North Sumatra
North Sumatra (Indonesian: Sumatera Utara) is a province of Indonesia located on the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan. It is bordered by Aceh on the northwest and Riau and West Sumatra in the southeast, with two different coastlines located on the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca, and a maritime border with Malaysia to the east. North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province after West Java, East Java and Central Java, and the third-largest province on the island of Sumatra after the neighbouring Riau. It covers an area of 72,981 km2. It is approximately the same size of Sierra Leone.
North Sumatra
Sumatera Utara | |
|---|---|
| Province of North Sumatra | |
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Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): Tekun berkarya, hidup sejahtera, mulia berbudaya (Indonesian) Work diligently, live prosperously, noble in culture | |
Location of North Sumatra in Indonesia | |
OpenStreetMap | |
| Coordinates: 2°00′N 99°00′E | |
| Established | 15 April 1948 |
| Capital and largest city | Medan |
| Government | |
| • Body | North Sumatra Provincial Government |
| • Acting Governor | Hassanudin |
| • Vice Governor | Vacant |
| Area | |
| • Total | 72,981.23 km2 (28,178.21 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 8th in Indonesia |
| Highest elevation (Sinabung) | 2,460 m (8,070 ft) |
| Population (mid 2022 official estimate) | |
| • Total | 15,115,206 |
| • Rank | 4th in Indonesia |
| • Density | 210/km2 (540/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 11th in Indonesia |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnic groups | 45% Batak 30% Javanese 8.5% Chinese 5.7% Malay 4.1% Nias 5.4% other |
| • Religion (2021) | 63.36% Islam 33.99% Christianity 2.43% Buddhism 0.10% Hinduism 0.12% other |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time) |
| ISO 3166 code | ID-SU |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022 |
| - Total | Rp 955.2 trillion (6th) US$ 64.3 billion Int$ 200.7 billion (PPP) |
| - Per capita | Rp 63.2 million (14th) US$ 4,256 Int$ 13,280 (PPP) |
| - Growth | 4.73% |
| HDI | 0.727 (15th) – high |
| Website | sumutprov |
According to the 2020 census, the province's population in that year was 14,799,361. The mid-2022 official estimate was 15,115,206.
North Sumatra is a multi-ethnic province. The Malay people are regarded as the natives of the east coast of the province, while the west coast of the province is mainly inhabited by the Batak (Pakpak, Angkola, and Mandailing groups). The central highlands region around Lake Toba is predominantly inhabited by other Batak groups (Toba, Simalungun and Karo). The Nias people are natives to Nias Island and its surrounding islets. With the opening of tobacco plantations in East Sumatra during the colonial era, the colonial government employed many contract labourers for plantations, mainly Chinese, Javanese and Indian migrants. The majority did not return after their contract ended and decided to stay in the province. The recent rapid urbanisation also attracted neighbouring people from Aceh, Riau and West Sumatra.
During the Dutch rule, North Sumatra was a government called the Gouvernement van Sumatra with an area covering the entire island of Sumatra, led by a governor based in the city of Medan. After independence, in the first session of the Regional National Committee (KND), Sumatra Province was then divided into three sub-provinces. With the issuance of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia (R.I.) No. 10 of 1948 on April 15, 1948, it was stipulated that Sumatra was divided into three provinces, each of which had the right to regulate and manage its own affairs, namely: North Sumatra Province, Central Sumatra Province, and South Sumatra Province. April 15, 1948 was later designated as the anniversary of the Province of North Sumatra.