How many islands make up the nation of Indonesia?

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans.

It is the world's largest island country, with between 17,500 and 18,500 islands in the archipelago, and at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles), the 14th largest by land area and the 7th largest in combined sea and land area.

With over 261 million people, it is the world's 4th most populous country as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, contains more than half of the country's population.

Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups, with the largest (and politically dominant) ethnic group being the Javanese. A shared identity has developed, defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a Muslim-majority population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. Indonesia's national motto, "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" ("Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"), articulates the diversity that shapes the country.