Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 475,807.63 km2 (182,812 mi.2), including adjacent islands such as the Simeulue, Nias, Mentawai, Enggano, Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung and Krakatoa archipelago.
Minangkabau people, also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The Minangkabau's West Sumatran homelands was the seat of the Pagaruyung Kingdom, believed by early historians to have been the cradle of the Malay race, and the location of the Padri War.
West Sumatra is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra and includes the Mentawai Islands off that coast. The province has an area of 42,119.54 km2 (16,262.45 sq mi), with a population of 5,534,472 at the 2020 census. The official estimate at mid 2022 was 5,640,629. West Sumatra borders the Indian Ocean to the west, as well as the provinces of North Sumatra to the north, Riau to the northeast, Jambi to the southeast, and Bengkulu to the south. The province is subdivided into twelve regencies and seven cities. It has relatively more cities than other provinces outside of Java, although several of them are relatively low in population compared with cities elsewhere in Indonesia. Padang is the province's capital and largest city.
The Mentawai Islands Regency are a chain of about seventy islands and islets approximately 150 kilometres off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. They cover 6,033.76 km2 and had a population of 76,173 at the 2010 Census and 87,623 at the 2020 Census. Siberut at 3,838.25 square kilometres is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura, North Pagai, and South Pagai. The islands lie off the Sumatran coast, across the Mentawai Strait. The indigenous inhabitants of the islands are known as the Mentawai people. The Mentawai Islands have become a noted destination for surfing, with over 40 boats offering surf charters to international guests.
Padang is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. The Padang metropolitan area is the third most populous metropolitan area in Sumatra with a population of over 1.4 million. Padang is widely known for its Minangkabau culture, cuisine, and sunset beaches.
Bukittinggi is the third largest city in West Sumatra, Indonesia, with a population of 111,312 in 2010 and 121,028 in 2020, and an area of 25.24 km2. It is in the Minangkabau Highlands, 90 km by road from the West Sumatran capital city of Padang. The whole area directly borders to the Agam Regency, making it an enclave, and is located at 0°18′20″S100°22′9″E, near the volcanoes Mount Singgalang (inactive) and Mount Marapi. At 930 m above sea level, the city has a cool climate with temperatures between 16.1° to 24.9 °C.
Andalas University is a public research university in Padang, West Sumatra. Andalas is one of the major public institution of higher learning in Indonesia, and the oldest outside the island of Java. The university is known for its excellence in social sciences and medical program, and has produced numerous distinguished alumni in public and private service. In November 2019, Andalas was ranked fourth best Indonesian research university from a nationwide evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Research and Technology.
The Mayor of Padang is an elected politician who is accountable for the strategic government of Padang, one of the provincial capitals in Indonesia. The position was first held by W.M. Ouwerkerk whe the role was created in 1928 by the Dutch colonial government, while under government of Indonesia it was first held by Abubakar Jaar in 1945, after Indonesian independence.
Bagindo Azizchan, was an Indonesian independence fighter and second Mayor of Padang after independence, inaugurated on August 15, 1946, replacing Abubakar Jaar. He died at the age of 36 after being involved in a battle against Dutch forces. His body was buried at the Bahagia Heroes Cemetery, Bukittinggi. On November 9, 2005, Bagindo Azizchan was declared a National Hero of Indonesia.
Grand Mosque of West Sumatra is a mosque in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is the largest mosque in West Sumatra, and the second largest mosque in Sumatra. It is located in Padang Utara Subdistrict, Padang, West Sumatra. The Grand Mosque of West Sumatra is located within a complex of 40,345 square meter on the intersection of Jalan Khatib Sulaiman and Jalan Ahmad Dahlan.
Sepak Tekong is a traditional children's game from Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia similar in play to hide-and-seek. It is played in many regions around Indonesia. The name comes from the Minangkabau language. The word sepak means menendang or menyepak in Indonesian, which roughly translates to "kick" in English; and tekong means kaleng in Indonesian, which translates to the word "can" in English. Sepak Tekong therefore roughly translates to "kicking the can" in English.
The Bingkudu Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Indonesia, which was founded by the Padri in the wake of the Padri War in West Sumatra in 1823. This mosque with the typical Minangkabau style architecture is located in Jorong Bingkudu, Nagari Canduang Koto Laweh, Canduang District, Agam Regency, West Sumatra. When it was first built, the building of the mosque was made of wood, on its floor, pole, and its wall.
Harun Al Rasyid Zain, also known as Datuk Sinaro, was an Indonesian teacher, economist and bureaucrat. He served as the Minister of Manpower and Transmigration in the Third Development Cabinet and for two periods (1967-1977) he was the governor of West Sumatra. He was also a Rector of the Andalas University in Padang, Indonesia.
Islam is the most adhered religion in West Sumatra, a province of Indonesia, embraced by 97.42% of the whole population. The Muslim population increases to 99.6% if it excludes the Mentawai Islands, where the majority of the non-Muslim (Protestant) West Sumatrans reside. Denomination among Islam in West Sumatra is predominantly Sunni Islam, and there is a small Shia Islamic pocket within the coastal city of Pariaman. Minangkabau people, indigenous to West Sumatra and comprise 88% of the West Sumatran population today, have historically played an important role within the Muslim community in Indonesia. Up until today the region is considered one of the strongholds of Islam in Indonesia.
Persatuan Muslim Indonesia, also abbreviated as PERMI, was a political party espoused Islamic-nationalism based in Padang Panjang, founded in 1930. The party was dissolved due to the crackdown by the Dutch East Indies colonial government in 1937. PERMI is regarded as a political party active against the colonial repression by the Dutch. Unlike other political parties, PERMI was unique in its embracing of both political Islam and nationalism and placed them two in a parallel position.
Minangkabau Culture Documentation and Information Center is a museum and research center for Minangkabau culture, located in the city of Padang Panjang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The center building is in the form of a Minangkabau traditional house, with a large garden that slopes up to the main gate.
On 25 February 2022 at 08:39 WIB, a moment magnitude (Mw ) 6.2 earthquake struck West Sumatra, Indonesia at a depth of 4.0 km (2.5 mi). Preceded by one foreshock and followed by over 200 aftershocks, the mainshock had an epicenter at the foot of Mount Talakmau in Pasaman Regency. The mainshock was the result of strike-slip faulting along a previously unidentified segment of the Great Sumatran Fault. At least 27 people died, 457 were injured, and 19,221 others were displaced. It inflicted 780 million Indonesian rupiahs (Rp) worth of damage. The heaviest damage was recorded at three villages around Mount Talakmau. Landslides and flash floods caused additional damage and casualties.
Pulau Aie Station (PLA), also spelled by its old name Puluaer Station or in Malay as Pulau Air Station, is a class-I railway station located in Pasa Gadang, Padang Selatan, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is the first railway station built in the city, situated quite close to the historic old town of Padang. Located at the altitude of +2 m, it is operated by the Regional Division II West Sumatra of Kereta Api Indonesia as a part of railway line reactivation throughout West Sumatra. It has two railway tracks with original line continues southwest to the old port of Muaro, but the line is not reactivated. Since 2007, the government of Padang City officially designated the station as a cultural property.
