ABSTRACT
A glance at a map might seem to be enough to suggest the improbability of Indonesia. With more than 13,000 islands, stretching west-to-east for more than 5,000 kilometers across three time zones, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state. One might expect to find in such a vast assemblage at least several countries. Instead there is but one, the Republic of Indonesia. This chapter tries to explain why.
