Aceh

For other uses, see Aceh (disambiguation).

Aceh
Special Autonomous Province
Province of Aceh
Provinsi Aceh
Coat of arms of Aceh
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): 

Serambi Mekah (Indonesian)
"Porch of Mecca"
Motto(s): 
Pancacita (Kawi)
"Five Ideals"
Anthem: Aceh Mulia[1]
"Noble Aceh"
Map indicating the location of Aceh in Indonesia
   Aceh in    Indonesia
OpenStreetMap
Map
Coordinates: 05°33′25″N 95°19′34″E / 5.55694°N 95.32611°E / 5.55694; 95.32611 (provincial administration)
CountryIndonesia
Province status7 December 1956[2]
Capital
and largest city		Banda Aceh
Government
 • TypeSpecial autonomous province
 • GovernorSafrizal Zakaria Ali (acting)
 • Vice GovernorVacant
 • LegislativeAceh House of Representatives
Area
[3]
 • Total58,485.9 km2 (22,581.5 sq mi)
 • Rank11th
Elevation
125 m (410 ft)
Highest elevation
(Mount Leuser)
3,466 m (11,371 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2023)[4]
 • Total5,512,219
 • Rank14th
 • Density94/km2 (240/sq mi)
  • Rank20th
DemonymAcehnese[5]
Demographics
[4]
 • Ethnic groups[6]
 • Religion
 • Languages
Time zoneUTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time)
GDP (nominal)2022
 - Total[7]Rp 211.8 trillion (20th)
US$ 14.3 billion
Int$ 44.5 billion (PPP)
 - Per capita[8]Rp 39.2 million (30th)
US$ 2,637
Int$ 8,229 (PPP)
 - Growth[9]Increase 4.21%
HDIIncrease 0.734 (12th) – high
Websiteacehprov.go.id

Aceh (/ˈɑːtʃeɪ/ AH-chay, Indonesian: [aˈtʃɛ(h)] ⓘ; Acehnese: Acèh [atʃeh], Jawi: اچيه‎), officially the Province of Aceh (Indonesian: Provinsi Aceh, Acehnese: Nanggroë Acèh, Jawi: نڠڬرواي اچيه دارالسلام‎), is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west, Strait of Malacca to the northeast, as well bordering the province of North Sumatra to the east, its sole land border, and shares maritime borders with Malaysia and Thailand to the east, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India to the north. Granted a special autonomous status, Aceh is a religiously conservative territory and the only Indonesian province practicing Sharia law officially. There are ten indigenous ethnic groups in this region, the largest being the Acehnese people, accounting for approximately 70% of the region's population of about 5.5 million people in mid-2023. Its area is comparable to Croatia or Togo.

Aceh is where the spread of Islam in Indonesia began, and was a key factor of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia. Islam reached Aceh (Kingdoms of Fansur and Lamuri) around 1250 AD. In the early 17th century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Aceh has a history of political independence and resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and later the Indonesian government.

Aceh has substantial natural resources of oil and natural gas.[10] Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which devastated much of the western coast of the province. Approximately 170,000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster.[11] The disaster helped precipitate the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the separatist group of Free Aceh Movement.[12]

  1. ^ "Salinan arsip". Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  2. ^ Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 24 Tahun 1956  (in Indonesian) – via Wikisource.
  3. ^ The sum of the districts' land areas is 58,485.90 km2, although the official area is given as 56,839.09 km2.
  4. ^ a b Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kota Subussalam Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1175)
  5. ^ "Arti "Orang Aceh" Dalam UUPA Menurut KIP Subulussalam". 23 December 2017. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  6. ^ Aris Ananta; Evi Nurvidya Arifin; M. Sairi Hasbullah; Nur Budi Handayani; dan Agus Pramono (2015). Demography of Indonesia's Ethnicity. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies dan BPS – Statistics Indonesia.
  7. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik (2023). "Produk Domestik Regional Bruto (Milyar Rupiah), 2022" (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Badan Pusat Statistik.
  8. ^ Badan Pusat Statistik (2023). "Produk Domestik Regional Bruto Per Kapita (Ribu Rupiah), 2022" (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Badan Pusat Statistik.
  9. ^ Badan Pembangunan Nasional (2023). "Capaian Indikator Utama Pembangunan" (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Badan Pembangunan Nasional.
  10. ^ "How An Escape Artist Became Aceh's Governor" Archived 3 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Time, 15 February 2007
  11. ^ United Nations. Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2005. 2005, page 172
  12. ^ "ExxonMobil plays "terrorist" card in Aceh case". downtoearth-indonesia.org. August 2002.