Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic country, with more than 17,000 islands and 280 million people, is home to hundreds of ethnic groups and languages, as well as six major religions and many localized belief systems. For that reason, ethnic and religious tolerance is essential to prevent social discord -- a view encapsulated in Indonesia's policy of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), its official national motto.
But there is a less well-known unifying factor that has its roots in centuries of immigration from China -- the humble noodle, which can be found in multiple forms across the country but is especially noticeable in Jakarta, the capital and largest city.
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