Indonesia is the largest archipelago and the fifth most populous country in the world, consisting of 5 main islands and 30 smaller archipelagoes, it has a total normally quoted of 13.677 islands up to the atols, which about 6.000 are already inhabited. It stretches 5.150 kms or lies between 6^o08' to 11^o15' south, between the Australian and Asian continental mainland and divides the Pacific and Indian oceans at the equator. The name of Indonesia is composed of two Greek words : "Indos" means Indian and "Nesos" meaning islands. The main islands are Sumatra 473.660 square km almost twice the area of Great Britain, Kalimantan 539.460 square km, Sulawesi 189.216 square km, Irian Jaya 421.981 square km, and the smallest but most populated is Java 132.187 square km. Indonesia shares the islands of Kalimantan (two thirds) with Malaysia and Brunai Darrusalam and Irian Jaya with Papua New Guinea.

Indonesia special territories and classified geographically into 4 groups. First is the greater Sundas comprising the largest islands of Sumatra, Java, kalimantan and Sulawesi. Second is the Lesser Sundas consisting of smaller islands from Bali eastward to Timor. Third is Maluku which includes all islands between Irian Jaya and Sulawesi. The fourth group is Irian Jaya in the extreme eastern part of the country.

The size of the country is tremendous including the sea is around 3,166.000 square km, and land size only is 2,027.000 square km bring in total of 5,293.000 square km. Seen form the size it could be said in the row of Russia, Canada, China, Brazil, USA, Australia, India, Indonesia. If the map of Indonesia is superimposed to Europe it will cover from the west is middle of Ireland streches to the east up to Aral lake in the area of Kazaksthan.

Geography student book of elementary school in mapping the provinces of Indonesia mentioned some main islands covered by each of the province which is now 33 after the formation of new provinces since 2000.

1. Aceh Province on the northern tip of Sumatra Island, including some islands :
   (1) Pualu Weh, + 2 small islands (2) Pulau Semelue + 3 small islands (3) Pulau Banyak + 5 smallislands
2. Sumatra Utara Province including some islands :
   (1) Pulau Nias (2) Pulau Batu + 3 small islands (3) Pulau Marsela + 1 small island
3. Sumatra Barat Province includes some islands:
   (1) Pulau Siberut + 1 small island (2) Pulau Sipura (3) Pulau Pagai Utara (4) Pulau Pagai Selatan
4. Riau Land Province - Sumatra Island includes :
   (1) Pulau Rupat (2) Pulau Bengkalis (3) Pulau Padang (4) Pulau Rangsang (5) Pulau Tebing Tinggi (6) Pulau Mendol + 3 small islands (7) Pulau Bakong + 5 small islands
5. Riau Island Province includes :
   (1) 9 Main islands : Natuna, Mubur, Jemaja, Bintan, Batam, Karimun, Kelapa Jernih, Sebangka, Lingga, and Singkep (2) More then 100 small islands
6. Jambi Province - Sumatra island
7. Bangka Bilitung Province includes :
   (1) Pulau Bangka (2) Pulau Bilitung + 25 small islands
8. Bengkulu Province - Sumatra Island
9. Sumatra Selatan Province
10. Lampung Province - Sumatra Island including 6 small islands
11. Banten Province - West tip of Java including :
    (1) Pulau Seribu around 130 islands (2) Pulau Penaitan + 6 small islands
12. Jakarta Province - Java Island
13. Jawa Barat Province - Java island
14. Jawa Tengah Province - Java island including Nusa Kambangan island
15. Yogyakarta Province - Java island
16. Jawa Timur Province - Java island including : Madura island + 9 small islands
17. Bali Province including (1) Pulau Nusa Penida (2) Pulau Nusa Lembongan + 3 small islands
18. Nusa Tenggara Barat Province including :
    (1) Pulau Lombok + 5 Gilis small islands (2) Pulau Sumbawa + 12 small islands
19. Nusa Tenggara Timur Province including :
    (1) Pulau Flores (2) Pulau Alor (3) Pulau Solor + 25 smaller islands (4) Pulau Sumba (5) Pulau Timor Barat (6) Pulau Roti (7) Pulau Sawu + 5 small islands
20. Kalimantan Barat Province includes :
    (1) Pulau Padang Tikar (2) Pulau Maya (3) Pulau Karimata (4) Pulau Bawal + 5 small islands
21. Kalimantan Tengah Province
22. Kalimantan Selatan Province including (1) Pulau Laut (2) Pulau Sebuku
23. Kalimantan Timur Province including :
    (1) Pulau Maratua (2) Pulau Kakaban (3) Pulau Sebatik (4) Pulau Nunukan (5) Pulau Mandul (6) Pulau Bunyu (7) Pulau Tarakan + 12 small islands
24. Gorontalo Province - Sulawesi Island + 2 small islands
25. Sulawesi Utara Province including :
    (1) Pulau Sangir + 17 small islands (2) Pulau Karangkelong (3) Pulau Salebabu (4) Pulau Kaburuan + 6 small island (5) Pulau Bunaken (7) Pulau Manado Tua (8) Pulau Mantehage (9) Pulau Pulau Talibesi (10) Pulau Bangka (11) Pulau Lembeh (12) Pulau Biaro (13) Pulau Ruang (14) Pulau Tabulandang (15) Pulau Siau + 3 small islands
26. Sulawesi Tengah Province - Sulawesi island including :
    (1) Pulau Unana (2) Pulau Batudaka (3) Pulau Togian (4) Pulau Waleabasi + 2 small islands (5) Pulau Peleng (6) Pulau Bengkulu (7) Pulau Alasan (8) Pulau Banggai + 14 small islands
27. Sulawesi Tenggara Province - Sulawesi island including :
    (1) Pulau Wowoni + 6 small islands (2) Pulau Muna + 41 small islands (3) Pulau Buton + 4 small islets (4) Pulau Wangiwangi + 5 small islands (5) Pulau Katedupa + 2 small islands (6) Pulau Tomea + 2 small islands (7) Pulau Binongko (8) 8 islands at Pao Pao beach
28. Sulawesi Selatan Province - Sulawesi Island including :
    (1) Pulau Tanakeke + around 50 islests on west coast of Pangkajene (2) Pulau Selayar (3) Pulau + 8 small islands (3) Pulau Tanah jampea + 6 small islands (4) Pulau Kalao (5) Pulau Bonerate + 17 islets (6) 7 atols on beach of Sinjai
29. Maluku Selatan Province, the biggest archipelago in Indonesia including :
    (1) Pulau Buru (2) Pulau Ambelau (3) Pulau Boano (4) Pulau Seram (5) Pulau Ambon (6) Pulau Haruka (7) Pulau Saparua + 2 smaller islands (8) Pulau Wetar (9) Pulau Romang (10) Pulau Kisar (11) Pulau Leti (12) Pulau Moa (13) Pulau Lokan (14) Pulau Sermata + 2 small islands (15) Pulau Damar + 6 small islands (16) Pulau Babar + 5 small islands (17) Pulau Yamdena + 13 small islands (17) Pulau Penyu + 5 small islands (18) Pulau Banda + 3 small islands (19) Pulau Nuhuroa + 16 small islands (20) Pulau Warilao (21) Pulau Wokan (22) Pulau Karbor (23) Pulau Maikor (23) Pulau Trangan + 16 small island
30. Maluku Utara Province including :
    (1) Pulau Taliabu (2) Pulau Mangole (3) Pulau Sulabesi (4) Pulau Obi + 9 small islands (5) Pulau Bacan (6) Pulau Mandioli (7) Pulau Kasirutu (8) Pulau Lata lata (9) Pulau Taneti (10) Pulau Kayoa (11) Pulau Makian (12) Pulau Tidore (13) Pulau Ternate (14) Pulau Halmahera + 18 small island (15) Pulau Tobalai (16) Pulau Gebe + 1 small island
31. Irian Barat Provnice including :
    (1) Pulau Misol + 13 smaller islands (2) Pulau Salwati (3) PUlau Batanta (4) Pulau Gam, (5) Pulau Waigeo + 12 small islands (6) Pulau Rumberpon (7) Pulau Meoswaar (8) Pulau Room
32. Irian Tengah Province including :
    (1) Pulau Yapen + 5 small islands (2) Pulau Miosnum (3) Pulau Numfor (4) Pulau Supiori (5) Pulau Biak + 5 smaller islands
33. Irian Timur Province including (1) Pulau Kolepom ( Yos Sudarso ) (2) Pulau Komoron