Natural World

Wild Indonesia: Island Castaways (18x6)

Air date: Jan 23, 2000

Shrouded in mystery,Indonesia is a bizarre and beautiful place,home to dinosaur-like komodo dragons and tree kangaroos,tropical beaches and snowy mountain peaks.Indonesia is nicknamed "the ring of fire",as this 3,000 - mile chain of 17,000 islands,running from Northern Australia to Asia,was created by volcanic eruptions 150 million years ago.Today,there are 155 active volcanoes in Indonesia,and one erupts every day,making this the most violent volcanic region on earth.With 150 million people,Java is the most densely populated island in the world and it has the largest Buddhist temple - the stunning ruins of Borobudhur that date from the eighth century.