- Also spelled:
- Acheh, Achin, or Atjeh
- In full:
- Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam or
- English:
- State of Aceh, Abode of Peace
Aceh
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Where is Aceh located?
Aceh is a special autonomous region, or daerah istimewa, with the status of province (propinsi) in Indonesia. It is located at the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Aceh is surrounded by water on three sides: the Indian Ocean to the west and north, and the Strait of Malacca to the east. Its capital is Banda Aceh. The province borders North Sumatra to the southeast, with a boundary extending north-south from Salahaji on the northeastern coast to a point on the southwestern coast between Singkil and Barus.
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What is Aceh known for in Indonesia?
Aceh, an autonomous province in Indonesia, is known for being the first Muslim stronghold in the Indonesian archipelago in the 13th century. The Acehnese are a Malay people who are devout Muslims. The province is located on the northern tip of Sumatra and is surrounded by water on three sides.
Aceh's history includes open warfare with the Dutch, and it was never fully pacified until the end of Dutch colonial rule. The province is also known for its natural resources, including oil and natural gas fields on the eastern coast. Banda Aceh, the capital, is known as the "doorway to Mecca" and was heavily damaged by the 2004 tsunami.
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What is special about Aceh’s history?
Aceh's history is notable as it became the first Muslim stronghold in the Indonesian archipelago in the 13th century. The Acehnese expelled the Portuguese in the 17th century, establishing the Sultanate of Aceh's dominance in northern Sumatra until 1904, when the Dutch conquered the sultanate. Between 1873 and 1904, the Acehnese War between the Netherlands and the Aceh Sultanate resulted in Dutch conquest. Though part of the Republic of Indonesia since 1949, the Acehnese have remained restive, with a strong separatist movement. In 2004, a severe earthquake off Sumatra triggered a tsunami that devastated Aceh's western coast.
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What languages are commonly spoken in Aceh?
Aceh, a special autonomous district in Indonesia, is home to a diverse linguistic landscape. The Acehnese, who primarily occupy the lowlands and adjoining hills, speak Acehnese, a language of the Austronesian family.
Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) serves as the national language and a unifying force, widely used in media, education, and formal settings. Other languages spoken in Aceh include Gayo, used by the Gayo people in the highlands, and Malay, which has historically been significant in the region.
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How did the 2004 tsunami affect Aceh?
In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Sumatra triggered a devastating tsunami that heavily impacted Aceh, Indonesia. The tsunami caused widespread destruction along Aceh's western coast and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. Across 13 countries, the tsunami killed at least 230,000 people, with Indonesia experiencing the highest death toll, particularly in Aceh province. The principal ports of Uleelheue and Lhokseumawe, along with the free port of Sabang, were heavily damaged.
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What is unique about Aceh’s government and laws compared to other Indonesian provinces?
Aceh stands out from other Indonesian provinces because of its history and special autonomous status. In the 13th century, Aceh became the first Muslim stronghold in the Indonesian archipelago. Although becoming part of the Republic of Indonesia in 1949, the Acehnese have remained restless, and their territory is administered as a special autonomous district. In 2002, the Indonesian government granted greater autonomy, and Aceh adopted the official name of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.
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Aceh, autonomous daerah istimewa (special district) of Indonesia, with the status of propinsi (or provinsi; province), forming the northern extremity of the island of Sumatra. Aceh is surrounded by water on three sides: the Indian Ocean to the west and north and the Strait of Malacca to the east. Its boundary with the province of North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) to the southeast extends north-south from Salahaji, on the northeastern coast just north of Aru Bay, to a point on the southwestern coast about midway between Singkil and Barus. The capital is Banda Aceh.
In December 2004 a severe earthquake centred in the Indian Ocean off northwest Sumatra triggered the great Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated much of Aceh’s western coast and killed tens of thousands of people. Area 22,377 square miles (57,956 square km). Pop. (2000) 3,929,234; (2010) 4,494,410.
Geography
Aceh is largely mountainous; Mounts Leuser and Abong Abong rise to elevations of 11,092 feet (3,381 metres) and 9,793 feet (2,985 metres), respectively. Except in the extreme north, there is a fairly wide coastal plain, and the rivers are short and have little value for shipping. The southwestern coast is dotted with swamps. The interior volcanic mountains are covered by temperate and tropical rainforests composed of stemless palm, oak, conifers, and laurel. Mosses and herbaceous plants carpet the ground and the lower trunks of trees.
The Acehnese, a Malay people who are devout Muslims, occupy the lowlands and adjoining hills and constitute the great bulk of the population. In the highlands live the Gayo, also Muslims but related to the Batak. Rice is the food staple together with corn (maize), sweet potatoes, yams, and pulses (legumes). Pepper, copra, areca nuts, and rubber are the chief exports. Bauxite and coal are mined. There are some oil fields and increasingly important natural gas fields on the eastern coast; Lhokseumawe is being developed as a petroleum and liquefied-natural-gas terminal to facilitate the exploitation of these deposits. Industries and crafts produce processed foods, textiles, metalware, gold jewelry and filigree work, wood carvings, and engraved metal products.
Principal ports are Uleelheue and Lhokseumawe, but large vessels can use the free port of Sabang on We Island, 50 miles (80 km) north of Uleelheue; all three were heavily damaged by the 2004 tsunami. Banda Aceh (formerly Kutaradja), the region’s largest city, is on the Aceh River 3 miles (5 km) from the sea and is connected by road with Medan, the capital of North Sumatra. The district has several wildlife sanctuaries, including Mount Leuser National Park.
History
Pole, a Buddhist state that flourished about 500 ce in northern Sumatra, was visited by Arab, Indian, and Chinese merchants and pilgrims. In the 13th century Aceh became the first Muslim stronghold in the Indonesian archipelago. It was later visited by English explorers (in 1591) and by the Dutch. Its power reached its height in the time of Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607–36). In that period there were frequent wars with the Portuguese at Malacca (now Melaka), and the Portuguese fleet was defeated at Bintan in 1614. The Dutch (1599) and the English (1602) tried unsuccessfully to establish trading settlements in Aceh. After a short-lived alliance (1641) with the Dutch, the sultanate of Aceh declined in influence.
Following the Napoleonic Wars, when the East Indies were restored to the Netherlands, the British tried to keep Dutch influence out of Aceh, and an 1824 treaty stipulated that no hostile actions be undertaken. That reservation was withdrawn in 1873, upon which the Dutch tried to conquer Aceh. More than 25 years of open warfare (the Acehnese War) ensued between the Acehnese and the Dutch. Muhammad Daud Syah, the Acehnese sultan, finally surrendered to the Dutch in 1903 and was exiled in 1905. Until the end of Dutch colonial rule, however, the area was never fully pacified.
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Aceh became an autonomous province in 1949 and amalgamated with the province of North Sumatra in 1950. Under the Indonesian republic the people continued to be restive, with open rebellion in 1953, and the creation of Aceh as a special district, administratively equal with the country’s provinces, in 1956 did not solve the problem. Resistance arose again in the 1970s, largely under the direction of the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka), and led to periods of armed conflict between separatists and Indonesian forces from 1990. In 2002, when the Indonesian government granted greater autonomy, Aceh adopted the official name of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.