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Sumatra
Aceh
At the northwestern end
of Sumatra, was the first province of Indonesia to have significant
contact with the outside world. Chinese chronicles of the
sixth century speak of a kingdom called Po-Li on the northern
tip of what is now Sumatra. 9th century Arabic and Indian
writings mention Aceh as an important trade centre. The first
Islamic Kingdom in Indonesia was established in 804 in Aceh,
and the region's position as an Islamic stronghold grew as
the city became a centre for Islamic learning and the gateway
for Indonesians making the pilgrimage to Mecca.
Over the centuries, a constant
influx of traders and immigrants established Aceh as a wealthy
and influential trading nation, possessing a strong sense
of independence. Aceh's dominance in trade and politics reached
its peak in the early 1600's. Aceh's decline began with the
death of Sultan Iskandar Thani in 1641, when the British and
the Dutch began to battle for control of the region. The London
Treaty of 1824 gave the Dutch control of all British possessions
in Sumatra, in return for their withdrawal from India and
Singapore.
The Acehnese are famous
throughout Indonesia for their courage and fierce sense of
Independence, and the Dutch lost over 10,000 men during the
Aceh Wars, which lasted from 1873 to 1942. Although industrialization
and global communications have created a greater openness
to western ideas and practices, visitors should keep in mind
that the Acehnese take their religion, their manners and their
morals very seriously.
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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 field, mountain rivers, beautiful waterfalls, volcanic
lakes and peaceful white beaches.The people of the region
can be divided into five main ethnic groups: the Coastal Malays,
Living along the Malacca Straits, the Bataks, consisting of
the sub-tribes around Lake Toba and Samosir Island, the Pesisirs
along the Indian Ocean coast, the Mandailing of Southern Tapanuli,
and Nias Islanders off the western coast of the province.
These groups each have their own dialects, religious beliefs,
arts, customs and cultures. Several ethnic groups live in
Medan and other towns of North Sumatra, the largest of these
being Chinese and Indian. Other parts of the archipelago are
represented, notably the Acehnese, Minangkabau and Javanese.The
diversity of arts and cultures make this region a treasure
chest for social scientists and culture seekers. 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 island lake in Southeast Asia.
The region also produces more than 30% of Indonesia's export
commodities, making it a vital cog in the Indonesian economy.
Tobacco, palm oil, tea and rubber are produced in large quantities,
particularly around Medan in the north of the province.
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West Sumatra
 West
Sumatra is composed of three regions: volcanic highlands,
a long coastal plain and a series of jungle-covered islands
just offshore. Much of the province is still wilderness; virgin
jungle inhabited by elephants, leopards and rhinos. It is
the traditional homeland of the Minangkabau, who are known
far and wide through the archipelago for their shrewd business
sense, their fiery-hot dishes and ancient matriarchal customs.
The women own property and the men leave home to seek their
fame and fortune. Travelling is considered a mark of success
and West Sumatrans and their Minang or Padang restaurants
are found in all major towns across the nation. The people
are hospitable and eloquent, with a poetic style of speech.
West Sumatran days are filled with colourful ceremonies and
festivals. Legend has it the Minangkabau are descendants of
the youngest son of Alexander the Great, King Maharajo Dirajo.
West Sumatra's centre of culture and tourism is Bukittinggi,
nestled in the highlands north of the provincial capital of
Padding.
Surrounded by high mountains, picturesque valleys and lakes,
Bukittinggi is considered by many tourists to be the most
hospitable city in all Sumatra. Padang Tabing Airport is the
main gateway to West Sumatra and serviced by local airlines.
The MV. Kerens sails every two weeks for Jakarta from Teluk
Bayur harbor. Smaller vessels from Muara harbor sail to small
towns along the entire west coast of Sumatra. Regular bus
services run between Padang Bukittinggi and other major cities
of Sumatra, as well as via trans-Sumatra Highway to Jakarta.
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Riau
The 3,000 islands of the Riau province straddle the Straits
of Malacca, one of the oldest and busiest trading routes in
the world. For centuries the islands have provided a safe
haven to traders and sailors from Europe, India and China,
retaining today the flavour of an ancient 'crossroads of the
world". The romantic history of this region is rich with
tales of piracy and international conflict. Riau, which includes
a large part of East Sumatra, is homeland to the Malays and
the source of Indonesia's Malay-based national language. The
first book of Malay grammar, called Bustanul Katibin, was
written and published here in 1857.
Since its founding in 1402 by Parameswara, the Kingdom of
Malacca played a leading role in the history of the area.
With the arrival of the Portuguese a period of wars for control
of the Straits began. The situation was aggravated by the
arrival of the Dutch and British in the early 17th century.A
turbulent conflict followed, which was partially resolved
by the Treaty of London in 1824, giving the Dutch control
of all European territories south of Singapore. This area
included Riau, and effectively severed its links with Johor
and the mainland.
The Dutch subjugated and dissolved the rebellious Riau Sultanate
in 1911, but the province's influence remained strong. Pekanbaru
in Sumatra became the provincial capital in 1959, taking over
from the former capital of Tanjungpinang on the island of
Bintan. Tanjungpinang is, however, still the most important
town in the province. Its proximity to Singapore has made
it a main business and shopping port and together with the
nearby island of Batam, it is promising to became an area
of major investment and development in the years ahead. The
future looks bright for Riau; because of it is strategic position
with the rest of Asia it is rapidly being developing as a
major economic zone.
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Jambi
The Province of Jambi, located on the east coast of Central
Sumatra, faces the Strait of Malaka and shares borders with
four other provinces in Sumatra. It has long been a melting
pot for different ethnic groups. The earliest inhabitants
of Jambi were of Malays to migrate to Sumatra. The ancient
Jambi kingdom of Melayu maintained relations with the mighty
kingdoms of Sriwijaya, Majapahit and Singasari, but was eventually
attacked and annexed by Sriwijaya in the middle of the 17th
century. Encompassing an area of 53,435 sq. km, almost 60%
of which is forest, the province is an exhilarating place
for active and adventurous visitors. Jambi is one of Indonesia's
27 Provinces. Geographically, Jambi Province is located between
0,450 south latitude, and between 101.100 and 105.550 Eastern
longitude. Its total area is 53 436.52 square kilometers and
it is bordered by the Berhala Starit, South Sumatra Province
to the South, West Sumatra Province to the West and Riau Province
to the North. Jambi Province is divided into 5 Regencies and
one Municipality. These are batang hari with an area of 11
130.5 sq.km, Bungo Tebo (13500 sq.km), Surolangin Bangko (14200
sq.km) and the Jambi Municipality with an area of 306 square
kilometers.
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Bengkulu
Bengkulu's history is been a difficult one, filled with changing
colonial rulers, internal Sumatran wars, disease and exploitation
of the indigenous peoples. It was the site of Sir Stamford
Raffles first entry into Indonesia and there are still remains
of British influence in the area. The primary crops of the
area are pepper, coffee, nutmeg and sugar cane. Bengkulu Provinces
is easily accessible by land, air and sea transportation.
You can catch regular buses direct from Medan, Padang or Jakarta.
Flights arrive three times a day. Domestic ships from Jakarta,
Padang and Medan stop over in Baai harbor, Bengkulu.
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South Sumatra
 One
of the greatest kingdoms in Indonesian history, the Buddhist
Empire of Sriwijaya, prospered along the banks of the Musi
River in South Sumatra over a thousand years ago. Located
on the southern-most rim of the South China Sea, close to
one of the world's busiest shipping lanes linking the Far
East with Europe, the region's historical background is rich
and colorful.
The Sriwijaya kingdom practiced a bustling and lucrative
trade with ancient China during its era of powerful dynasties.
In 672 the Chinese-scholar, I Tsing, recorded that a thousand
monks and scholars could be seen translating and studying
Sanskrit in what is now the regional capital of Palembang.
Few relics of this memorable era remain.
Stretching from the foothills of the mighty Bukit Barisan
mountain range in West Sumatra to the islands of Bangka and
Belitung in the East, the province of South Sumatra is relatively
flat but very fertile, with numerous rivers cutting across
the landscape and meandering their way to the sea. Coffee
and tea plantations are scattered across the province, but
the area's enormous wealth comes from oil, natural gas, coal,
tin and quartz reserves.
Palembang is still the gateway to the province with one of
the region's three major airports. The other two are on Bangka
and Belitung islands. All three provide direct connections
with Medan, Batam, Padang and Jakarta. Air-conditioned buses
from points north and west of Palembang are also regularly
available, as well as from major cities in Java and Bali.
The Province of Jambi, located on the east coast of Central
Sumatra, faces the Strait of Malaka and shares borders with
four other provinces in Sumatra. It has long been a melting
pot for different ethnic groups. The earliest inhabitants
of Jambi were of Malays to migrate to Sumatra. The ancient
Jambi kingdom of Melayu maintained relations with the mighty
kingdoms of Sriwijaya, Majapahit and Singasari, but was eventually
attacked and annexed by Sriwijaya in the middle of the 17th
century. Encompassing an area of 53,435 sq. km, almost 60%
of which is forest, the province is an exhilarating place
for active and adventurous visitors.
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Lampung
 Ancient
Chinese travel chronicles refer to a place in the most southerly
part of Sumatra called "Lampung" or "Place
of the southerly winds". Megalithic sculptures discovered
in Kebontebu, Kenali, Pugung and Batubedil also help to date
the province to Indonesia's greatest maritime empire, Sriwijaya.
Strategically located looking towards Krakatau and Java across
the Sunda Strait, Lampung has a long history of trade and
is still an important gateway into Sumatra, particularly from
Jakarta.
The Province is generally flat with the highest mountains
of Gunung pesagi, Tanggamas, Seminiung, Sekincau and Raya
all being dormant volcanoes. Pundar Lampung, the Provincial
capital, was formerly two separate towns, Tanjungkarang and
the port of Teluk Betung, which after the infamous eruption
of Krakatau were both completely covered in volcanic ash.
In the course of development, however, these towns have merged
together to become one single city. Being blessed with incredibly
fertile soil, agriculture has naturally become the main industry
of the province. Clove, coffee, cassava, cocoa and rice are
preferred in the eastern sections of the regions. The area
around Lake Ranu is primarily a tobacco growing area.
The Way Kambas Nature Reserve in the west of the province
is a perfect place to see Sumatran elephants being trained
to work in thick tropical jungles as well as hundreds of species
of exotic birds. Tigers still roam this land although they
are rare. The largest flower in the world, Rafflesia, can
be seen at the Bukit Barisan Selatan National park.
Photos by : Ministry of Culture and
Tourism of Indonesia |
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