Indonesia Issues New Series on Independence Day

Bank Indonesia (the Central Bank of the Republic of Indonesia) has designed a completely new series of banknotes, with significantly improved security features over the previous designs, selecting the nation’s Independence Day, 17 August, to launch them.

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a located in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It comprises over 17,000 islands, making it the world›s largest archipelagic state and, at over 1.9 million km², the 14th largest country by area. With over 277 million people, it is also the world’s fourth-most populous country and has the fifth largest economy in Asia.

Indonesia was colonised in the early 16th century by Portuguese traders seeking to monopolies the source of nutmeg, cloves and pepper. Dutch and British traders soon followed, and in 1602, the Dutch established the Dutch East India Company and became the dominant European power for almost 200 years. In 1800 this was replaced as the Dutch East Indies.