Aceh

I

Introduction

Aceh, special region of Indonesia, located on the northwestern tip of the island of Sumatra. It is bordered by North Sumatra Province.

II

Land and Resources

Located immediately north of the equator, Aceh occupies 55,392 sq km (21,387 sq mi), or about 3 percent of Indonesia’s total area. Most of the region is located on Sumatra, but it includes some offshore islands as well. A mountainous region, Aceh is dominated by the Pusat Gayo range; the highest peak is Mount Leuser (3,404 m/ 11,168 ft). Broad coastal plains extend along the northeast coast but narrow considerably in the far north. Plains also fringe the southwest coast. In the central section of the region the mountains almost meet the sea. Aceh’s chief river is the Alas, which originates from the Pusat Gayo range and empties into the Indian Ocean at the southern end of Aceh. The only lake of significant size is Lake Tawar, located in central Aceh, 1,120 m (3,670 ft) above sea level.

Virgin rain forest covers much of Aceh. In the south is Gunung Leuser National Park, which includes two research centers that serve as orangutan rehabilitation centers. The park and surrounding areas are important habitats for birds, orangutans, gibbons, monkeys, elephants, tigers, and Sumatran rhinoceroses. Many of these animals are endangered. Singkil Barat Reserve protects wetland habitats on the river flats of southern Aceh. On the island of Simeulue, off the southwestern coast, another nature reserve contains offshore coral gardens inhabited by dugongs and many species of fish and turtles.

Aceh has a tropical climate, with a dry season lasting from March to August. Temperature averages range from 23° to 32° C (73° to 90° F) on the coast and from 13° to 22° C (55° to 72° F) in the mountains. Humidity is high in coastal areas. Rainfall ranges from 1,000 to 3,000 mm (40 to 100 in) annually.

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III

Population and Culture

Aceh has a total population of 3,855,200 (2003 estimate), with most people living in rural areas. The capital is Banda Aceh, located at the northwestern tip of the island. Lhokseumawe, on the northeast coast, is the major industrial center and port. Since 1969 the Indonesian government has sponsored a transmigration program to bring people to Aceh from other parts of Indonesia. New residents, many of them from Java, have included military personnel and civil servants.

Most of the people of Aceh belong to the Acehnese ethnic group. Gayo and Alas people live mainly in the highland areas. The region has a strong Islamic tradition, and about 96 percent of the population is Muslim. Bahasa Indonesia is the official language, but many other languages are also used.

Aceh is home to a number of significant cultural sites and institutions, many in Banda Aceh. The Grand Baiturrachman Mosque, in Banda Aceh, was constructed on the site of an older mosque that was destroyed by the Dutch in the 19th century. The Aceh Museum, also in the capital, includes a traditional Acehnese house built without nails. A cemetery known as the Kerkhoff contains the graves of more than 2,000 Dutch soldiers killed during the Acehnese war (1873-1908). Taman Sari, a park in Banda Aceh, contains the Gunongan, a fanciful resort building constructed in the shape of a snow-covered mountain range by Sultan Iskandar Muda in the 1600s. The 17th-century grave of Sultan Iskandar Thani is also in the park. The region has four significant universities.

IV

Economy

Industry, particularly natural gas production, provides most of the earnings in Aceh, but most people are employed in agriculture—either on plantations or for subsistence—or in the informal sector, working in roadside stalls or markets, or as food vendors. Lhokseumawe is an important industrial zone, focusing on the production of liquid natural gas, fertilizer, and paper. Agricultural cash crop plantations are located mainly along the eastern coast. They generate considerable income from coffee, rubber, pepper, and tobacco.

A major road runs parallel to the northern coastal plains, extending from Banda Aceh southeast to Medan in North Sumatra Province. Few roads reach into the central mountains. In the south a road stretches through Gunung Leuser National Park. There are four main ports, the largest at Lhokseumawe. Banda Aceh airport is the most important for international flights. There are also airports at Lhokseumawe, Meulaboh, Tapaktuan, and on Simeulue Island at Sinabang.

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