also promoting a Transmigration Program, which has caused a number of conflicts in the eastern region of the country. Cuisine Indonesian cuisine is one of the most vibrant and colourful cuisines in the world, full of intense flavor. It is diverse, in part because Indonesia is composed of approximately 6,000 populated islands of the total 17,000 in the world's largest archipelago, with more than 1,300 ethnic groups. Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon indigenous culture and foreign influences. Indonesia has around 5,350 traditional recipes, with 30 of them considered the most important. Indonesian cuisine varies greatly by region and has many different influences. Sumatran cuisine, for example, often has Middle Eastern and Indian influences, featuring curried meat and vegetables such as gulai and kari, while Javanese cuisine or Sundanese cuisine is mostly indigenous, with some hint of Chinese influence. The cuisines of Eastern Indonesia are similar to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine. Elements of Chinese cuisine can be seen in Indonesian cuisine: foods such as bakmi (noodles), bakso (meat or fish balls), and lumpia (spring rolls) have been completely assimilated. Architecture Indonesian architecture reflects the diversity of cultural, historical and geographic influences that have shaped Indonesia as a whole. Invaders, colonizers, missionaries, merchants and traders brought cultural changes that had a profound effect on building styles and techniques. Traditionally, the most significant foreign influence has been Indian. However, Chinese, Arab, and European influences have also played significant roles in shaping Indonesian architecture. Religious architecture varies from indigenous forms to mosques, temples, and churches. The sultans and other rulers built palaces. There is a substantial legacy of colonial architecture in Indonesian cities. Independent Indonesia has seen the development of new paradigms for postmodern and contemporary architecture. See also List of Indonesian people Native Indonesians (Pribumi) Ethnic groups in Indonesia Overseas Indonesians Culture of Indonesia Non-indigenous Indonesians: African Indonesians Arab Indonesians Chinese Indonesians Filipino Indonesians Indian Indonesians Indo people (mixed European-Indonesians) Jewish Indonesians Pakistani Indonesians Totok (Dutch Indonesians) Notes References