Regions

Indonesia spans 38 provinces (as of 2024), grouped across the major island regions: Sumatra, Java, Bali and the Lesser Sundas, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua. That number is not fixed; four new Papua provinces were created in 2022 alone. Each region is a distinct world, shaped by its own adat (customary law), ethnic makeup, language and economy, and each carries its own practicalities for foreign residents. Under regional autonomy, provincial and local governments set many of the rules you will deal with day to day, so what holds in Jakarta need not hold in Denpasar or Medan. The pages below cover the regions in turn.