5 Reasons Why Indonesia is Called a Maritime Country
5 Reasons Why Indonesia is Called a Maritime Country
Indonesia’s nicknames in the eyes of the world are very diverse, apart from being known as an agricultural country, Indonesia is also known as a maritime country. This nickname was certainly not given just like that. Then, why is Indonesia called a maritime country?
The reason Indonesia is called a maritime country
The nickname of a maritime country was not immediately given to Indonesia. Here are five strong reasons why Indonesia is called a maritime country:
- Has a wide ocean
Based on data from the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) with the Indonesian Navy’s Hydrographic and Oceanographic Center (PUSHIDROSAL), the area of Indonesia is 8.3 million km2 with a water area of 6.4 million km2 and a land area of 1.9 million km2. With such a vast water area, Indonesia is ranked 15th in the largest country in the world, and is the largest country with the longest coastline in Southeast Asia.
- Has a geostrategic position
Indonesia has a very strategic geographical position, where Indonesia is located between two continents and two oceans, which is the center of world trade shipping. Based on this location, Indonesia is strategic as an international trade center, this makes Indonesia’s maritime territory the lifeblood of world trade.
- Progress in the fisheries and marine sector
The fisheries and maritime sector is still a leading sector that makes a big contribution to the nation’s economy, especially export activities. Apart from that, now Indonesia is aggressively developing the marine and fisheries sector based on blue economy principles or sustainable principles, by increasing technological innovation and professional management in order to achieve the vision of a golden Indonesia 2045.
- Has a maritime culture
Indonesia is a multicultural country, that is, it has a variety of diversity, including cultural diversity which includes maritime culture. Maritime culture is interpreted as a collection of values, knowledge, beliefs, activities and behavior of people who live side by side with the sea. The lives of coastal communities have an important role in maintaining maritime culture, for example Tegal, which is known as the Maritime City, has a unique tradition, namely sea almsgiving which is done as an expression of gratitude, blessings and sustenance from sea products for its source of income. Based on these reasons, Indonesia is indeed worthy of the nickname as a maritime country.
What is a maritime country?
Quoting from the book Indonesian Maritime History by Suroyo, a maritime country is a country where most of its territory is dominated by waters, where the waters are wider than the land. Meanwhile, based on UNCLOS, a maritime country is a country that can make optimal use of its marine resources for the glory of its country. Thus, maritime countries are not only countries whose territory is dominated by waters, but these countries are considered capable of managing natural resources from the bottom to the surface of the sea in various aspects including economic, geopolitical and military aspects.
Characteristics of a maritime state
Quoted from the book The Influence of Sea Power Upon History by Mahan, there are six conditions for a country to become a maritime country, namely, geographical location, characteristics of the land and coast, area, population, character of the population, and government institutions. Based on this, maritime countries have the following characteristics:
- It has more water areas, where its water area is around 2/3 of its land area.
- It has many islands surrounded by sea or surrounding waters.
- Has large natural resources in the marine sector, including minerals, energy, food and others.
- Most of the people are fishermen, or their main livelihood is in the maritime sector
