Banda Aceh | |
|---|---|
| City of Banda Aceh Kota Banda Aceh | |
| Regional transcription(s) | |
| • Jawi | كوتا بند اچيه |
Seulawah 001 Monument Kerkhof Peucut | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Nickname(s): Kota Serambi Mekkah (the Porch of Mecca) | |
| Motto: Saboeh Pakat Tabangun Banda | |
 | |
 Location within Aceh | |
  Banda Aceh  Banda Aceh Banda Aceh (Indonesia)  Banda Aceh Banda Aceh (Bay of Bengal) | |
| Coordinates: 5°33′0″N 95°19′3″E / 5.55000°N 95.31750°E | |
| Country |  Indonesia |
| Region | Sumatra |
| Province |  Aceh |
| Founded | April 22, 1205 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Aminullah Usman |
| • Vice Mayor | Zainal Arifin |
| Area | |
| 61.36 km2 (23.69 sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 2,935.36 km2 (1,133.35 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 0–10 m (0–32.9 ft) |
| Population (mid 2023 estimate)[1] | |
| 261,969 | |
| • Density | 4,300/km2 (11,000/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 513,698 |
| • Metro density | 180/km2 (450/sq mi) |
| Demonyms | Acehnese Warga Aceh (id) Kawom Aceh (ace) |
| Demographics | |
| • Ethnic groups | Acehnese Javanese Batak Chinese Arabs Indian |
| • Religion | Islam 97.09% Buddhism 1.13% Christianity 0.89% - Protestantism 0.70% - Catholic 0.19% Hinduism 0.02% Others 0.85% [2] |
| • Languages | Indonesian (official) Acehnese (regional) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time) |
| Postal code | 23000 |
| Area code | (+62) 651 |
| Vehicle registration | BL |
| HDI (2023) |  0.887 (Very High)
|
| Website | bandaacehkota.go.id |
Banda Aceh (Acehnese: Banda Acèh, Jawi: بند اچيه) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of 35 meters (115 feet). The city covers an area of 61.36 square kilometers (23.69 sq mi) and had a population of 223,446 people at the 2010 Census,[3] rising to 252,899 at the 2020 Census.[4] The official estimate as at mid 2023 was 261,969 (comprising 131,651 males and 130,318 females).[1]
Banda Aceh is located on the northwestern tip of Indonesia at the mouth of the Aceh River. Banda Aceh itself is a semi-enclave within Aceh Besar Regency, as Banda Aceh is surrounded by Aceh Besar to the south, east, and west, while it borders with the Strait of Malacca to the north. Many suburbs of the city have developed in adjacent districts of Acah Besar Regency beyond the city limits, notably to the south in Darul Imarah, Ingin Jaya and Krueng Barona Jaya Districts of the regency, forming part of the built-up area.
The city was originally established as Bandar Aceh Darussalam Kandang[5] and served as a capital and hub for the Sultanate of Aceh upon its foundation in the late 15th century. Later its name was changed to Bandar Aceh Darussalam, and then it became popularly known as Banda Aceh. The first part of the name comes from the Persian bandar (بندر) meaning "port" or "haven". The city is also dubbed the "port to Mecca," or the "porch of Mecca" (Indonesian: Serambi Mekkah) in reference to the days when hajj pilgrims travelled by sea from Indonesia and would make a stopover in the city before continuing their journey to Mecca.
Banda Aceh was long at the center of protracted conflicts between the Acehnese and foreign powers, including the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Japanese, and the Indonesian government. The city rose to international prominence in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean earthquake in 2004, which struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake's epicenter, which lay 249 kilometers (155 miles) off the coast.[6] It suffered great damage in the earthquake and further damage when a tsunami struck shortly afterwards. Around 60,000 people in the city died as a result and many more were injured.[7][8]
The aftermath of the tsunami has seen a cessation of much of the conflict in the city and province, and domestic and international aid, as a result, has seen a major modernization and reconstruction of the city over the past decade.[9]
- ^ a b Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, Kota Banda Aceh Dalam Angka 2024 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1171)
- ^ Data Sensus Penduduk 2010 – Badan Pusat Statistik Republik Indonesia <http://sp2010.bps.go.id/index.php/site/tabel?tid=321&wid=8100000000 Archived 27 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine>
- ^ Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011.
- ^ Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021.
- ^ Harun, Ramli; M.A. Gani, Tjut Rahma (1985). Adat Aceh. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan. p. 24.
- ^ John Pike, 'Banda Aceh' Archived 13 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 23 January 2011.
- ^ Jayasuriya, Sisira and Peter McCawley in collaboration with Bhanupong Nidhiprabha, Budy P. Resosudarmo and Dushni Weerakoon, The Asian Tsunami: Aid and Reconstruction After a Disaster Archived 16 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Cheltenham UK and Northampton MA US: Edward Elgar and Asian Development Bank Institute, 2010.
- ^ Jayasuriya and McCawley, ibid.
- ^ Lamb, Katie (27 January 2014). "Banda Aceh: where community spirit has gone but peace has lasted". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.