi goreng (fried rice) is the most common dish, while sate (skewered meats with a spicy peanut sauce), gado-gado (bean sprouts and veggies in peanut sauce) and seafood are also popular.
• Beef products are consumed mostly by the wealthy urban population. Rural consumption of beef is kept to a minimum since buffalo is used as draft animals and cattle are used for milk production.
• Chicken and goat are also common staples in the diet
• . Indonesia also has a large amount of fresh seafood such as tuna, shrimp, lobster, crab, anchovies, carp, prawns, and sea slugs.
• About the only drink Indonesians take with their meals is China tea. Water is generally consumed only after the meal.
• Food is usually eaten quite rapidly and without speaking, using the fingertips or with a spoon or fork. While visitors are not expected to eat only with the right hand, do not touch food with the left hand.
  
  
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• The largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia consists of five main islands; Java, Sumatra Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya and about 30 small archipelagoes, a total of more than 17,508 islands.
• Indonesia is the 4th most populous country in the world, with 216 million people. The 300 ethnic groups speak 365 different languages.
• The Komodo dragon (varanus komodoensis), the world's largest lizard, grows to 3 meters (9,8 ft) long and is found in Indonesia.
  
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