Sumatra

The island of Sumatra, the second largest of the Sunda Islands in Indonesia, is flanked on its southern coast by the Indian Ocean. The hot and humid climate encourages rich vegetation and animal life, and the surrounding waters provide a natural habitat for many species of sea life including this colourful example of gorgon.

Second-largest island of Indonesia, one of the Sunda Islands; area 473,600 sq km/182,800 sq mi, length 1,760 km/1,094 mi, width 400 km/250 mi; population (2000 est) 39,460,100. About a third of the area, mainly in the southeast, is permanently waterlogged. The highest part is in the west where, at Gunung Kerinci, the Bukit Barisan volcanic mountain range reaches a height of 3,805 m/12,483 ft. East of the range is a wide plain; both are heavily forested. Products include rubber, rice, tobacco, tea, timber, tin, petroleum, bauxite, gold, natural gas, coffee, and pepper.

Sumatra consists of seven provinces: Bengkulu, capital Bengkulu; Jambi, capital Jambi; Lampung, capital Tanjungkarang; Riau, capital Pekanbaru; Sumatera Barat, capital Padang; Sumatera Selatan, capital Palembang; and Sumatera Utara, capital Medan. Of these provinces Sumatera Utara is the most densely populated, with a total population (2000 est) of 11,649,700. Economic development of this province has been based on rapid industrialization following the damming of the Asakan River for hydroelectricity in 1974, and industries include food processing, textiles, rubber and leather goods, chemicals, and machinery.

A Hindu empire was founded here in the 8th century, but Islam was introduced by Arab traders from the 13th century and by the 16th century was adopted throughout the island. From the 7th to the 13th centuries Sumatra was the central part of the Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya.