Sumatra Information

Sumatra

Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is the sixth largest island of the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are partially in Indonesia).


History

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.

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. The most notable of these were the Srivijaya and the Sumudra. Srivijaya was a Buddhist monarchy centered in what is now Palembang. Dominating the region through trade and conquest throughout the 7th–9th century, the kingdom helped spread the Malay culture throughout Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, and western Borneo. The empire was thalassocratic, a maritime power that extended its influence from island to island.

Srivijaya influence waned in the 11th century. The island 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 Samudra kingdom (now in Aceh) had converted to Islam. Ibn Battuta, who visited the kingdom during his journey, pronounced the kingdom "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 metre 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.


Geography

The longest axis of the island runs approximately northwest - southeast, crossing the equator near the center. 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. 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 8th 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 flower), Titan arum (world's tallest flower), Sumatran Tiger, Orangutan, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Sumatran Elephant, Malayan Tapir, Malayan Sun Bear, 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 km²—more than 45 million people in total. It is nonetheless the fourth most populous island in the world. The most populous regions includes most of North Sumatra and central highlands in West Sumatra, while the major urban centres are Medan and Palembang.

The people are of Malay stock composed of many different tribes, 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.


Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake

A magnitude 9.0 megathrust earthquake occurred on December 26, 2004 just off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The earthquake happened on the interface of the India and Burma plates. Based on preliminary locations of larger aftershocks, approximately 1200 kilometers of the plate boundary slipped as a result of the earthquake. From the size of the earthquake it is likely that average displacement on the fault plane was about 15 meters.


Sumatra - Culture

Events

A regional Calendar of Events listing national holidays, festivals particular to the region and other events throughout the year is available from tourist offices in Sumatra. The most important time for Muslims, of course, is Ramadan (Buluan Puasa), the traditional Muslim month of daily fasting, which falls around January to February. Idul Adha is another important Muslim holiday, commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, and it is celebrated around April to May.

Independence Day is celebrated on 17 August with a national public holiday, parades and special events. Further Muslim holidays are Muharram, the Islamic New Year in April-May; Hari Natal, the Prophet Muhammed's birthday in July; and Isra Miraj Nabi Muhammed, the ascencion of the prophet Mumammed in December.

Medan

Medan (pop 1.5 million) is the capital of north Sumatra and the third largest city in Indonesia. It is a huge, sprawling city and a popular entry/exit point for travellers. The solid Dutch buildings of the affluent older suburbs inspire images of bloated bureaucrats and burghers from the colonial era, while jerry-built lean-tos house the bulk of its population.

The city's two finest buildings are the Istana Maimoon (Maimoun Palace) and the magnificent black-domed Mesjid Raya. There are some fine examples of European architecture along Jalan Sukarno-Hatta, such as Bank Indonesia and the High Court. There are a number of museums, including the Museum of North Sumatra, which has excellent coverage of the region's culture and history, and the weaponry-and-warfare-influenced Bukit Barisan Military Museum. You can see cultural performances at Taman Budaya.

Much of the budget accommodation is close to the city centre. Jalan Semarang, a small street between Jalan Pandu and Jalan Bandung, has great food stalls offering Indonesian and Chinese meals late into the night.

Berastagi

This picturesque hill town in the Karo Highlands, 70km from Medan, is dominated by two volcanoes: Gunung Sinabung and Gunung Sibayak. At 1300m above sea level, the climate is pleasantly cool and the atmosphere refreshingly relaxed. Travellers come to Berastagi to experience the culture of the Karo Batak people and to go trekking. There are guided treks into the Gunung Leuser National Park and to surrounding volcanoes and attractions.

Lake Toba

Lake Toba is another of the island's spectacular sights - a remarkable volcanic crater set in the middle of northern Sumatra, 176km from Medan. The lake is huge (the largest in South-East Asia), occupying the caldera of a giant volcano that collapsed on itself after a massive eruption 100,000 years ago. In comparison, Krakatau's 1883 effort was little more than a belch. The lake is surrounded by steep mountains, ridges and sandy, pine-sheltered beaches.

Samosir, the wedge-shaped island in the middle of the lake, is thought to have been created by subsequent upheavals between 30,000 and 75,000 years ago. Samosir has long been northern Sumatra's premier attraction for travellers and has an abundant supply of accommodation and eateries ringing the shoreline. The main town in the area is Parapat, on the eastern shore of Lake Toba.


Aceh

Few travellers make it to Sumatra's northernmost province. A pity, because it's a relaxed and friendly place with a rich history. Aceh's population is a melding of Indonesian, Arab, Tamil, Chinese and indigenous groups and, curiously, some of the tallest people in Indonesia live here. The state is the most staunchly Muslim in the country and is run under Islamic law. However, the Achenese also embrace animism, and offerings and rituals continue to play an important part in their lives.

Aceh's attractions range from the laid-back lifestyle of the island Pulau We, the deserted beaches of the rugged west coast and the jungle wilderness of Gunung Leuser National Park. The national park, which is one of the largest in the world, includes the Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre, an area containing orang-utans, gibbons, monkeys, elephants, tigers and the elusive Sumatran rhinoceros.


The Battlin' Bataks

The Bataks, that infamous tribe of former cannibals and headhunters, inhabit an interior plateau of north-central Sumatra, surrounded by mountain peaks and centred on Lake Toba.

For centuries the Batak lived a way of life which developed largely in isolation. Their bloody feuds and guerrilla attacks on each other's villages gained them an apparently well-earned reputation for ferocity, although they also had a remarkably developed culture as well as a system of writing. They also practised ritual cannibalism in which a token piece of flesh - of a slain enemy or of one judged guilty of a major violation of traditional laws - was eaten. The heads and hands of war captives were sometimes preserved as trophies.

Bataks are also renowned for their traditional architecture - houses built on stilts around two metres above the ground. The houses are made of wood, slotted and bound together without nails, with a concave roof made from sugar palm fibre. The gables of the roof are embellished with mosaics and carvings. Today there are more than six million Bataks, and their lands extend 200km north and 300km south of Danau Toba. Many Bataks have now converted to Islam or Christianity.

People

Sumatra comprises eight provinces of Indonesia. It is a sparsely settled island, with principal centers at Medan and Palembang; also important are Jambi, Padang, and Bandar Laumpung. There are state universities in Jambi, Medan, Padang, Pakanbaru, and Palembang. The four largest ethnic groups are the Acehnese, Batak, Minangkabau, and coastal Malays. In the interior highlands are found the Gayo-Alas and the Rejang-Lebong groups. Islam is the predominant religion, though there are many Christians among the Batak and the Gayo-Alas. Chinese, Arabs, and Indians live on the coasts, and some 15 different languages are spoken on the island.


Economy

Sumatra has great natural wealth; about 70% of the country's income is produced there. The island has some of Indonesia's richest oil fields, its finest coalfields, and deposits of gold and silver. Its offshore islands are known for their tin and bauxite. Most of the country's rubber is grown in Sumatra; pepper, coffee, tea, sugarcane, and oil palms are also grown on plantations. The Deli region around Medan is famous for its tobacco. Rice, corn, and root crops are raised for local consumption. Timber cut includes camphor and ebony.