List of beaches in Indonesia

Beaches in Indonesia are extensive, characterized by coral reefs, deposits from volcanoes, rich marine biodiversity, strong ocean currents, and associated with diverse cultural traditions. With around 17,500 islands, Indonesia has an intricate coastline of over 80,000 km, the fourth longest in the world.

Indonesia is located in a region of abundant coral reefs known as the Coral Triangle as well as being the country with the most volcanoes in the world. Some beaches are derived from fluvial sands and gravels, others from cliff erosion. Coral reefs form white or yellow sanded beaches, while beach sediments derived from volcanic rocks are typically black or grey, such as those of northern Bali and southern Java. In the granitic zone of the Riau, Bangka and Belitung Islands, white quartz sands as well as granite boulders dominate. Sandy backshores are colonized by coastal vegetation, notably Ipomoea pes-caprae and Spinifex littoreus, then coconut and casuarina trees. Coastal dunes are poorly developed in the humid tropics, but on the southern shores of Java and Sumatra, prograded beaches are backed by dunes, some of which carry woodland vegetation. Large deposits of lava and ash from volcanic eruptions may transport large quantities of pyroclastic sediment down to the coast, such as at Mount Merapi in southern Java and Mount Agung in Bali. The area within the Coral Triangle is associated with rich marine biodiversity. Beaches in the area, such as those that are important turtle nesting beaches, are protected by the government.

Wave action in Indonesian waters is largely generated by local winds, gentle in the equatorial zone but stronger on the northern and southern coasts subject to northeast and southeast trade winds, respectively. Ocean swell moves into the southern coast from the Indian Ocean and to the northern coast from the southwest Pacific, are creating particularly large waves in this area.

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