Aceh Besar Regency Explained

Great Aceh Regency
Native Name:Indonesian: Kabupaten Aceh Besar
Translit Lang1:Regional
Translit Lang1 Type1:Acehnese
Translit Lang1 Info1:اچيه بسر
Settlement Type:Regency
Motto:Putöh Ngon Meupakat, Kuwat Ngön Meuseuraya
(Break Up by Consensus, Strong Together)
Coordinates:5.3667°N 127°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Indonesia
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Sumatra
Subdivision Type2:Province
Established Title:Established
Established Date:1956
Seat Type:Regency seat
Seat:Jantho
Leader Title:Regent
Leader Name:Muhammad Iswanto
Leader Title1:Vice Regent
Leader Name1:Vacant
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:2969.00
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:435298
Population As Of:mid 2023 estimate
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Note:[2]
Timezone1:IWST
Utc Offset1:+7
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:(+62) 651
Pushpin Map:Indonesia_Aceh#Indonesia_Sumatra North#Indonesia_Sumatra#Indonesia
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Aceh, Northern Sumatra, Sumatra and Indonesia

Great Aceh Regency (Indonesian: Kabupaten Aceh Besar) is a regency of the Indonesian province of Aceh. The regency covers an area of 2,903.49 square kilometres and had a population of 351,418 at the 2010 Census,[3] 391,870 at the 2015 census and 405,535 at the 2020 Census;[4] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 435,298 (comprising 208,110 males and 217,180 females).[5] The Regency is located at the northwest tip of Sumatra island and surrounds the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, many suburbs of which lie within the Regency. It also includes a number of islands off the northern tip of Sumatra, which comprise Pulo Aceh District within the regency. The seat of the Regency government is the town of Jantho.[6]

Economy

Aceh Besar Regency produces cloves, nutmeg and palm oil and rice, and also small quantities of maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and beans.[7]

Landmarks

Museums

Aceh Besar Regency contains several museums. The Museum dan Rumoh Aceh is the State Museum, located in Banda Aceh. The museum's main building is built in the style of a traditional Acehnese house. It was installed by Dutch Governor Van Swart in 1915.[8] Museum Ali Hasymi contains the personal collection of Ali Hasymi, a former governor of Aceh and artist and include books by the scholars of Acehnese past, ancient ceramics, the typical weapons of Aceh, souvenirs from all over the world, etc. Museum Cut Nyak Dhien was originally the home of the heroine Cut Nyak Dhien.The ancient Abee Tanoh Library, located at the foot of Mount Seulawa contains some important manuscripts.

Places of worship

Indra Puri Old Mosque is located about 20 km south of Medan. Indra Puri was a Hindu kingdom and it was a place of worship before Islam arrived. Later, Sultan Iskandar Muda introduced Islam to the public. After the people embraced Islam, the previous temple was converted into a mosque.[9] The mosque site covers an area of 33,875 m2, and is located approximately 150 metres from the edge of the Krueng Aceh River.

Fortress and tombs

Indra Patra Fortress is situated 19 km from Banda Aceh at Krueng Raya. According to history it was built under the Indra Puri Hindu kingdom, although some say that the fort was built during the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam in an effort to resist the Portuguese. The fort had a very important function at the time of Sultan Iskandar Muda.[10]

The Tomb of Admiral Malahayati is located about 32 km from the city of Banda Aceh.

Administrative divisions

The regency is divided administratively into twenty-three districts (Indonesian: kecamatan), which comprise 604 villages (Indonesian: gampong). The areas of the districts and their populations at the 2010 Census[11] and the 2020 Census,[12] together with the official estimates as at mid 2023,[13] are listed below. These are grouped below into three geographical sections for convenience, which have no administrative significance. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (gampong) in each district, and its post code.

Kode
Wilayah
Name of
District
(kecamatan)
Area
in
km2
Pop'n
Census
2010
Pop'n
Census
2020
Pop'n
Estimate
mid 2023
Pop'n
Density
mid 2023
Admin
centre
No.
of
villages
Post
code
11.06.13 Pulo Aceh (a) 90.563,796 4,463 4,834 53.4 Lampuyang1723991
11.06.08 Peukan Bada (b) 36.2515,462 22,654 24,070 664.0 Peukan Bada2623351
11.06.02 87.9514,874 16,927 17,932 203.9 Lhoknga2823355
11.06.22 169.152,553 3,392 3,707 21.9 Leupung623353
11.06.01 149.039,093 9,860 10,444 70.1 Lhoong2823354
Total Western section 532.9445,778 57,296 60,987 114.4 105
11.06.16 332.2512,388 14,075 15,135 45.6 Lampakuk3223364
11.06.04 404.3521,51923,652 24,57360.8 Seulimeum4723951
11.06.15 Kota Jantho
(Jantho town)
592.508,443 9,440 9,483 16.0 Kota Jantho1323918
-23919
11.06.14 Lembah Seulawah
(Seulawah Valley)
319.6010,753 11,927 13,265 41.5 Lamtamot1223952
Total Southern section 1,648.7053,103 59,094 62,456 37.9 104
11.06.09 129.9320,864 21,231 22,195 170.8 Krueng Raya1323381
11.06.12 38.4322,633 22,834 24,076 626.5 Lambaro Angan2923374
11.06.20 20.8416,590 22,943 25,176 1,208.1 Lambada Lhok1323373
11.06.11 61.0723,541 25,959 28,455 465.9 Peukan Ateuk4723372
11.06.05 Montasik59.7317,732 20,261 21,480 359.6 Montasik3923362
11.06.23 41.7510,723 11,811 12,649 303.0 Cot Meuraja2623360
11.06.03 197.0419,975 22,372 24,166 122.6 Indrapuri5223363
11.06.17 22.825,891 6,896 7,298 319.8 Samahani 1523365
11.06.06 43.4513,905 15,488 16,748 385.5 Sibreh3523361
11.06.18 27.605,360 6,269 7,072 256.2 Krueng Mak1823375
11.06.19 23.056,766 8,472 9,132 396.2 Peukan Biluy1423350
11.06.07 Darul Imarah (c) 24.3546,397 54,145 58,494 2,402.2 Lampeuneurut3223352
11.06.10 Ingin Jaya (c) 24.3428,064 33,993 36,398 1,495.4 Lambaro5023371
11.06.21 Krueng Barona Jaya (c) 6.9614,096 16,471 18,516 2,660.3 Cot Irie1223370
Total Eastern section 721.36252,537 289,145 311,855 432.3 395

Notes: (a) comprises a group of islands off the north-western tip of Sumatra, of which the largest are Pulau Breuh, Pulau Nasi and Pulau Teunom.
(b) includes some smaller islands off the north-western tip of Sumatra but closer to the mainland than Pulo Aceh District - Pulau Bunta and Pulau Batee.
(c) comprises southern suburbs of Banda Aceh city, with 113,408 inhabitants in mid 2023.

Rusa Island

Rusa Island in Lhoong district was shaped like Rusa (deer) before the tsunami struck the island on 26 December 2004, but now that much of it has been washed away, the form of the island has changed and become smaller like a lamb embryo. The island is very important for marking Indonesia's boundaries due to its location as the most westerly island in Indonesia with Titik Dasar TD175 and Titik Referensi TR175 (Base Point TD175 and Reference Point TR175).[14]

Bunta Island

Since the 2004 tsunami struck Bunta island, 45 minutes by traditional motorised boat from Ujong Pancu Village, Peukan Bada, there are no longer any inhabitants living there. Nowadays some people use the island as a coconut plantation, but they live in Banda Aceh. As the tsunami washed out all of the living creatures there, nowadays there are no squirrels, monkeys or snakes on the island. The island has been popularized by the documentary film Hikayat di Ujung Pesisir and is ideal for camping, but with no facilities at all, and modest snorkeling can be done there.[15]

Notes and References

  1. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Aceh Besar Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1106)
  2. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2023, Kabupaten Aceh Besar Dalam Angka 2023 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1106)
  3. Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  4. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  5. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Aceh Besar Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1106)
  6. Book: Discussion Paper on Enhancing Community Resilience to Natural Disasters: Lives of Children and Youth in Aceh. United Nations Publications. 31.
  7. Book: Indonesia handbook. Dept. of Information, Republic of Indonesia. 91. 1975. 2016-09-23. 2023-09-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20230915123107/https://books.google.com/books?id=uKwuAQAAIAAJ&q=Aceh+Besar+Regency. live.
  8. Web site: Pariwisata. Government of Aceh. December 20, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101212054537/http://acehprov.go.id/Pariwisata/5.38/Museum. 12 December 2010. dead. dmy-all.
  9. Book: Sumatra. Periplus Editions. 1991. 191. Oey, Eric. 0-8442-9907-3. registration.
  10. Web site: Indra Patra. Indonesia Tourism. December 20, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101124212201/http://indonesia-tourism.com/aceh/indra_patra.html. 24 November 2010 . live.
  11. Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
  12. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
  13. Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kabupaten Aceh Besar Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1106)
  14. Web site: Pulau Rusa . May 20, 2012 . May 21, 2012 . April 23, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170423155309/http://www.koran-jakarta.com/index.php/detail/view01/91306 . live .
  15. Web site: Pulau Bunta, Aceh Besar, Bukti Eksotisme Negeri Zamrud Khatulistiwa . Malvyandie Haryadi . July 15, 2015 . July 15, 2015 . January 30, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160130181007/http://www.tribunnews.com/travel/2015/07/15/pulau-bunta-aceh-besar-bukti-eksotisme-negeri-zamrud-khatulistiwa . live .