Minangkabau Highlands

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Minangkabau mosque circa 1892-1905 photographed by Christiaan Benjamin Nieuwenhuis Minangkabau mosque.jpg
Minangkabau mosque circa 1892–1905 photographed by Christiaan Benjamin Nieuwenhuis

The Minangkabau Highlands (Indonesian : Dataran Tinggi Minangkabau, Minang: Minang Darek) is a mountainous area in the province of West Sumatra, located around three mountains—Mount Marapi, Mount Singgalang, and Mount Sago—in west-central Sumatra, Indonesia. The highlands are part of the Barisan Mountains, the largest mountain range in Sumatra. They are home to the Minangkabau people who refer to the area as Alam Minangkabau, or "the world of Minangkabau". [1] This area formed a kingdom known from at least the 7th century as Malayu. [2]

Wet rice cultivation probably evolved in the highlands long before it appeared in other parts of Sumatra, and predates significant foreign contact. [3] Inscriptions in the area have been found from the rule of Adityavarman (1347–1375). [4] The Dutch began exploiting the gold reserves in the highlands in the 1680s. [5] They dominated the trade in the area, severely restricting the trade outlets between the highlands and the ports on the coast between 1820 and 1899, bringing about a marked decrease in rice production. [6] The highlands consist of three major valleys: Tanah Datar Valley, Agam Valley, and Limapuluh Valley. [7]

The village of Belimbing in the highlands is well known for its examples of surviving Minangkabu architecture. [8]

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minangkabau people</span> Ethnic group in Indonesia

Minangkabau people, also known as Minang, are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the Minangkabau Highlands of West Sumatra, Indonesia. The Minangkabau's West Sumatera 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.

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Minangkabau is an Austronesian language spoken by the Minangkabau of West Sumatra, the western part of Riau, South Aceh Regency, the northern part of Bengkulu and Jambi, also in several cities throughout Indonesia by migrated Minangkabau. The language is also a lingua franca along the western coastal region of the province of North Sumatra, and is even used in parts of Aceh, where the language is called Aneuk Jamee.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overseas Minangkabau</span> People of Minangkabau ethnicity who has settled elsewhere

The Overseas Minangkabau is a demographic group of Minangkabau people of Minangkabau Highlands origin in Central Sumatra, Indonesia who have settled in other parts of the world. Over half of the Minangkabau people can be considered overseas Minangkabaus. They make up the majority of the population of Negeri Sembilan and Pekanbaru. They also form a significant minority in the populations of Jakarta, Bandung, Medan, Batam, Surabaya and Palembang in Indonesia as well as Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Penang, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam in the rest of the Malay world. Minangkabaus have also emigrated as skilled professionals and merchants to the Netherlands, United States, Saudi Arabia and Australia. The matrilineal culture and economic conditions in West Sumatra have made the Minangkabau people one of the most mobile ethnic group in Maritime Southeast Asia.

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References

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