With a 2020 population around 14.8 million[8] and a mid-2024 estimate around 15.6 million,[1] North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province and the most populous province outside ofJava Island. At 72,460.74 square kilometres (27,977.25 mi2), North Sumatra is the third-largest province in area on the island of Sumatra behindSouth Sumatra andRiau. Major ethnic groups include theMalay, native to the east coast; severalBatak groups, indigenous to the west coast and central highlands; theNias people ofNias Island and its surrounding islets; andChinese,Javanese, andIndian peoples, who first migrated to Sumatra duringDutch rule.
During Dutch rule, North Sumatra was administered under theGouvernement van Sumatra, which governed the entire island of Sumatra out of Medan. In 1948, after Indonesian independence was proclaimed, Sumatra Province was divided into three sub-provinces, each of which had the right to regulate and manage its own affairs. The 15th April was later designated as the anniversary of the founding of the province of North Sumatra.
Archaeological understanding of early North Sumatran peoples is limited compared to that of other nearby regions.[10] Prehistoric relics in North Sumatra show that the oldest population may have beenAustronesian orMelanesian. Archaeological evidence indicates that their dispersal took place in theMesolithic era (Middle Stone Age). They spread to the eastern part of Indonesia, to the island ofPapua, and to the west, to North Sumatra and theMalay Peninsula.[citation needed] Early peoples in North Sumatra consumed mostly snails and clams, leaving largeshell deposits sometimes referred to askjokkenmoddinger (kitchen waste), some of which are still found as hills in Saentis, Hinai, Tanjung Beringin, along the Deli-Langkat shore, and on riverbanks.[10]
In the second wave of migration from mainland Southeast Asiac. 1000 BC, theYoung Malays or Deutero Malays settled on the coast. They mainly lived by fishing and by cultivating the marshy land for agriculture. Their villages were scattered along the big rivers that flow to the east coast of North Sumatra such as Besitang,Wampu,Asahan, andBarumun. Larger villages grew at the mouths of rivers and became centres of government. Relics of the Mesolithic era have been found in North Sumatra, including finely honed stone axes, bone tools, and painting materials.[11]
Situs Hopong inDolok Sanggul, stone statue sites that are possible evidence of prehistoric Batak civilization
Linguistic and archaeological evidence indicates thatAustronesian speakers reached Sumatra fromTaiwan and thePhilippines throughBorneo orJava about 2,500 years ago, and theBatak probably descended from these settlers.[12]
New genetic research has found that theNias people also came from theAustronesian peoples, though their initial ancestors may have arrived earlier: ancestors of the Nias people are thought to have come fromTaiwan through thePhilippines 4,000 to 5,000 years ago.[13] Ten years of research involving blood samples of 440 Nias people in 11 villages onNias island show similarities between their Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA and that ofTaiwanese andFilipino peoples.[14]
Coins founded inSitus Kota Cina,Labuhan Deli, presumably used for trading during theYuan dynasty, 12th to 13th century AD
The eastern coast of North Sumatra, bordering the Strait of Malacca, has been widely visited by Hindus and by Chinese traders for centuries since the founding of earlySitus Kota Cina or Chinatown sites inHamparan Perakc. 11th–14th centuries AD.Barus, a trading port on the western coast of Tapanuli, attractedMiddle Age era traders in search ofcamphor, which was popular in Ancient Egypt. In 1030,Rajendra Chola recorded the names of North Sumatran states he defeated in one expedition to conquerSrivijaya. States that he mentioned included Sriwijaya, Malayur, Kendara, and thePanai Kingdom. Furthermore, theNegarakertagama epic byMpu Prapanca from the 14th century list states found in North Sumatra, Pane, Haru, Mandailing, Tamiang, Lawas, and Barus, which were mainly defeated by theMajapahit.
The earliest kingdom that was present on the eastern coast of North Sumatra was theAru Kingdom, which existed from the 13th to the 16th century AD. In its height, the kingdom was a maritime power and controlled the northern part of theMalacca strait.[16] The kingdom was initially established as aKaropolity.[17] The indigenous population practiced nativeanimism andHinduism. Starting in 13th century, some also practisedIslam.[18] Aru's capital was located close to present-dayMedan andDeli Serdang. Its people are believed to have been descendants of the Karo people from the hinterland of North Sumatra.[16]
An area nearLake Toba called Batakland (or theBatak Lands) housed kingdoms ofBatak people. It was first mentioned inZhao Rugua's 13th-centuryDescription of the Barbarous Peoples, which refers to a 'Ba-ta' dependency ofSrivijaya. TheSuma Oriental, written in the 15th century, also refers to the "Kingdom of Bata" betweenPasai and the Aru kingdom. The Batak mainly practicedanimism andcannibalism and remained isolated from foreign culture and kingdoms like Srivijaya and Majapahit.[clarification needed] The Toba people divided the Batak Lands into several independent kingdoms, which often entered into defensive alliances. Of the many kingdoms, Bakkara and their king orSisingamangaraja held the most sway due to customs and traditions which consider Bakkara the place of origin of the Batak people.[citation needed]
The Nias people on Nias Island remained isolated during its early era. Its people practised agriculture and cultivation, made art carvings, and adhered to shamanist and pagan practices.[citation needed]
Princes from the Sultanate of Deli, Langkat and Serdang in Sumatra
Byc. 1500, there were several kingdoms on the east coast of Sumatra, namely the larger Nagur andAru kingdoms and the smallerPanai and Batangiou kingdoms. To the west, in the hinterland ofTapanuli, another kingdom emerged: a Batak kingdom founded by descendants of Sisingamangaraja. This kingdom gradually expanded its influenced throughout Tapanuli to Angkola, Mandailing, and Dairi. The three largest kingdoms in North Sumatra in the sixteenth century were Nagur, the Batak kingdom under the rule of King Sisingamangaraja, and Aru.
Wars between these three kingdoms made the region vulnerable to outside influences fromAceh,Melaka,Portugal,Siak, andMinangkabau. The Sultanate of Aceh worked tospread Islam across the eastern coast, and in thePadri War, succeeded in spreading Islam into the southern Tapanuli kingdom. As a result of this warfare and cultural shifts, the three big kingdoms split into several small kingdoms and sultanates, includingDeli,Serdang,Asahan,Langkat Sultanate, Maropat, Lingga.
Portrait ofSisingamangaraja XII, painted by Augustin Sibarani, from the obverse of the 1,000 rupiah banknote (1987 series)
Malacca fell to theDutch East India Company (the VOC) in 1641. Coastal areas of North Sumatra felt economic impacts as the VOC subsequently reduced the presence of trade inMalacca and shifted resources towardsBatavia. Still, North Sumatra also saw an increase in Arab, Chinese and Indian traders.
After Britain gained a position on the nearby island ofPenang by establishing a trading post for the BritishEast India Company (Britain's first such post in the Far East) in 1786, the British traded heavily with the east coast of Sumatra.[19] Prior to the nineteenth century, Dutch power was concentrated on the island of Java and parts of the Moluccas, the Dutch East India Company competed with the British East India Company for trade in the area, especially for pepper, with the two nations trying to obstruct the other's trade efforts.[20] In the nineteenth century, the Dutch began to focus more on to areas outside Java, including North Sumatra, driving out British influence. Dutch control was formalized with the handover of most of Indonesia in the1814 Treaty of London, which was renewed in the1824 Treaty of London. However, the UK maintained a presence in several places that were considered important for trade, including parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Simalungun headchiefs of East Sumatra residency, Dutch-East Indies
During thePadri War, in the years prior to 1860, Dutch forces arrived in South Tapanuki at the request of a local leader to provide protection. TheSiak sultan subsequently signed a treaty with theDutch East Indies government recognizing Dutch authority over it and the sultanates ofAsahan,Serdang,Deli andLangkat. The Dutch proceeded further into Batakland and North Sumatra, invading Toba, Karo Highland, Nias and Silindung with the help of Christian missionaries, such asLudwig Ingwer Nommensen, who worked toevangelise the area. The Dutch invasion into Batakland met resistance bySisingamangaraja XII, causing a guerilla war lasting 30 years until and Sisingmangaraja XII's death in battle and a subsequent Dutch victory. Meanwhile, particularly after 1869, Dutch tobacco plantation activities expanded on the east coast, including the establishment ofDeli Maatschappij andLondon Sumatra, using land leased from the Malay sultans. As there was a worker shortage, the Dutch began importing labourers fromJava,Southern China andSouthern India. This first big wave of migration established substantialJavanese,Chinese, andIndian populations in North Sumatra that remain to this day. By 1874, the sultanates had been formally included within the Dutch East Indies, and in Deli, the sultan of Deli granted the Dutch sole rights over taxation and leases, in exchange for an annual pension. That year, theEast Coast Residency was established.[21][22]
On March 12, 1942, Japanese forces landed in Palubuhan Ruku on the east coast, and advanced on Medan. The advance force reported it had captured the town the next day. The main force followed on bicycles. There was some resistance from the Dutch forces, particularly aroundPematangsiantar, but the last major town,Sibolga, fell on 15 March. During the Japanese occupation of North Sumatra, the leader of the Japanese Armed Forces was centred inBukittinggi, moving the de facto capital out of the Dutch centre of Medan. The occupation lasted 3 years. In 1945 the Japanese occupation officially ended withJapan's surrender in the Pacific and two days laterSukarno declaredIndonesian Independence, beginning the four-yearIndonesian War of Independence against the Dutch.[23][24][25]
Beginning on 3 March 1946, there was asocial revolution in East Sumatra. Across 25 "native states", many sultanates were overthrown. Armedpergerakan groups (Indonesian nationalists) conducted mass killings of the members of aristocratic families.[26] To opportunisticpergerakan militants (includingCommunist Party of Indonesia members Xarim MS and Luat Siregar), the revolutionary movement was seen as a means for East Sumatra to be freed from colonial rule and to join the largerIndonesian National Revolution.[27] Participants of the revolution were believed to be provoked by leaders to kill aristocrats and create violence with three prime objectives: to eliminate the sultans and aristocrats (who were seen as Dutch allies), to seize their wealth (to fund the Indonesian independence campaign), and to eliminate the region's feudal social structure.[28]
The Dutch authorities, working with the East Sumatra Union (Persatuan Sumatra Timur), which had been formed in 1938 by westernized Malay elites to reassertMalay andSimalungun ethnic interests, established theState of East Sumatra (Indonesian:Negara Sumatra Timur (NST)) as part of the plannedUnited States of Indonesia. The state lasted from December 1947 to August 1950.[29] In addition to the Dutch, the NST state was supported by Malay aristocrats, most of the Simalungun rajas, someKaro chieftains, and Chinese groups who felt that the revolution threatened their interests. Dr Tengku Mansu, a member of the Asahan royal family, was selected as head of state for the NST. While the Dutch wanted the NST to be seen as an orderly and progressive alternative to the republic, western-educated aristocrats saw it as a bastion for their own ethnic interests.[30] Following theDutch-Indonesian Round Table Conference in late 1949, the Dutch withdrew military support for the State of East Sumatra and its local authority began to collapse. The short-lived state was viewed with suspicion, and Dr Tengku Mansur entered into negotiations withMohammad Hatta to reunify East Sumatra with the Republic of Indonesia in May 1950. Mansur surrendered authority to the republic and East Sumatra merged with Tapanuli to become the province of North Sumatra on August 15, 1950.[31][32]
After Indonesian independence, at the first session of the National Committee of Regions (KND), Sumatra was divided into three sub-provinces: North Sumatra,Central Sumatra andSouth Sumatra. North Sumatra was an amalgamation of three administrative regions called Residencies: the Residency of Aceh, the East Sumatra Residency, and the Residency of Tapanuli. The publication of theLaw of the Republic of Indonesia (R.I.) No. 10, Year 1948 on April 15, 1948, formalized the division of these three provinces. The date of 15 April 1948 has been subsequently celebrated as the anniversary of North Sumatra Province.
Act R.I. No. 24 of 1956, promulgated on 7 December 1956, established a separate Aceh Province, independent of the province of North Sumatra.[33]
The province of North Sumatra stretches across the island ofSumatra, between theIndian Ocean and theStrait of Malacca, with an area of 72,460.74 km2. It borders the province ofAceh to the northwest andRiau andWest Sumatra to the southeast. The province contains a broad, low plain along the Strait of Malacca on which the provincial capital, Medan, is located. In the south and west, the land rises to theBukit Barisan mountain range that runs the length of Sumatra; the mountains here surroundLake Toba, which was formed from thecaldera of an ancient volcano. Several large islands in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra are currently part of North Sumatra, most notablyNias Island and theBatu Islands.[citation needed]
Satellite photo of North Sumatra and Nias Island with Lake Toba in the centre
There are 419 islands in North Sumatra. The outer islands include the island of Simuk (the most westerly of the Batu Islands) and the island ofBerhala in the Strait of Malacca. The Nias archipelago, located off the coast of western Sumatra in the Indian Ocean, consists of Nias Island and other much smaller islands in its vicinity. Its administrative centre is located at the city ofGunungsitoli on the northeast coast of Nias. The Batu Islands, just southeast of Nias, consist of 51 islands including three major islands: Pini, Tanahbala and Tanahmasa. Pulau Telo is their administrative centre on the small island of Situasi. Otherislands in North Sumatra include Imanna, Pasu, Bawa, Hamutaia, Batu Makelele, Masa, Bau, Simaleh, Makole, Jake, andWunga [id].[citation needed]
Half of the province is located on a high plateau that runs along the Bukit Barisan mountains, from central North Sumatra to the western coast. The tallest mountain in the province isMount Sinabung inKaro Regency, at elevation around 2,460 metres (8,070 ft), the most active volcano in the region. Volcanic activities (cracks where steam, gas, and lava are emitted) were observed at the summit in 1912; recent documented events include an eruption in the early hours of 29 August 2010 and eruptions in September and November 2013, January, February and October 2014.[34] Another volcano nearby isMount Sibayak, also located in the Karo highland, sitting at an elevation of 2,181 metres (7,156 ft). Crystallinesulfur deposits on Mount Sibayak have historically been mined on a small scale, and seepage of sulfurous gases has caused acidic discolouration of its smallcrater lake.
Mount Sinabung emittingvog, as seen from the village of Kandibata, Karo Regency, 2017.
Lake Toba is the site of a supervolcanic eruption that occurred 69,000 to 77,000 years ago, estimated atVEI 8, that formed a climate-changing event.[35] Recent advances in dating methods suggest more precise dating at 74,000 years ago.[36] It is the largest-known explosive eruption on Earth in the last 25 million years. It has been accepted that the eruption of the Toba Caldera led to avolcanic winter with a worldwide decrease in temperatures between 3 and 5 °C (5.4 and 9.0 °F), and up to 15 °C (27 °F) in higher latitudes. Additional studies inLake Malawi in East Africa show significant amounts of ash deposited by the Toba Caldera eruptions, despite a great distance from the area, but these studies offer little indication of a significant climatic effect in East Africa.[37] According to theToba catastrophe theory, the eruption killed most humans living at that time and is believed to have created apopulation bottleneck in central East Africa and India, affecting the human genome to the present day.[38] More recent studies have cast doubt on this theory and found no evidence of substantial changes in population.[39]
Mount Leuser National Park
In North Sumatra, there are currently two national parks: theGunung Leuser National Park andBatang Gadis National Park. According to the Ministerial Decree No. 44 of 2005,[citation needed] forest area in North Sumatra today covers 3,742,120 hectares (9,247,000 acres), consisting of a 477,070-hectare (ha) Natural Reserve Area/Natural Conservation Area, 1,297,330 ha of protected forest, 879,270 ha of limited production forest, 1,035,690 ha of permanent production forest, and 52,7600 ha of production forest that can be converted to another status.
However, the figure above is onlyde jure. In reality, the forests are not as large as the figures suggest. A lot of the forests are damaged, due to encroachment andillegal logging. So far, over 206,000 ha of forests in Sumatra have experienced changes in function. As many as 163,000 ha were converted to plantations and 42,900 ha were transmigration areas.[citation needed]
The administrative centre of North Sumatra is located in the city ofMedan, governed by agovernor. Earlier governments ruled all of Sumatra (1945–1950); and a North Sumatra Province that included Aceh (1950–1956). In 1956, Aceh split off to form a separate Aceh Province.
North Sumatra is currently subdivided into 25regencies (kabupaten) and 8 autonomouscities (formerly municipalities). When originally created as a province with its current boundaries, it was composed of 10 regencies and 6 cities, but an 11th regency (Dairi Regency) was created on 23 September 1964. Fourteen more new regencies and two new cities were created between 1998 and 2008. All these are listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census[40] and the 2020 census,[41] together with their official estimates for mid-2024.[1] Regencies and cities are sub-divided into 455districts, which in turn are further sub-divided into 6,110villages (as of early 2024). Proposals have been under consideration since 2013 by the People's Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR) to create three new provinces from parts of the present North Sumatra: Nias Islands, Tapanuli, and East Sumatra; however since 2013 the Indonesian Government have maintained a moratorium on the intended creation of new provinces, regencies and cities. The present regencies and cities are grouped for convenience below according to the projected new provinces within which they are situated:
Omo Sebua, means "the big house". It refers to a traditional house from South Nias, in which formerly the king ofTano Niha lived, and is located inBawomataluo
.
This region contains the substantial island ofNias and various small offshore islands, including theBatu Islands to the south. Originally it comprised a singleNias Regency (created on 7 November 1956), but on 25 February 2003 the southern part of the island (including the Batu Islands) was split off to form a separateSouth Nias Regency. On 29 October 2008 two new regencies -North Nias andWest Nias - together with thecity of Gunungsitoli, were split off from the remainder of Nias Regency.
Notes: (a) UU is an abbreviation from Undang-Undang (the Indonesia statute of law). (b) South Nias Regency includes theBatu Islands.
The region include 124 smaller offshore islands - 87 in South Nias Regency (primarily the Batu Islands), 11 in West Nias Regency, 19 in North Nias Regency and 7 in Nias Regency.
A photo ofBagas Godang in Panyabungan, Mandailing NatalOld Batak Toba Village, or known asBolon House (Rumah Bolon) in Simanindo
This region comprises the southwestern part of the province on the island ofSumatra, and equates to the formerTapanoeli Residency which existed at the time of independence (except for Nias Island). When the province was created, the region comprised three regencies (North Tapanuli,Central Tapanuli andSouth Tapanuli) and thecity of Sibolga. A fourth regency -Dairi - was created on 23 September 1964 from part of North Tapanuli Regency. Two more new regencies were formed on 23 November 1998 -Mandailing Natal from part of South Tapanuli Regency, andToba Samosir from another part of North Tapanuli Regency. Thecity of Padang Sidempuan was split off from South Tapanuli Regency on 21 June 2001. Two further regencies were formed on 25 February 2003 -Humbang Hasundutan from part of North Tapanuli Regency, andPakpak Bharat from part of Dairi Regency. A newSamosir Regency was created from part of Toba Samosir Regency on 18 December 2003 (more recently, the remaining part of this regency was renamed Toba Regency). Another two regencies were created on 17 July 2007 -Padang Lawas andNorth Padang Lawas, both from parts of South Tapanuli Regency.
The region includes 60 small offshore islands - 24 in Mandailing Natal, 31 in Central Tapanuli (the largest beingMursala Island off Sibolga) and 5 in Sibolga City, plus 7 islands in the landlockedLake Toba comprising 1 in North Tapanuli Regency (Pulau Sibandang), 5 in Samosir Regency and 1 in Humbang Hasundutan Regency.
Maimoon Palace, a historical palace in Medan. It was used as the residence for theSultan of Deli for a long time and is still in active use to this day.Siwaluh Jabu, Batak Karo traditional house, located in Karo HighlandsSimalungunRumah Bolon in Pamatang Purba,Simalungun
The region comprises the northeastern part of the province on the island of Sumatra, and equates to the formerState of East Sumatra which existed at the time of independence. It now covers ten regencies and five cities, but originally there were just six regencies and the five cities. The new regency ofSerdang Bedagai was formed on 18 December 2003 from part of Deli Serdang Regency, and the new regency ofBatubara was formed on 2 January 2007 from part of Asahan Regency. Two further regencies were formed on 24 June 2008 -North Labuhanbatu andSouth Labuhanbatu - both from parts of Labuhanbatu Regency.
The region includes 38 offshore islands - 11 in Langkat Regency, 1 in Deli Serdang, 1 in Medan City, 2 in Serdang Bedagai, 1 in Simalungun, 2 in Batubara, 4 in Asahan, 8 (riverine islands) in Tanjungbalai City, 2 in North Labuhanbatu and 6 in Labuhanbatu Regency.
The province comprises three of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to thePeople's Representative Council. Each of the three districts elects 10 members to the People's Representative Council (for a total of 30 members from the province).[43]
TheNorth Sumatra I Electoral District consists of 2 of the regencies in the province (Deli Serdang and Serdang Bedagai), together with the cities of Medan and Tebingtinggi.
TheNorth Sumatra II Electoral District consists of 16 regencies (Nias, South Nias, North Nias and West Nias; Samosir, Toba, North Tapanuli, Humbang Hasundutan, Central Tapanuli, South Tapanuli, North Padang Lawas, Padang Lawas and Mandailing Natal; Labuhan Batu, South Labuhan Batu and North Labuhan Batu), together with the cities of Sibolga, Padangsidempuan and Gunungsitoli.
TheNorth Sumatra III Electoral District consists of the remaining 7 regencies (Asahan, Simalungun, Dairi, Karo, Langkat, Pakpak Bharat and Batubara), together with the cities of Tanjungbalai, Pematangsiantar and Binjai.
North Sumatra recorded a population of 12,985,075 in the 2010 national census,[40] making it the 4th most populous province in Indonesia, with asex ratio of 99.59 men per 100 women.[44] The 2015 Intermediate census gave a total of 13,923,262, while the 2020 census gave a total of 14,799,361,[41] and the official estimate for mid-2024 was 15,588,525[1] The mid-2024 total comprised 7,823,399 males and 7,765,126 females, giving a sex ratio of 100.75 men per 100 women.
It was reported in January 2024 that a group of 140Rohingya people, consisting mostly of women and children had landed in Indonesia and been directed by the military to the North Sumatra region. This has been one of several groups that have arrived in the area over the preceding months.[45]
North Sumatra is a multi-ethnic province. TheMalay people are regarded as the majority people of the east coast of the province, while the west coast of the province is mainly inhabited by theBatak (Pakpak,Angkola andMandailing groups). The central region aroundLake Toba to the northernKaro highland is predominantly inhabited by otherBatak groups (Toba,Simalungun andKaro). TheNias people are indigenous toNias 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, they were mainlyChinese, Javanese andIndian migrants, who were majority does not returned after end contract and decided to stay in North Sumatra. The rapid urbanisation in the province also attract neighbouring people from Aceh, Riau and West Sumatra, which is theAceh andMinangkabau people presents.[citation needed]
Bataks make up 44.95% of the population, including the Batak Karo and Mandailing. The Javanese come second with 30.62%, the Malays add up to 5.92% and the ethnic Chinese comprise 5.75%. The Nias people make up around 4.10% and the rest are Minangkabau (2.66%), Acehnese (1.07%), ethnic Indian (1.00%) and other ethnic groups (1.15%)[citation needed]
Distribution of the Batak people and theToba,Simalungun,Karo,Pakpak,Angkola andMandailing sub-groups
The distribution of the tribes, clans, and ethnic groups in North Sumatra is as follows:[citation needed]
More than 95% of residents are either Muslim or Christian; the remainder are Buddhists, Hindus, or follow folk religions such as Confucianism, and Parmalim. These are the recognized religions of North Sumatra:
Islam: especially embraced by the Malays, Minangkabau, Javanese, Aceh, Mandailing, Angkola, partly Nias, and partly Chinese, Batak Toba, Karo, Simalungun and Pakpak
Christianity (Protestantism and Catholicism): especially embraced by Batak Toba, Karo, Simalungun, Nias, Pakpak and partly Batak Angkola, partly Javanese, Chinese and Indian
Buddhism: mainly embraced by Chinese in urban areas, partly Javanese and Indian
North Sumatra hosts various ethnicities, religions and traditions, influenced by theBatak,Malay andNias peoples, and other cultures such asChinese,Indian andJavanese.
The music that is usually played depends on the traditional ceremonies held, but is more dominant with the drums. As in the Coastal Ethnic (Indonesian:Orang Pesisir), there are musical instruments calledSikambang.
BatakneseGondangpercussion during a local ceremony in North Sumatra
The Batak Toba, Pakpak and Simalungun tribes have a musical instrument calledGondang which is usually played during traditional ceremonies in marriage, death, and so on. Meanwhile, the Mandailing and Angkola Batak tribes have musical instruments similar to the gondang, namelyGordang Sambilan. The Malays in the East Coast have the same musical instruments as the Malays in general, such as theaccordion, the Malay drum (kompang) and theviolin. Meanwhile, in Tanah Karo, there areKulcapi andGendang musical instruments which are commonly used to accompany theLandek orGuro Guro Aron dance.
In the field offine arts that stands out is the traditional house architecture which is a combination of the results of sculpture and carving as well as the results of handicrafts. Traditional house architecture is found in various forms of ornament. In general, the shape of the traditional house building in the Batak traditional group symbolizes "buffalo standing upright" (Indonesian:Kerbau berdiri tegak). This is even clearer by decorating the top of the roof with buffalo heads.
The traditional house of the Batak Toba ethnic,Ruma Batak, stands strong and majestic and is still commonly found in Samosir and Lake Toba area. The Batak Karo traditional house looks big and taller than other traditional houses. The roof is made of palm fiber and is usually supplemented with smaller triangular roofs calledayo-ayo rumah,Jambur andtersek. With soaring multi-layered roofs, Karo's house has a distinctive shape compared to other traditional houses that only have one roof in North Sumatra, there are still several villages in Karo highland that still reserve traditional house and buildings, like inLingga. The shape of the traditional house in the Batak Simalungun area is quite attractive. The traditional house complex inPematang Purba village consists of several buildings, namely theRumah Bolon,Balai Bolon, drying rack, taboo hall of need, and mortar. The prominent Mandailing buildings are calledBagas Gadang (house of Namora Natoras) andSopo Godang (customary consultation hall).
Malay traditional houses in North Sumatra are not much different from Malay houses in other provinces, only the green and yellow colour is more dominant.
Batak-Karonese couple doing traditional dance calledlandek
The traditional dance repertoire includes various types. Some are in the form of sacred dances and some are solely for entertainment. In addition to traditional dances which are part of traditional ceremonies, sacred dances are usually danced by dayu-datu. Included in this type of dance are teacher dances and stick dances. Datu danced while swinging a magic stick called Tunggal Panaluan.
Profane dance is usually a young social dance that is danced at a happy party. Tortor is danced at the wedding ceremony. Usually danced by the audience including the bride and young people. These youth dances, for examplemorah-morah, parakut, sipaj ok, patam-patam andkebangkiung. Magical dances, such as theNasiraan Tortor Dance, Tunggal Panaluan Tor Tor Dance. This magical dance is usually performed with great solemnity.
Besides Batak dances, there are also Malay dances such asSerampang XII, Gundala-Gundala and Landek dance from Karo Highlands,Moyo andMaena dance from Nias.
Local craftswomen weavingUlos inHuta Raja village, Ulos is Bataknese traditionalTenun which is popular exported as garment from North Sumatra
In addition to architecture,weaving is an interesting craft art from the Batak tribe. Examples of this weave areulos cloth andsongket cloth. Ulos is a traditional Batak cloth used in wedding ceremonies, death, building houses, arts, etc. Ulos cloth is made of cotton or hemp yarn. Ulos colors are usually black, white, and red which have certain meanings. While other colors are symbols of the variety of life. In the Pakpak tribe there is a weave known asoles. Usually the base color of the ointment is black-brown or white. In the Karo tribe there is a weave known asuis. Usually uis base colors are dark blue and reddish. In the west coast community there is a woven fabric known asSongket Barus. Usually the basic color of this craft is Dark Red or Yellow Gold.
Batubara Malay Songket is one of the typical crafts of the East Coast that has been worldwide. Songket Batubara has its own characteristics, this can be seen from: The process of making songket still uses wooden looms in the traditional way, but still has good quality, thus this songket is not inferior to songket produced with today's sophisticated machines. The Batubara songket also has a variety of unique motifs such as bamboo shoots, mangosteen flowers, cempaka flowers, Caul buds,Tolak Betikam, and Fighting Dragons. The Batubara songket woven has an attractive design and a high cultural artistic value.
Bataknese cuisine such asSaksang,Babi panggang Karo andSayur Daun ubi tumbuk
There is a wide variety of food in North Sumatra, depending on the region. This includesSaksang andBabi panggang karo, and in the Pakpak Dairi area,Pelleng is a very spicy popular typical food. The characteristic of Batak cuisine is its preference forandaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium) as the main spice. That is why andaliman in Indonesia is sometimes dubbed asBatak pepper.[47] In the Batak land itself there isdengke nani arsik which is fish that is fried without using coconut. For taste, Batak land is heaven for lovers of coconut milk and spicy food.Pasiyak Natonggi or money to buy sweet palm wine is a very familiar term there, describing how close palm wine ornira is to their lives. Batak people are majorityChristian — unlike neighboring Muslim-majority ethnic groups such asAceh andMinang — Christian Batak people are not restricted to Islamichalal dietary law.[48]
Lapo Tuak, Bataknesewarung which servedTuak, an alcoholicpalm wine
Many of the Batak popular meals containpork as well as dishes made from unusual ingredients, such asdog meat orblood, however there are also halal batak dishes, mostly chicken, beef, lamb, mutton, and freshwater fishes. With a large population of Batak being Muslim, especially amongMandailing people, they have their own dishes such asSayur daun ubi tumbuk or mashed-cassava leaf soup,Pora-pora,Salai ikan,Pakkat and others. Batak culinary centres are located in towns of Batak highlands, such as the town ofKabanjahe andBerastagi in Tanah Karo area. Some towns around theLake Toba offer freshwater fish dishes such ascarparsik. The Northern Sumatra capital ofMedan is also a Batak cuisine hotspot where numerous ofLapo (Batak restaurants) can be found anywhere across the province, it even expanded into neighbouring provinces such asRiau,Riau Islands, even capitalJakarta and neighbouring countries like inMalaysia andSingapore.
The North Sumatran Malay cuisine is similar to another Malays region, meals such asNasi lemak (called asNasi Gurih),Bubur pedas,Lemang anddodol are the most known dishes from Medan and the east coast. The Chinese have influenced the province's cuisine, examples areCha Sio,Tau Kua He Ci,Popia,Bakpao,Teng-Teng,Chai Pao,Roti Kacang andBika ambon which are dishes also popular elsewhere in Indonesia. Indian influences can also be seen in dishes such asMartabak,Roti canai,Putu bambu andMie rebus. TheMinangkabau andAcehnese peoples broughtNasi padang andMie Aceh dishes.
North Sumatra is rich in natural resources such as natural gas in the area of Tandem, Binjai andpetroleum in Pangkalan Brandan, Langkat which has been explored since the days of the Dutch East Indies. Besides that, in Kuala Tanjung, Asahan, there is the company named PT Inalum (abbreviated fromIndonesia Aluminium) that is engaged in ore mining and smelting of aluminium which is the only one in Southeast Asia.
The rivers that disgorge from the mountains around Lake Toba are also a natural resource that has potential enough to be an exploited resource for hydroelectric power plants.Asahan hydropower, which is the largest hydroelectric power plant on Sumatra Island, is located at Porsea in Toba Samosir Regency.
Moreover, in the mountains there are many geothermal hot spots were very likely to be developed as a source of thermal energy or steam that can then be transformed into electrical energy.
The province is famous for its plantations. The plantations are managed by private companies and the state. SOE Plantation area is located in North Sumatra, among others PT Perkebunan Nusantara II (PTPN II), PTPN IV and PTPN III.
North Sumatra produces rubber, cocoa, tea, palm oil, coffee, cloves, coconut, cinnamon, and tobacco. These commodities have been exported to many countries and contributing huge foreign exchange for Indonesia. In addition to commodities, North Sumatra is also known as a producer of horticultural commodities (vegetables and fruits); e.g. Medanese Orange, Deli Guava, Cabbage Vegetable, Tomato, Potato and Carrot generated by Karo, Simalungun and North Tapanuli. The horticultural products have been exported to Malaysia and Singapore.
The plantation is spread in East coast area such as Deli Serdang, Serdang Bedagai Langkat, Simalungun, Asahan, Labuhan Batu, and also around west coast: Central and South Tapanuli. Plantations, especially palm oil, are important for sourcing reticulated and blood pythons, the skins of which are a major export product.[50]
The size of technical irrigation entirely in North Sumatra is 132 ha that covers an area of 174 irrigation site.
Sumatra Mandheling and Sumatra Lintong coffee beans are grown in North Sumatra and largely exported to the United States.Mandheling is named after the similarly spelt Mandailing people located in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The name is the result of a misunderstanding by the first foreign purchaser of the variety, and no coffee is actually produced in the "Mandailing region". Lintong on the other hand, is named after the Lintong district, also located in North Sumatra.
In addition to national banks, state banks and international banks, currently there are 61 units of Credited Peoples Banks (BPR) and 7 Credited Sharia Bank (BPRS). Data fromBank Indonesia showed, in January 2006, the Third Party Funds (TPF), which absorbed BPR reached Rp253,366,627,000 (around US$19 million) and loans reached Rp260.152.445.000 (around US$19.5 million). While assets reached Rp340,880,837,000 (US$25.5 million).
North Sumatra has several industrial sites, mainly around Deli Serdang. Medan Industrial Area (Indonesian:Kawasan Industri Medan) stands for KIM is the main industrial complex in Medan.
Sei Mangkei Industrial Area, also known as Sei Mangkei – Integrated Sustainable Palm Oil Cluster (SM-ISPOIC), is located in Simalungun Regency and was formally opened on 12 June 2010. Four companies have joined in this area, with investment costs totaling up to Rp1.5 trillion ($176 million).[51][52] In April 2011, three other companies also joined in the Sei Mangkei area. They areProcter & Gamble Co for makingCPO derivatives of cosmetic raw materials,Ferrostaal AG andFratelli Gianazza SpA.
The increasingly higher economic performance of Sumatra and Java means that North Sumatran exports will be experiencing rapid growth. In 2004, the size of theforeign exchange sector had reached $4.24 billion, up 57.7% from 2003.
Coffee exports from North Sumatra reached a record high of 46,290 tonnes with Japan as the main export destination countries during the last five years. Sumatran coffee exports are also listed as the top 10 highest export products with a value of US$3.25 million or 47200.8 tons from January to October 2005.
Of the garment sector, garment exports tend to fall in January 2006. The results of special apparel industry down 42.59% from US$1,066,124 in 2005, to US$2,053 in 2006 in the same month.
Import export performance of some industrial products showed a decline. Namely furniture fell 22.83% from US$558,363 (2005) to US$202,630 (2006), plywood down 24.07 percent from US$19,771 to US$8,237, misteric acid down 27.89% from US$115,362 into US$291,201, stearic acid dropped 27.04% from US$792,910 to US$308,020, and soap noodles down 26% from US$689,025 to US$248,053.
Export performance of agricultural imports also decreased the essential oil dropped 18 percent from US$162,234 to US$773,023, seafood / shrimp, coconut oil and robusta coffee also dropped quite dramatically to 97 per cent. Some commodities were increased (a value of over US $ Million) is cocoa, horticulture, arabica coffee, palm oil, natural rubber, seafood (non shrimp). For the results of the molding industry, vehicle tires and rubber gloves.
North Sumatra has lots of travel destinations. According toMinistry of Tourism, North Sumatra is ranked on the top 10 most visited province in Indonesia. There are various kinds of tourist destinations that could be found throughout the province, Berastagi is best known as a hilly place with a cooler temperature as the whole province is in tropical region. Lake Toba is also a popular travel destination. Toba is a largevolcanic lake which has an island inside of it,Samosir Island.Nias Island and other several islands nearby namedBatu Islands is a popular spot for surfing. The capital itself, Medan, has many places of interest, mainly for its historical sites. The city is also known for its variety of cuisine. The list below is the most known places of interest in North Sumatra:
Sipisopiso waterfall, TonggingSurfing in Tello Island, Nias
Medan is the capital of North Sumatra province with a diverse crowd population of tribes and religions in unity. There are many historical tourist objects to spot and various great cuisine to taste in Medan.
Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake in the world. Located in the centre of North Sumatra, the lake can be reached viaParapat (Simalungun regency), Tongging (Karo regency), andBalige (Toba Samosir regency).
Samosir Island is a volcanic island in middle of Lake Toba, It is a popular tourist destination due to its exoticBatak history and the vistas it offers. The tourist resorts are concentrated in the Tuktuk, Tomok, Simanindo, and Pangururan areas.
Nias Island is an island off the western coast of Sumatra. Nias is an internationally popular surfing destination where many international surfing competitions are held. The best known surfing area is Sorake Bay, close to the town of Teluk Dalam, on the southern tip. This is enclosed by the beaches ofLagundri and Sorake. Tourists can visit the island by plane fromMedan, or by ferry fromSibolga.
Bawomataluo village is a settlement in Teluk Dalam of the South Nias Regency of Indonesia. The village was built on a flat-topped hill, the name Bawomataluo meaning "Sun Hill", and is one of the best-preserved villages built in traditional style.[53]
Berastagi is a small highland town located 63 kilometres to the south of Medan, and is a popular weekend destination for city dwellers due to its chilled and fresh mountain air.
Dolok Tinggi Raja has a unique soil colour is white because it is located in a limestone hill that resembles snow, and also in the middle of this area there are lakes with hot blue-green coloured water, located in Tinggi Raja, Simalungun.
Lumbini Natural Park is a Buddhist Theravada-style temple that is similar to Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar located in Berastagi.
Kolam Abadi Pelaruga, a blue crystal river located in Rumah Galuh, Langkat Regency, 50 km from Medan
Poncan Island is a resort including a beach, located on west offshore ofSibolga city.
Berhala Island is a 2.5 hectares island located in the Malaka Strait near the boundary of Indonesia and Malaysia. It is a popular place for snorkeling and watching turtle nesting. Visitors can reach the island via boat from Sergei in the Serdang Bedagai regency.
Sipisopiso, one of the highest waterfalls in Indonesia, is located near Tongging in Karo regency, about 1 hour drive from Berastagi.
Simalem Resort, is a 5 star resort located around 8 km from Munthe village, Karo Regency. This place is the good place for sightseeing the whole Lake Toba from top of the hill.
Taman Iman,Indonesian name for The Garden of Faith located in Sitinjo village, Dairi around 10 km away fromSidikalang, it is a religious garden with dioramas from 5 religion of Indonesia (Islam, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Confucian).
Bahal temple, an ancient Buddhist monastery located in Padang Bolak,Padang Lawas Regency, around 3 hours journey with car fromPadang Sidempuan. The temple is believed to be constructed between the 11th and 13th centuries AD.
Sigura-Gura Waterfall located in Porsea, Toba Samosir Regency, this is a waterfall that has a height that reaches 250 metres.
Pariban Hotsprings inLau Sidebuk-debuk village, Karo Highlands
Tangkahan is a tourist site situated at the edge of the Gunung Leuser national park, around 20 km due north from Bukit Lawang, The main tourist draw at Tangkahan is the presence ofSumatran elephant.[54]
Salib Kasih,Indonesian name for Love Cross, located inTarutung. The development objective of this cross-shaped monument is to commemorate the service and dedication ofLudwig Ingwer Nommensen which is a missionary from northern Germany. This Parks built on Dolok (Hill) Siatas Barita.[55]
Lingga is one of the village in the Karo Regency. Located at an altitude of about 1200 m above sea level, approximately 15 km from Brastagi and 5 km from the Kabanjahe. Linga is unique Karo traditional house and village that has been built an estimated of 250 years ago, but still sturdy.
Tanjungbalai is an old city situated approximately 180 km from Medan, the capital city of North Sumatra. In fact, it holds the last train station from the capital city. There is some sections of this town that still bears historical building established in the Dutch colonial.[56][better source needed]
North Sumatra has an international seaport atBelawan, nearMedan and is now preparing to have a new seaport atKuala Tanjung, inBatubara Regency, for about Rp1 trillion ($114 million) budget.[58]
Tanjung Morawa toll gate, inDeli Serdang, part of Belmera toll road
In North Sumatra, there is 2098.05 kilometres down a state-road, which pertained only steady 1095.70 kilometres or 52.22 percent and 418.60 kilometres or 19.95 percent in a state of being, remaining in a state of disrepair. While of 2752.41 kilometres of provincial roads, which is in a state of steady length 1237.60 kilometres or 44.96 per cent, while in a state of being 558.46 kilometres, or 20.29 percent. As damaged roads length 410.40 kilometres, or 14.91 percent, and the damaged length 545.95 kilometres, or 19.84 percent.
There are 28 km toll road (expressway) in named asBelmera Toll Road, the first toll road in Medan, connecting from Belawan to Tanjung Morawa, passing east side of the city, the government also on has built a 62 kmMedan–Kualanamu–Tebing Tinggi Toll Road and 17 kmMedan–Binjai Toll Road. A project to build toll road from Tebing Tinggi to Parapat and also from Tebing Tinggi to Kisaran and Kisaran to Rantauprapat down south to Bagan Batu,Riau also in proportion, meanwhile in the north, a toll project connecting Binjai to Aceh's eastern city,Langsa and up to Banda Aceh are also on going. There are under discussion to build Medan inner ring-road toll road, including an elevated tollway aboveDeli River to accelerate city traffic.
Regional Division I North Sumatra and Aceh orDivre I is regional railway from Aceh to North Sumatra operated byKereta Api Indonesia, but only in-operation railway are from Binjai to Medan (Sri Lelawangsa), Medan to Pematangsiantar (Siantar Express), Medan to Tanjung Balai (Putri Deli) and Medan to Rantau Prapat (Sribilah), there are an under construction rail way toBanda Aceh in Aceh province also toPekanbaru, Riau province. Medan also has it firstairport rail link in Indonesia, calledKualanamu Airport Rail Link. It connects the city to Kualanamu Airport.
^abcdefgBadan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2025,Provinsi Sumatera Utara Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.12)
^abAris Ananta; Evi Nurvidya Arifin; M. Sairi Hasbullah; Nur Budi Handayani; Agus Pramono (2015).Demography of Indonesia's Ethnicity. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies dan BPS – Statistics Indonesia.
^Dootjes, F.J.J. (November 1938). "Deli, the Land of Agricultural Enterprises". In Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen (ed.).Bulletin of the Colonial Institute of Amsterdam. Vol. 2. Kominklijk Instituut voor de Troopen. pp. 45–55.
^Reid, Anthony (2014).The Blood of the People: Revolution & the End of Traditional Rule in Northern Sumatra. Singapore: NUS Press. p. 262.ISBN978-9971-69-637-5.
^Ninkovich, D.; N.J. Shackleton; A.A. Abdel-Monem; J.D. Obradovich; G. Izett (7 December 1978). "K−Ar age of the late Pleistocene eruption of Toba, north Sumatra".Nature.276 (5688). Nature Publishing Group:574–577.Bibcode:1978Natur.276..574N.doi:10.1038/276574a0.S2CID4364788.
^Law No. 7/2017 (UU No. 7 Tahun 2017) as amended by Government Regulation in Lieu of Law No. 1/2022 and Regulation of General Elections Commission No. 6/2023.
^Indonesian Ministry of Education Culture Research and Technology."Bahasa di Provinsi Sumatra Utara" [Languages of North Sumatra Province].petabahasa.kemdikbud.go.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved5 May 2024.
_(04).jpg)
_(01).jpg)
%2c_Medan.jpg)
