Once called a "tropical treasure house" by the 19th century naturalist, Indonesia’s natural ecosystems range from palm-fringed beaches  to vast jungles, and from mangrove swamp land to snow-capped mountain peaks.  Its tropical forest provide a habitat for thousands of animal and plant species, and its seas and coral reefs are teeming with marine life.

The  plant  life of  Indonesia is incredibly diverse, consisting of almost 40,000 different species, about 10 percent of all plant species in the world! Approximately 6,000 species of Indonesian plants are used by the people as a source of raw material for the making of traditional Indonesian herbal  medicines or as an  indispensable part of traditional  ritual and ceremonies.

Tropical forests cover 75 percent of the land, or more than 350 million acres. Most plant species are natives
of the equatorial rain forest, with its immense variety of wild orchids, palms, bamboo, ferns, spice trees, fruits, and exotic oddities such as the Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower and parasitic bloom.

Due to its sprawling size and unique geographical location, Indonesia is one of the most biological significant places on earth, with an animal life unmatched anywhere in the world. More than 500 species mammals, 1,500 species birds, 3,000 species of fish and countless reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. There are mammoth butterflies, giant sea turtles, and prehistoric komodo. Unusual species include the following:

hinoceros: One of the most endangered and rarest species in the  world,  the  one-horned  rhino  can  be found in Java's Ujung Kulon National Park The smaller, two-horned rhino, is found in Sumatra and Kalimantan. In  Sumatra, a  rhino breeding  project  is underway.

Orangutan: Asia's only great ape, "Orang utan" means "Man of the forest." Found in North Sumatra and Kalimantan, the red- haired primates has 99.9% similar with the human gene. Now the orangutans are protected species and are being returned from captivity to their native habitat at special rehabilitation centers.

Komodo Dragon: The largest living lizard, this "dragon" may grow to 12 feet in length. Surviving for more than 2 million years, the species is found only on the tiny island of Komodo, near the island of Flores.

Tree Kangaroo: One of the marsupials, resembling the fauna of Australia but native to Papua. These
acrobatic creatures scoot up trees and jump from one tree to another.

Bird of Paradise: Of the 42 species of this bird, all but two are found in Papua.