HOST OF THE OLYMPIAD 2002COUNTRY - CITY - INSTITUTIONIndonesia is a new country with an old history. Fossils of early hominids including the famous "Java Man" (Pithecanthropus Erectus) were found in Java. The strategic position of Indonesia has had distinctive influences on both the political and economic history of the country. Major migration movements to the Indonesian archipelago have been traced as far back as 3,000- 500 B.C. Indonesia came under the influence of a mighty Indian civilization through the gradual influx of Indian traders in the first century A.D., when great Hindu and Buddhist empires were beginning to emerge. By the seventh century, the Buddhist Kingdom of Sriwijaya was a dominating power in Southeast Asia. The thirteenth century saw the rise of the fabulous Majapahit Hindu Empire in East Java, which united the whole of what is now modern day Indonesia and parts of the Malay Peninsula, and ruled for two centuries. Many ethereal temples and monuments spread through Java and Sumatra are remnants of this glorious period in Indonesia's history. Indian and Arab traders laid the foundations for the gradual spread of Islam to the region, which did not replace Hinduism and Buddhism as the dominant religions until the end of the 16th century. Small Moslem kingdoms developed and grew, but none anticipated the strength and persistence of European invasions. Portuguese and later Dutch slowly become a dominant force in the archipelago until the Japanese invasion in 1942. The surrender of the Japanese in 1945 ended the Second World War in Asia and provided a chance to Indonesia to proclaim its independence on August 17 that same year. A foundation for scientific research Indonesia has been initiated long ago. In 1817, C.G. Reinwardt, a Dutch botanist, built the first botanical garden in Bogor that now become a major research center in the world. The garden with its collection of 20,000 species of plants from Indonesia and around the world is completed with a library, laboratory, and zoological museum. In 1929, Christiaan Eijkman won a Noble Price in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery that the real cause of beriberi was a deficiency of some vital substance that is located in the pericarpium of rice. This finding led to the concept of vitamins. Eijkman was the Director of Javanese Medical School and Medical Laboratory in Batavia (Jakarta) when he made his important researches.
The island of Bali is part of the Republic of Indonesia and is located 8 to 9 degrees south of the equator between Java in the West and Lombok and the rest of the Lesser Sunda Islands (Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba and Timor) in the East. Flying time to Jakarta is about 1.5 hours, to Singapore and Perth (Australia) 2.5 and 3 hours, and to Hong Kong about 4 hours. The island of Bali has an area of only 5,632 square kilometers (2,175 square miles) and measures just 55 miles (90 kilometers) along the north-south axis and less than about 90 miles (140 kilometers) from East to West. Because of this it's no problem to explore the island on day tours. You can go wherever you want on the island and return to your hotel or villa in the evening. Located only two kilometers east of Jawa, Bali's climate, flora and fauna are quite similar to its much larger neighbour. The island is famous for its beautiful landscape. A chain of six volcanoes, between 1,350 meters and 3,014 meters high, stretches from west to east. There are lush tropical forests, pristine crater lakes, fast flowing rivers and deep ravines, pictoresque rice terraces, and fertile vegetable and fruit gardens. The beaches in the South consist of white sand, beaches in other parts of the island are covered with grey or black volcanic sand. Bali's wide variety of attractions and facilities, the physical beauty of the island, and the year-round pleasant climate make Bali a place regarded by many visitors as the "Ultimate Island". The friendly people and the absence of any security problems (even during the recent dangerous times in other parts of Indonesia) guarantee visitors a totally relaxing stay - which is a very pleasant surprise for guests who repeatedly felt threatened in Barbados, Jamaica, and other "dream islands" in the Caribbean. Institut Teknologi Bandung is the oldest and most prestigious science and engineering university in Indonesia. According to the survey conducted by Asiaweek magazine, ITB has the highest score in student selectivity for science and technology schools in Asia. The precursor of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) was established in 1920 as a Technische Hogescholl (TH) and later, during the Second World War, was renamed Kogyo Daigaku. After the war, it became the Technical Faculty of University of Indonesia. Although these institutions of higher learning had their own individual characteristics and missions, they left their influences on developments leading to the establishment of ITB. On March 2, 1959, the institution was inaugurated as Institut Teknologi Bandung. Many graduates of ITB (and its precursors) contributed significantly to Indonesian history and development. The first Indonesian president, Soekarno was a graduate of TH, while the third president, Habibie was also a student at ITB. ITB has about 12,000 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students in twenty-seven departments in sciences, engineering, and fine arts.
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