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| Sumatra Islan |
Sumatra or the island of Sumatra is the sixth largest in the world are located in Indonesia, with an area of 443,065.8 km2. Residents of this island of about 42,409,510 people (2000). The island is also known by another name ie percha Island, Andalas, or Suwarnadwipa (Sanskrit, meaning "island of gold"). Later in the year 1286 inscription carved Padang Roco swarnnabhūmi and Bhumi Malay to call this island. Later on in the script Negarakertagama of the 14th century was also re-called the "Earth Malay" (Melayu) to the island.
Originally the name of Sumatra originated from the existence of the Kingdom of the Ocean (located on the east coast of Aceh). Beginning with the visit of Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan adventurers into the country in the year 1345, he pronounced the word became Samatrah Ocean, and later became Sumatra or Sumatra, then the name is listed in the maps made by 16th-century Portuguese, to be referred on this island , so that later became known widely to the present.
The original name of Sumatra, as recorded in historical sources and folklore, is the "Island of Gold". The term island ameh (Minangkabau language, meaning the island of gold), we have encountered in the story Cindur Eye of Minangkabau. In Lampung folklore listed mas tanoh name to refer to the island of Sumatra. A traveler from China named I-Tsing (634-713), who for years lived in Sriwijaya (Palembang now) in the 7th century, called Sumatra with a chin-chou which means "golden land".
In various inscriptions, Sumatra, called by the Sanskrit name: Suwarnadwipa ("island of gold") or Suwarnabhumi ("golden land"). These names have been used in Indian texts BC. Buddhist manuscripts including the oldest, Jataka Book, tells the sailors had crossed the Bay of Bengal to India Suwarnabhumi. In the story narrated Ramayana Sinta Dewi search, Ravana kidnapped Rama's wife, to Suwarnadwipa.
The Arab traveler called Sumatra by the name of Serendib (precisely: Suwarandib), a transliteration of the name Suwarnadwipa. Abu Raihan Al-Biruni, Persian geographers who visited Srivijaya in 1030, said that the country is located on the island Suwarandib Sriwijaya. But there are also people who identify with the Sri Lanka Serendib, who was never called Suwarnadwipa.
Among the ancient Greeks, Sumatra has been known by the name Taprobana. Name Taprobana insula has been used by Klaudios Ptolemaios, Greek geographer of the second century AD, ie in 165, when he describes the Southeast Asian region in his work Geographike Hyphegesis. Ptolemaios wrote that the island contained Taprobana Barousai country. Maybe once the country is meant Barus on the west coast of Sumatra, which is famous since ancient times as a producer of camphor.
Greek manuscript of 70, Periplous Thalasses Erythras test, revealed that Taprobana also called chryse Nesos, which means 'island of gold'. Since ancient times, traders from the area around the Mediterranean had been to Indonesia, particularly Sumatra. In addition to looking for gold, they are looking for incense (Styrax sumatrana) and camphor (Dryobalanops aromatica), who was then only in Sumatra. Instead, traders were already selling commodities Nusantara they came to West Asia and East Africa, as contained in the manuscript Plini work Naturalis Historia the first century AD.
In the book of the Jewish people, Melakim (Kings), chapter 9, explained that the Prophet Sulayman king of Israel, received 420 talents of gold from Hiram, king of Tyre who became his subordinate. The gold was obtained from the land of Ophir. Book Al-Qur'an, Surat Al-Anbiya '81, explained that the ships of the Prophet Sulayman sailed to the "land which We have blessed them" (al-Ardha-l-Na Lati barracks FIHA).
Many historians argue that the country Ophir was located in Sumatra. It should be noted, the city of Tyre was the center of the marketing of goods from the Far East. Ptolemaios also write Geographike Hyphegesis based on information from a merchant named Marinus of Tyre. And many European adventurers in the 15th century and 16th looking for gold to Sumatra with the assumption that the land therein lies Ofir Prophet Sulaiman .
The word was first mentioned the name comes from the title of a Sumatran Srivijaya king Haji (the king) Sumatrabhumi ("King of Sumatra land"), according to Chinese news he sent envoys to China in the year 1017. Others say the name comes from the name of Ocean Sumatra, kingdom of Aceh in the 13th century and 14th. European travelers since the 15th century using the royal name to refer to the whole island. Similarly, the island of Borneo which was once called Borneo, from the name of Brunei, northern areas of the island was originally visited by the Europeans. Similarly, Lombok island was named Selaparang, while Lombok is the name of the area on the east coast of the island Selaparang the first stop off the Portuguese sailors.
Ocean Transition (royal name) to Sumatra (island name) draws to be traced. Odorico da Pordenone in the story of his voyage in 1318 mentioned that he sailed to the east of Koromandel, India, for 20 days and arrived in the kingdom Sumoltra. Ibn Battuta tells in the book Rihlah ila l-Masyriq (odyssey to the East) that in 1345 he stopped at the royal Samatrah. In the next century, the name of the country or kingdom of Aceh was taken over by another traveler-traveler to mention the entire island.
In 1490 Ibn Majid make a map of the area around the Indian Ocean island and there Samatrah written. Map was copied by Ibn Majid in 1498 and emerged Roteiro Camatarra name. Map made by Amerigo Vespucci in 1501 include the name Samatara, while the map Masser in 1506 led to the name Samatra. Ruy d'Araujo in 1510 called the island Camatra, and Alfonso Albuquerque in 1512 to write Camatora. Antonio Pigafetta 1521 using the name of a rather 'true': Somatra. But so many other travelers note that more 'chaotic' wrote: Samoterra, Samotra, Sumotra, even Zamatra and Zamatora.
The records of the Dutch and English, since Jan Huygen van Linschoten and Sir Francis Drake of the 16th century, always consistent in the writing of Sumatra. Which is the standard form, and then adapted to the tongue Indonesia: Sumatra
In general, the island of Sumatra inhabited by Malays, which was divided into several tribes. Major tribes are Acehnese, Batak, Malay, Minangkabau, Ogan, Komering, and Lampung. In the eastern coastal areas of Sumatra and in some big cities such as Medan, Palembang, and Pekanbaru, many ethnic Chinese live. Residents of the island of Sumatra was highly concentrated in eastern Sumatra and the Minangkabau highlands. Sumatra livelihood mostly as farmers, fishermen and traders.
Sumatra majority Muslim population and a small portion are Protestants, particularly in Tapanuli, North Sumatra. In urban areas, such as Medan, Pekanbaru and Palembang, encountered some Buddhists.
The cities on Sumatra island connected by three cross streets, which cross the middle, across the east and west traffic, which cross from the north - south Sumatra. In addition there is also a cross road from the west - east, such as joint Bengkulu - Palembang, Padang - Jambi and Padang - Dumai.
In some parts of Sumatra island, the railway is an alternative means of transportation. In the south, the railway starts from the port of Panjang (Lampung) to Lubuk Linggau and Palembang (South Sumatra). In the middle of the island of Sumatra, there are only railway line in West Sumatra. This path connects the city with Rice Brief PT.Lunto Padang and Padang Pariaman city. During the Dutch colonial until 2001, Padang route - Brief PT.Lunto Fields used to transport coal. But since coal reserves in Ombilin thinning, then this path is not functioning anymore. Since late 2006, the West Sumatra provincial government, re-activate this pathway as a tourist railway.
In northern Sumatra, railway lines stretching from the city of Medan to the city of High Cliff. At this point, the railway is used as a means of transporting oil palm and passengers.
International flights are served from Banda Aceh (International Airport of Sultan Iskandar Muda), Medan (Polonia International Airport), Padang (Minangkabau International Airport, and Palembang (Sultan Mahmud Airport Badaruddin II). While the ship is in port of Belawan (Medan ), Gulf Bayur (Padang), and Bakauheni (Lampung).
Island of Sumatra Island is rich with the earth. Of the five provinces rich in Indonesia, there are three provinces in Sumatra, the province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, Riau and South Sumatra. The results of the main island of Sumatra is palm oil, tobacco, petroleum, tin, bauxite, coal and natural gas. The results of the earth is largely processed by foreign companies, such as PT Caltex petroleum processing in the province of Riau.
Places of producer goods is mine:
- Arun (Aceh), to produce natural gas.
- Pangkalan Brandan (North Sumatra), producing crude oil
- Duri, Dumai and Bengkalis (Riau), producing crude oil
- Tanjung Enim (South Sumatra), produces coal
- Plaju and Gerong River (South Sumatra), producing crude oil
- Tanjung Pinang (Riau Islands), produces bauxite
- Indarung (West Sumatra), produces cement
- Sawahlunto (West Sumatra), produces coal
Several cities on the island of Sumatra, is also a city of considerable commercial importance. Medan, the largest city on Sumatra island, is the main commercial city on the island. Many large national companies headquartered here.
Sumatra Island is located in the western islands of the archipelago. In the north bordering the Bay of Bengal, east of the Strait of Malacca, on the south by the Straits of Sunda, and on the west by the Indian Ocean. To the east of the island, met many swamp fed by large rivers that empty in there, among others Asahan (North Sumatra), Sungai Siak (Riau), Kampar, Inderagiri (West Sumatra, Riau), Batang Hari (West Sumatra, Jambi), Musi, Ogan, Lematang, Komering (South Sumatra), and Way Sekampung (Lampung). While some river which empties into the west coast of Sumatra island including bars Tarusan (West Sumatra), and Ketahun (Bengkulu).
In the western part of the island, lies the Bukit Barisan mountain range that stretches from north to south. Along the hill there are rows of volcanoes are still active, such as Geureudong (Aceh), Sinabung (North Sumatra), Marapi, Talang (West Sumatra), Mount Kaba (Bengkulu), and Kerinci (West Sumatra, Jambi). On the island of Sumatra, there are also several lakes, including Lake Laut Tawar (Aceh), Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Lake Batur, Lake Maninjau, Lake Above, Below Lake, Lake Talang (West Sumatra), the Lake Kerinci (Jambi) and Lake Ranau (Lampung and South Sumatra).