However, there is one important unifying factor between the regions of Indonesia: subordination to colonial rule (although not all Indonesian islands experienced the same ‘degree of colonialism’). Indeed, when we compare an Acehnese Muslim in the far western part of the Archipelago to a tribal animist family in Papua in the far eastern region, there seem to be more differences than similarities. Such a wide geographic area implies that an enormous amount of cultural diversity can be found within the boundaries of the country.
With a total area of about 1,904,569 km², Indonesia is the world’s 15 th largest country in terms of land size, and the world's largest archipelago.
