Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world, has decided to name its islands that currently lack names, of which there are nearly 5,000, in order to prevent territorial disputes with its neighbors
Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands, of which only about 11,000 are inhabited. The government in Jakarta has long been in dispute with its neighbors, including Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam, over the sovereignty of certain islands. Over the weekend, the government submitted a list of names and coordinates for 4,981 islands at the 24th conference of the UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names in New York, reports The Jakarta Post. A spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries stated that Indonesia is rushing to name all the islands to take a firm stance in any border dispute. (Hina)
