2012 Volume 121 Issue 5 Pages 867-873
This paper presents an overview of the current status of geography in Indonesia with particular reference to the university education system. Geography as a discipline apparently occupies a peripheral position in the academic institutions of Indonesia as shown by the fact that so far only three universities offer geography-majors among the nation's some four-hundred colleges. The geography of Indonesia today is characterized by three major trends. The first is a preference for physical geography in accordance with the perception that geography as a whole is one of the natural sciences. The second trend can be observed in the remarkable emphasis placed upon new technologies applying spatial information, which are both subject of study and advanced tools. Finally, geography seeks to play an active role as a practical science within the context of a nation addressing development and integration.
