Indonesia is “The Country Of 1001 Disasters”
Indonesia has a special geographic and astronomic position. Geographically, Indonesia is located between two continents and two oceans. The continents are Asia and Australia. The oceans are Hindia and Pacific. Astronomically, Indonesia is located in 60 LU until 110 LS and 960 BT until 1410 BT. It means that Indonesia is passed by equator line. This special position makes Indonesia to be a beautiful “maritime” country. It is caused Indonesia consists of many islands with the amazing landscape. Not only has a beautiful landscape, but also a lot of natural and human resources.
The world consists of many plates. There are Eurasian plate, North American plate, Philippine plate, Caribbean plate, Arabian plate, African plate, Antarctica plate, Pacific plate, Australian plate, and many others. Indonesia is located between two plates. There are Eurasia plate and Australian plate. The plates crash each other. It is called subduction zone. There are many effects caused by subduction zone. Around the crashing plates will be created many volcanoes. The volcanoes will create ring of fire. Besides that, the zone will be sensitive place of earthquake.
Indonesia has a lot of volcanoes and sea. The volcanoes are still active. They are caused volcanic earthquake, tectonic earthquake, eruption, and also tsunami in Indonesia. Indonesia is so potential for that disaster. For examples, there are big earthquake in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Aceh, Pangandaran, Papua, etc. In Daerah Istimewa Aceh and Pangandaran, the big earthquake is followed by tsunami. It causes many victims and suffers a financial loss. The word of tsunami is taken from Japanese language. Tsu means harbour and nami means wave. Tsunami is caused by ocean bottom earthquake that the magnitude is more than 5 scale richter. It is also caused by volcanism. The other examples of disasters in Indonesia are Merapi eruption in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, son of Krakatau eruption in Sunda’s strain, Bromo eruption, etc.
Not only earthquake, tsunami, and eruption of volcanoes, but also mass wasting, flood, and slide of land are the disasters in Indonesia. They are also natural disasters in Indonesia. For examples are flood and slide of land in Wasior, Papua. It is caused by the quality of rainfall and the minimum of recharge area. Many forests are cut through by illegal logging.
Indonesia is “The country of 1001 disasters”. The government and the citizen have to anticipate that natural disasters. It can be socialization about the danger area of eruption, flood, earthquake, tsunami, etc. So, if the disasters come back, there are minimum or maybe no victims again. It needs active participation from all sides to make this country always safe from natural disasters. This anticipates are called preventive action.
I am really enthusiast about geography. I enjoy to study about it. So, I study in Faculty of Geography and my specification is Environment Geography. It is very interesting because I live in the country that has a lot of natural phenomenon of geography as Indonesia. Someday, I hope my knowledge can be use in my country, Indonesia. So, I can make Indonesia to be the best country of anticipated natural disasters.
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