[3] Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state, stretching from Sumatra in Asia to the western part of New Guinea in Oceania.

The exact number of islands composing Indonesia varies among definitions and sources.

[5] However, according to earlier survey in 2002 by National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), the Indonesian archipelago has 18,307 islands,[6] and according to the CIA World Factbook, there are 17,508 islands.

[7] The discrepancy of the numbers of Indonesian islands is due to the earlier surveys including "tidal islands"; sandy cays and rocky reefs that appear during low tide and are submerged during high tide.

As of 2023, 17,024 island have been named by Geospatial Information Agency and published in Indonesian Gazetteer.