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North Sumatra
Sumatera Utara | |
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Province of North Sumatra Provinsi Sumatera Utara | |
Motto(s): Tekun berkarya, hidup sejahtera, mulia berbudaya (Indonesian) Work diligently, live prosperously, noble in culture | |
Coordinates: 2°00′N 99°00′E / 2.000°N 99.000°E | |
Established | 15 April 1948 |
Capital and largest city | Medan |
Government | |
• Body | North Sumatra Provincial Government |
• Governor | Agus Fatoni (acting) |
• Vice Governor | Vacant |
Area | |
• Total | 72,460.74 km2 (27,977.25 sq mi) |
• Rank | 8th in Indonesia |
Highest elevation (Sinabung) | 2,460 m (8,070 ft) |
Population (mid 2023 official estimate)[1] | |
• Total | 15,386,640 |
• Rank | 4th in Indonesia |
• Density | 210/km2 (550/sq mi) |
• Rank | 11th in Indonesia |
Demographics | |
• Ethnic groups | |
• Religion (2021) |
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• Languages | Indonesian (official) Batak Malay Nias |
Time zone | UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time) |
ISO 3166 code | ID-SU |
GDP (nominal) | 2022[2] |
- Total | |
- Per capita | |
- Growth | 4.73%[3] |
HDI (2024) | 0.758[4] (8th) – high |
Website | sumutprov |
North Sumatra (Indonesian: Sumatera Utara[5]), also called North Sumatra Province, is a province of Indonesia located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra, just south of Aceh. Its capital and largest city is Medan on the east coast of the island. It is bordered by Aceh on the northwest and Riau and West Sumatra on the southeast, by coastlines located on the Indian Ocean to the west, and by the Strait of Malacca (with a maritime border with Malaysia) to the east.
With a 2020 population around 14.8 million [6] and mid-2023 estimate around 15.4 million,[1] North Sumatra is Indonesia's fourth most populous province and the most populous province outside of Java Island. At 72,460.74 square kilometres (27,977.25 sq mi), North Sumatra is also the third-largest province in area on the island of Sumatra behind South Sumatra and Riau. Major ethnic groups include the Malay, native to the east coast; several Batak groups, indigenous to the west coast and central highlands; the Nias people of Nias Island and its surrounding islets; and Chinese, Javanese, and Indian peoples, who first migrated to Sumatra during Dutch rule.
North Sumatra is home to the Toba Supervolcano, located in what is now Lake Toba, which erupted 74,000–75,000 years ago, wiping out nearly all of humanity. The supereruption resulted in the creation of Lake Toba and was rated a VEI-8 eruption.
During Dutch rule, North Sumatra was administered under the Gouvernement van Sumatra, which governed the entire island of Sumatra out of Medan. In 1948, after Indonesian independence was proclaimed, Sumatra Province was divided into three sub-provinces, each of which had the right to regulate and manage its own affairs. April 15, 1948 was later designated as the anniversary of the Province of North Sumatra.