Indonesia

Most people's exposure to Indonesia consists of a short stint in Bali, which, unlike the rest of the Australia-bothering Asian archipelago, embraces the tourist dollar like a gogo dancer embraces a Chinese businessman. As a result, most westerners think the country is no more than cheap Bintangs and clichéd t-shirts. The reality is a huge, complicated mess which functions surprisingly well, apart from the half dozen or so separatist wars, the Islamist fundamentalism and the unnecessary regional interventions. Courted international disapproval for its conduct in Timor, needs to find huge oil reserves to be able to justify telling the internationals which bridge off of which they can feel free to hurl themselves. Rich in history and culture, it should be both more important and more dangerous than it is.