Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km?) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia).
Etymology
An ancient name for Sumatra was Swarna Dwipa, (Sanskrit for Isle of Gold), apparently based on the fact that mines in the Sumatran highlands were exporting gold from fairly early times.[citation needed] Arab geographers referred to the island as Lamri (Lamuri, Lambri or Ramni) in the 10-13th centuries, in reference to a kingdom near modern day Banda Aceh which was the first landfall for traders. Late in the 14th century the name Sumatra became popular, in reference to the kingdom of Samudra which was a rising power. European writers in the 19th century found that the indigenous inhabitants did not have a name for the island
History
People who spoke Austronesian languages first arrived in Sumatra around 500 BCE, as part of the Austronesian expansion from Taiwan to Southeast Asia. With its location in the India-China sea trade route, several trading towns flourished, especially in the eastern coast, and were influenced by Indian religions. One of the earliest known kingdoms was Kantoli, which flourished in the 5th century AD in southern Sumatra. Kantoli was replaced by the Empire of Srivijaya and then later by the Kingdom of Samudra. Srivijaya was a Buddhist monarchy centered in what is now Palembang. Dominating the region through trade and conquest throughout the 7th to 9th centuries, the Empire helped spread the Malay culture throughout Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, and western Borneo. The empire was a thalassocracy, or maritime power that extended its influence from island to island.
Srivijayan influence waned in the 11th century after it was defeated by the Chola Empire of southern India. Sumatra was then subject to conquests from Javanese kingdoms, first Singhasari and subsequently Majapahit. At the same time Islam made its way to Sumatra, spreading through contacts with Arabs and Indian traders.
By the late 13th century, the monarch of the Samudra kingdom (now in Aceh) had converted to Islam. Ibn Battuta, who visited the kingdom during his journey, pronounced the kingdom's name as "Sumatra", hence the name of the island. Samudra was succeeded by the powerful Aceh Sultanate, which survived to the 20th century. With the coming of the Dutch, the many Sumatran princely states gradually fell under their control. Aceh, in the north, was the major obstacle, as the Dutch were involved in the long and costly Aceh War (1870-1905).
On December 26, 2004, the western coast and islands of Sumatra, particularly Aceh province, were devastated by a nearly 15 meter high tsunami following the 9.2-magnitude Indian Ocean earthquake. The death toll surpassed 170,000 in Indonesia alone, primarily in Aceh.
In 2005 there was an 8.7 magnitude aftershock of the previous earthquake in December 2004. See 2005 Sumatran Earthquake. In addition to the subduction megathrust earthquake off the west coast, Sunda arc, the Great Sumatran Fault, a transform fault, runs the entire length of the island. The pressure on this fault increased dramatically after the December 2004 earthquake, and seismologists are afraid an earthquake is going to occur soon. The fault ends directly below the devastated city of Banda Aceh.
North Sumatra
North Sumatra. Indonesia’s most populous province outside of Java, stretches from the Indian Ocean in the west to the Straits of Malaka in the East, and from Aceh in the north to west Sumatra in the south. It is thick with virgin rainforest, jungle-covered hills, terraced rice fields, mountain rivers, beautiful waterfalls, and volcanic lakes and peaceful while beaches.
The people of the region can be can be divided into five main ethnic groups: the Coastal Malays, living along the Melaka Straits, the Bataks, consisting of the sub-tribes around Lake Toba and Samosir Island, the Pesisirs along the Indian Ocean coast, the Mandailings of southern Tapanuli, and Nias Islanders off the western coast of the province. These groups each have their own dialects. Religious beliefs, arts, costumes and cultures. Several ethnic groups live in Medan and other towns of Non ¼ Sumatra, tittle largest of these being Chinese and Indian. Other arts of the archipelago arc represented notably the Acehnese, Lake Toha Minangkabau and Javanese.
The diversity of arts and cultures make this region a treasure chest for social scientists and culture seeker. Ancient carved-stone graves of Batak kings, the megalithic culture of Nias, unique dances, ceremonies, arts and crafts are just waiting for you to discover. North Sumatra is also one of the richest provinces in Indonesia for flora and fauna. And of course the jewel of North
Sumatra. Lake Toba, the legendary birthplace of the mountain-dwelling Bataks and the largest inland lake in Southeast Asia. The region tiers more than 30% of Indonesia’s export commodities, making it a vital cog in the economy. Tobacco, palm oil, tea and rubber are produced in large quantities, particularly around medan in the north of the province.
Medan
Medan is the capital of North Sumatra Province, a trading center and important harbor. Once part of the Deli Sultanate, the Mesjid Besar (Grand Mosque) and the Palace of the Sultan of Deli have been restored there past grandeur. Medan’s harbor, Belawan, is the sea link to Penang, Malaysia. Regular flights to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Jakarta arc available, as well as destinations in Sumatra.
Crocodile Farm
Medan has the largest crocodile farm in Indonesia at Asam Kumbang, 5 km from the heart of the city, with nearly 2000 crocodiles of different sizes and species.
Berastagi
Berastagi is a lovely tourist town in the Karo highlands on the way from Medan to Lake Toba. Berastagi is famous for its flowers, vegetables and fruit, most famous of which is the "Marquisa" passion fruit. The local markets are swarming with activity and scenes from traditional Karo life. Days are extremely pleasant and nights can be quite cool. Gundaling Hill provides a clear view of Mt. Sibayak and Mt. Sinabung volcanoes. There is a pleasant colonial-style hotel with a golf course, as well as a range of other hotels and accommodations.
Jangga Village
This relatively unchanged Batak village has traditional ornamentation, and is a often visited by domestic and foreign tourists. Visitor's ca watch young girls and old ladies weaving the beautiful 'ulos' cloth, their principal means of a livelihood other than agriculture. There are monuments of King Tainbun and King Manurung, traditional houses, cultural and other historical remain left by Batak Kings centuries ago.
Lingga Village
Located some 15 km from Berastagi, this is a unique Batak Karo village where traditional houses are still well preserved and inhabited today. Five to six families live in each house and for a small donation will give you a tout of the house.
Lake Toba - Parapat
Lake Toba is the heart of Batak country, the largest lake in Southeast Asia with a surface area of about 1,145 sg. Kilometers, and the deepest lake in the world, over 450 meters deep. The town of Parapat is the main tourist resort and lies on the shores of the lake. The Batak Toba and Batak Simalungun peoples of Parapat are happy, easygoing people, known for their lively and sentimental love songs.
Recreational sports in Parapat include swimming, water skiing, motor boating, canoeing, fishing, and golf. The climate is cool and dry, an ideal place to relax. There is a plethora of hotels, bungalows, villas and guesthouses. Parapat is 176 from Medan and can be reached in 4 hours by bus.
Samosir Island
The island of Samosir, in the middle of Lake Toba, is accessible by regular ferries from Parapat. The original home of the fierce Toba Bataks, the island has many sites of stone tombs and traditional villages. The villages of Tomok, Tuk-tnk, Siallagan and Ambarita are noteworthy. Transportation can be arranged through your hotel or rent a motorcycle for a day’s adventure on the island. Accommodations of various styles and standards are readily available.
Great Bukit Barisan Forest Park
Located at Tongkoh, 59 km from Medan. The arboretum was established in 1916, and renovated and renamed Great Bukrit Barisan Forest Park 1989.
Bohorok
For the adventurous, a trip to Sumatera’s inland wilderness, crossing rivers and climbing steep, jungle-clad hills is a must. Soul Ii of the Mount Leuser National Park, the Rehabilitation Center for Orang-utans at Bohorok is open to the public.
Sipiso-piso Waterfall
Located on the north side of Lake Toba, the 360-foot waterfall is visible from a gazebo near the food and souvenir stands.
Pandaan Beach
A seaside resort with white s and beaches and a fishing village 11-km from Sibolaga, Pandaan boasts magnificent views of the Indian Ocean and fishermen sailing to the open sea. The restaurant feature grilled fish as fresh as it gels! Sibolga is the port town to catch a local ferry to the island of Nias.
Nias Island
Just a bit smaller than Bali, Nias lies only 125 km off Sumatra’s West Coast. Bypassed hr the Indian, Islamic and European influences that swept through most of the archipelago the people of Nias have lived for centuries in virtual isolation from the outside world. Australian surfers in search of the perfect wave were among the first to ‘discover’ Nias, home today to the Indonesian Open Surfing Championship. Despite a growing infrastructure and tourist industry the traditional culture of Nusa has remained quite intact. Villages are laid out around a central plaza and arc still primarily made up of tradition houses. War dances and the famous ‘stow Jumping’ are still part of daily life, but are also performed for tourists. There are daily flight serving Medan and Nias Island.
Accommodation
Hotels are concentrated in the provincial capital of Medan and in the lake resort town of Parapat. Leading the list in Medan is Danau Tuba International and Tiara, both classified as four-star hotels. These hotels have convention facilities health centers, restaurants and nightclubs A three and two-star hotels in Medan have air con (litlonlng. All have attached bathrooms, restaurants, phones in the rooms and sonic have TV.
Administration
The administrative regions of Sumatra (or the smaller islands nearby) are:
* Aceh - capital: Banda Aceh
* Bangka-Belitung - capital: Pangkalpinang
* Bengkulu - capital: Bengkulu
* Jambi - capital: Jambi
* Lampung - capital: Bandar Lampung
* Riau - capital: Pekanbaru
* Riau Islands - capital: Tanjung Pinang
* West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat) - capital: Padang
* South Sumatra (Sumatera Selatan) - capital: Palembang
* North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) - capital: Medan
Geography
The longest axis of the island runs approximately 1,790 km (1,100 miles) northwest - southeast, crossing the equator near the center. At its widest point the island spans 435 km (270 miles). The interior of the island is dominated by two geographical regions: the Barisan Mountains in the west and swampy plains in the east.
To the southeast is Java, separated by the Sunda Strait. To the north is the Malay Peninsula, separated by the Straits of Malacca. To the east is Borneo, across the Karimata Strait. West of the island is the Indian Ocean.
The backbone of the island is the Barisan mountains chain, with the active volcano Mount Kerinci's 3,805 m (12,467 feet) the highest point, located at about the midpoint of the range. The volcanic activity of this region endowed the region with fertile land and beautiful sceneries, for instance around the Lake Toba. It also contains deposits of coal and gold.
To the east, big rivers carry silt from the mountain, forming the vast lowland interspersed by swamps. Even if mostly unsuitable for farming, the area is currently of great economic importance for Indonesia. It produces oil from both above and below the soil—palm oil and petroleum.
Most of Sumatra used to be covered by tropical rainforest, but economic development coupled with corruption and illegal logging has severely threatened its existence. Conservation areas have not been spared from destruction, either.
The island is the world's 5th highest island, although only the third highest in the Indonesian archipelago.
Flora and fauna
The island is home to a host of species including: Sumatran Pine, Rafflesia arnoldii (world's largest individual flower), Titan arum (world's tallest and largest inflorescence flower), Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Orangutan, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Sumatran Elephant, Sumatran Striped Rabbit, Malayan Tapir, Malayan Sun Bear, Bornean Clouded Leopard, and many birds and butterflies.
The major threats to Sumatran forest are the pulp and paper industry and expansion of palm oil plantations.
The island includes more than 10 National Parks, including 3 which are listed as the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra World Heritage Site—Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park.
Demographics
Sumatra is not very densely populated, about 96 people per km?—more than 45 million people in total. It is nonetheless the fourth most populous island in the world. The most populous regions include most of North Sumatra and central highlands in West Sumatra, while the major urban centers are Medan and Palembang.
The people composed of many different ethnic groups, speaking 52 different languages. Most of these groups, however, share many similar traditions and the different tongues are closely related. Malay-speaking people dominate the eastern coast, while people in the southern and central interior speak languages related to Malay, such as the Lampung and Minangkabau people. The highland of northern Sumatra is inhabited by the Bataks, while the northernmost coast is dominated by Acehs. Ethnic Chinese minorities are also present in urban centers.
A majority of people in Sumatra are Muslims (90%). Most central Bataks, meanwhile, are Protestant Christians—a religion introduced by the Dutch. The rest follow Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, and Chinese traditional beliefs.