You know all of those lovely language and culture blogs we run? Well, there’s a new blog in town: the Indonesian language and culture blog! Whether you’re an expat living in Indonesia, a traveler planning a quick trip to the country, or just someone who is curious about the language and culture, our blog is the place for you.

Two fantastic bloggers will be tag-teaming the Indonesian blog: Sasha, our Chinese vlogger extraordinaire who has just returned from a whirlwind trip around Indonesia, and Ani, a native Indonesian (now living in the U.S.) with more than a decade of experience teaching the language. Together, they will be joining forces to bring you language lessons (from beginner level and beyond), travel articles, culture videos, and much more.

If the stunning images of Indonesia shown above aren’t reason enough to head over the Indonesian blog immediately, here are a few fun facts about the Indonesian language and culture to pique your interest:

• Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands (what?!), covering more square footage than the entire United States. This includes the world’s most populous island—Java.
• With all that land to cover, it makes sense that Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, with more than 238 million inhabitants.
• One of those inhabitants was actually the oldest hominid in the world, Pithecanthropus Erectus. Discovered in Indonesia, it dates back to 1.8 million years ago.
• Another important inhabitant? Indonesia is also home to only living ancient Komodo dragon.
• The Indonesian language (called Bahasa Indonesian by native speakers) is used in government, education, media, and beyond in Indonesia.
• The country is home to more than 700 indigenous languages beyond Bahasa Indonesia, so much of the population is bi- or tri-lingual.
• Indonesia is also home to more than 300 ethnic groups, each with their own rich customs and traditions.
• Even more diverse than the population is the flora. Indonesia is home to more than 6,000 species of orchids.
• Religion is really important in Indonesia. All citizens are required to officially subscribe to one of the six recognized religions (even if they don’t actually practice one of them).
• 18% of the world’s coral reefs lie in Indonesia waters, and it also boasts the world’s largest mangrove.

Not convinced yet? Then you’re insatiable, because Indonesia is beyond awesome, and you’ll just have to miss out. For the rest of you curious language and culture lovers, be sure to check out the Indonesian blog for regular updates!