 Sumatra Travel Information
Masjid Agung, Pekanbaru, Sumatra
Author: Fadillah Jafar (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Sumatra is one of the major islands of Indonesia. Covering 473,481 sq km (182,812 sq mi), it is the sixth largest island in the world, and the biggest which is entirely within Indonesia. Sumatra has a population exceeding 50 million people (2011 estimate), making it the fourth most populous island in the world behind Java, Honshu and Great Britain. Its biggest city, which is also the provincial capital of North Sumatra, is Medan.
Grand Mosque of Banda Aceh, Sumatra
Author: Si Gam Acèh (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
Sumatra measures approximately 1,790 km (1,110 mi) from end to end. The equator cuts it in half. At its widest point, Sumatra is 435 km (270 mi). The Barisan mountain range forms the spire of the island. It follows the western coast of the island, while the east coast of Sumatra, is covered with mangrove swamps.
Sumatra is separated from Java by the Sunda Straits. The Strait of Malacca separates it from the Malay Peninsula, while the Karimata Strait separates it from the island of Borneo. The tallest mountain in Sumatra is an active volcano, Mount Kerinci, which is 3,805 m (12,467 ft). Sumatra also has the biggest lake in Indonesia, Lake Toba, the result of a massive eruption some 70,000 years ago.
Traditional Batak village houses in Ambarita, Samosir Island, Sumatra (29 April 2006)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Once covered with dense rainforest, Sumatra is today overwhelmingly deforested, and rainforest land is being converted to palm oil plantations. Illegal logging is another issue that has threatened the rainforest of Sumatra. Slash and burn cultivation in Sumatra and other Indonesian islands have been blamed for causing haze to envelope Southeast Asia, usually between June and October.
Visiting Sumatra
There are international airports in Medan, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Padang and Banda Aceh, with most of the international flights dominated by low-cost carrier, AirAsia. Most of the visitors to Sumatra come from Malaysia and Singapore, arriving through Medan.
Candi Bahal Hindu ruins in Padang Lawas, Sumatra
Author: Spiiiv (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)
|
Tourist Destinations in Sumatra
- Berastagi
- Bukittinggi
- Gundaling Hill
- Gunung Sibayak
- Gunung Sinabung
- Harau Valley
- Kabanjahe
- Lake Toba
- Nias Island
- Samosir Island
Major Cities in Sumatra
- Banda Aceh
- Bandar Lampung
- Bengkulu
- Jambi
- Lubuklinggau
- Medan
- Padang
- Palembang
- Pekanbaru
- Pematang Siantar
Provinces of Sumatra
Provincial capital in parenthesis.
- Aceh (Banda Aceh)
- Bangka-Belitung (Pangkalpinang)
- Bengkulu (Bengkulu)
- Jambi (Jambi)
- Lampung (Bandar Lampung)
- Riau (Pekanbaru)
- Riau Islands (Tanjung Pinang)
- West Sumatra (Padang)
- South Sumatra (Palembang)
- North Sumatra (Medan)
National Parks in Sumatra
- Berbak National Park
- Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park
- Gunung Leuser National Park
- Kerinci Seblat National Park
|
|
Tweet 
