Etymology .
Origin of the name Sumatra originated from the existence of the Kingdom of the ocean ( located on the east coast of Aceh ) . Starting with the visit of Ibn Battuta , the Moroccan adventure to the country in 1345 , he was reciting the words of the ocean into Samatrah , and then became Sumatra or Sumatra , then this name is listed on any map made in the 16th century the Portuguese , to be referred to the island , so then extends known until now .The original name of Sumatra , as recorded in the historical sources and folklore , the "Island of Gold " . The term Ameh Island ( Minangkabau language , meaning gold island ) we meet in the story of Mato Cindua Minangkabau . In Lampung folklore listed mas Tanoh name to refer to the island of Sumatra . A traveler from China who named I - Tsing ( 634-713 ) , who for many years lived in Sriwijaya ( Palembang now ) in the 7th century , the name calling Sumatra chin - chou which means " golden land " .
In various inscriptions , Sumatra, called in Sanskrit by the term : Suwarnadwipa ( " golden island " ) or Suwarnabhumi ( " land of gold " ) . These names have been used in Indian texts before Christ . Buddhist manuscripts including the oldest , Jataka Book , tells Indian sailors crossed the Bay of Bengal to Suwarnabhumi . In the Ramayana story is told search Dewi Sinta , Ravana kidnapped Rama's wife , to Suwarnadwipa .
The Arabic traveler mention Sumatra by the name " Serendib " ( precisely : " Suwarandib " ) , a transliteration of the name Suwarnadwipa . Abu Raihan Al - Biruni , the Persian geographer who visited Srivijaya in 1030 , saying that the country is located on the island of Srivijaya Suwarandib . But there are also people who identify with Sri Lanka Serendib , who never called Suwarnadwipa .
Among the ancient Greeks , Sumatra has been known as Taprobana . The name has been used by Insula Taprobana Klaudios Ptolemy , the Greek geographer of the second century AD , exactly 165 years , when he outlines in his Southeast Asian region Geographike Hyphegesis . Ptolemy writes that there is a country on the island Taprobana Barousai . May once land is meant Barus on the west coast of Sumatra , known since ancient times as a producer of camphor .
Greek manuscript 70 years , Periplous test Erythras Thalasses , revealed that Taprobana also called Chryse nesos , which means ' island of gold ' . Since ancient times the merchants of the area around the Mediterranean Sea has visited the archipelago , especially Sumatra . In addition to searching for gold , they are looking for incense ( Styrax sumatrana ) and camphor ( Dryobalanops aromatica ) who was only in Sumatra . Instead , traders were already peddling commodities archipelago them up to West Asia and East Africa , as stated in the manuscript Historia Naturalis work Plini first century AD .
In the book of the Jews , Melakim ( Kings ) , chapter 9 , explained that Prophet Sulayman king of Israel receive 420 talents of gold from Hiram , king of Tyre who became his subordinate . Gold was obtained from the land of Ophir . Book Al - Qur'an , Surah Al - Anbiya ' 81 , explained that the ships of Solomon sailed into " the land which We have blessed him" ( al - ardha l - lati - Na FIHA barracks ) .
Many historians are of the opinion that Ophir was located in the land of Sumatra ( Mount Ophir in West Pasaman , West Sumatra, which is now called Mount Talamau ? ) . It should be noted , the city of Tyre was the center of the marketing of goods from the Far East . Ptolemy also wrote Geographike Hyphegesis based on information from a merchant named Marinus of Tyre . And many European adventurers in the 15th century and the 16th look for gold to Sumatra with the assumption that the land therein lies Ofir Solomon as
Ocean into Sumatra .
Said the first mention of the name comes from the title of a Sumatran Srivijaya king Haji ( king ) Sumatrabhumi ( " King of the land of Sumatra " ) , [ 2 ] based on the Chinese news he sent envoys to China in 1017 . Another opinion says the name is derived from the name of the ocean Sumatra , Aceh Kingdom in the 13th century and 14th century . The European traveler from the 15th century to use the royal name to refer to the entire island . Similarly Borneo island called Borneo , from the name of Brunei , northern regions of the island visited by the early Europeans . Similarly Lombok island was named Selaparang , while Lombok is the name of the area on the east coast of the island Selaparang early Portuguese sailors visited .Ocean transition ( the royal name ) into Sumatra ( island name ) to be interesting . Odorico da Pordenone in the story of his voyage in 1318 states that he sailed to the east of the Coromandel , India , for 20 days , and came to the kingdom Sumoltra . Ibn Batutah Rihlah told in the book of the ila l - Masyriq ( Wandering to the East ) that in 1345 he was stopped in the kingdom Samatrah . In the next century , the name of the country or kingdom in Aceh was taken over by another traveler - traveler to mention the entire island .
In 1490 Ibn Majid made a map of the area around the Indian Ocean islands and there is written " Samatrah " . Map is copied by Ibn Majid Roteiro in 1498 and came the name " Camatarra " . Map -made Amerigo Vespucci in 1501 include the name "Samatara", while the map Masser in 1506 gave rise to the name "Samatra". Ruy d' Araujo in 1510 call the island " Camatra " , and Alfonso Albuquerque in 1512 to write " Camatora " . Antonio Pigafetta in 1521 using the name of a rather ' true ' : " Somatra " . But so many other travelers note that more ' chaotic ' write : " Samoterra " , " Samotra " , " Sumotra " , even " Zamatra " and " Zamatora " .
The records of the Dutch and English , Huygen van Linschoten since Jan and Sir Francis Drake of the 16th century, writing has always been consistent in Sumatra. Shape which is the default, and then adapted to the tongue Indonesia : Sumatra
History .
Population .
In general , the island was inhabited by the Malays of Sumatra , which is divided into several parts . Major tribes are Acehnese , Batak , Malay , Minangkabau , Besemah , Rejang Tribe , Ogan , Histories , and Lampung . In the east coast of Sumatra and in some big cities such as Medan , Palembang , and Pekanbaru , many ethnic Chinese live . Residents of the island of Sumatra is concentrated in East Sumatra and the Minangkabau highlands . Sumatra livelihood mostly as farmers , fishermen , and traders .Sumatra majority Muslim population , and a small portion is Protestant adherents of Christianity , especially in the area of Tapanuli and Toba - Samosir , North Sumatra . In urban areas , such as Medan , Pekanbaru , Batam , Palembang and Kuala Pinang , encountered some Buddhists .
Transportation .
The cities on the island of Sumatra, connected by three cross streets , which cross the middle , east, and west, across from the northwest - southeast Sumatra . There are also roads that cross from the west - east , such as roads Bengkulu - Palembang , Padang - Jambi and Padang - Dumai - Medan .In some parts of the island of Sumatra , a rail transportation alternative . In the south , the railway line from the port of Long stems ( Lampung ) to Lubuk Linggau and Palembang (South Sumatra). In the middle of the island of Sumatra , the railway line is only found in West Sumatra . This path connects the city of Padang and Padang Rice Lunto with Pariaman . During the colonial Dutch until 2001 , Padang lines - Rice Lunto used for transporting coal . But since coal reserves in Ombilin thinning , then this path does not work anymore . Since late 2006 , the government of West Sumatra province , re- activate this pathway as a tourist rail line .
In northern Sumatra , a railway line stretching from Medan up to the city of High Cliff . On this track , the train is used as a means of transporting oil palm and passengers .
International flights are served from Banda Aceh ( International Airport Sultan Iskandar Muda ) , Medan ( Kuala Namu International Airport ) , Padang ( Minangkabau International Airport , and Palembang ( International Airport Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II ) . While the ship is in the port of Belawan ( field ) , the Gulf Bayur ( Padang ) , and Bakauheni ( Lampung ) .
Economy .
Sumatra is an island rich with crops . Of five rich provinces in Indonesia , there are three provinces on the island of Sumatra , which is the province of Aceh , Riau and South Sumatra. The main outcomes of the island of Sumatra is palm oil, tobacco , petroleum , tin , bauxite , coal and natural gas . The crops are mostly cultivated by foreign companies , such as PT Caltex petroleum processing in the province of Riau .Places producer of mining products are :
* Arun ( NAD ) , produces natural gas .* Pangkalan Brandan ( North Sumatra ) , produces petroleum
* Duri , Dumai and Bengkalis ( Riau ) , produces petroleum
* Tanjung Enim ( South Sumatra ) , produces coal
* Plaju and Gerong River ( South Sumatra ) , produces petroleum
* Tanjung Pinang ( Riau Islands ) , produces bauxite
* Indarung ( West Sumatra ) , produces cement
* Sawahlunto ( West Sumatra ) , produces coal
Some cities on the island of Sumatra , is also a city of considerable commercial importance . Field is the largest city on the island of Sumatra , is the main commercial city on the island. Many large national companies headquartered here.
Geographic .
Sumatra is located in the western islands of the archipelago . To the north is bordered by the Bay of Bengal , on the east by the Strait of Malacca , on the south by the Sunda Strait, and on the west by the Indian Ocean. To the east of the island, found many swamps drained by large rivers that flow into it , including shavings ( North Sumatra) , Siak River ( Riau ), Kampar , Inderagiri ( West Sumatra , Riau ), Batang Hari ( West Sumatra , Jambi ) , Musi , Ogan , Lematang , Histories ( South Sumatra ) , and Way Sekampung ( Lampung ) . While some river which empties into the west coast of Sumatra island include Rod Tarusan ( West Sumatra ) , and Ketahun ( Bengkulu ) .In the western part of the island , lies Bukit Barisan mountain range stretching from the northwest to the southeast with a length of approximately 1500 miles . Along the line of the hill there are dozens of mountain , both inactive and active volcanoes , such as Geureudong ( Aceh ) , Sinabung ( North Sumatra ) , Marapi and Gutter ( West Sumatra ) , Mount Kaba ( Bengkulu ) , and Kerinci ( Sumatra West , Jambi ) . On the island of Sumatra, there are also several lakes , of which Lake Laut Tawar ( Aceh ) , Lake Toba ( North Sumatra ) , Lake Batur , Maninjau Lake , Lake Above , Below Lake , Lake Gutter ( West Sumatra ) , Lake Kerinci ( Jambi ) and Lake Ranau ( Lampung and South Sumatra ) .
The mountains in Sumatra with elevations above 2,500 meters dpl.ian
The main article for this section is : List of mountains in Sumatra
Mount Bandahara , Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam ( 3,030 m )
Mount Dempo , South Sumatera ( 3,159 m )
Mount Geureudong , Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam ( 2,885 m )
Mount Kerinci , Jambi and West Sumatra ( 3,805 m )
Mount Leuser , Aceh ( 3,172 m )
Mount Marapi , West Sumatra ( 2,891 m )
Mount Perkison , Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam ( 2,828 m )
Mount Singgalang , West Sumatra ( 2,877 m )
Mount Talamau , West Sumatra ( 2,912 m )
Mount Talang in West Sumatra ( 2,597 m ) .
Thank you for reading this article. Written and posted by Bambang Sunarno. sunarnobambang86@gmail.com
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http://primadonablog.blogspot.com/2014/03/sumatra-island.html
DatePublished: March 07, 2014 at 10:30
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Tag : Sumatra Island.
