SUMATERA UTARA

English North Sumatra propinsi (province)northern Sumatra, Indonesia, bounded by the Indian Ocean on the west, the Strait of Malacca on the east, Aceh daerah istimewa (special district) on the north and northwest, and the provinces of Sumatera Barat (West Sumatra) on the south and Riau on the south and southeast. It covers an area of 27,351 sq mi (70,787 sq km) and includes the Indian Ocean islands of Nias, Mursala, and Pini and the Batu group. The area formed part of the Buddhist Srivijaya Empire of Palembang in the 7th century and, later, of the Hindu Majapahit Empire of eastern Java, which lasted until the early 16th century. With the arrival of Islam and the establishment of the sultanate of Aceh in the latter half of the 16th century, northern Sumatra became part of the Aceh kingdom and was the site of battles between the Sultan of Aceh and the sultans of southern Sumatra. Rivalry between the British and the Dutch during the 17th and 18th centuries and the surrender of British interests in Sumatra to the Dutch in 1871 led to complete control of the province by the Dutch by 1903. Following Japanese occupation during World War II, Sumatera Utara was incorporated into the Republic of Indonesia in 1950. Political unrest in the province and requests for greater autonomy were suppressed by the Indonesian government in 1956. The Batak Plateau of the Barisan Mountains runs northwestsoutheast, covers about two-thirds of the province, and is surmounted by both active and extinct volcanic cones, including Mount Sinabung (8,041 feet ), Mount Sibayak (6,870 feet ), and Mount Sorikmerapi (7,037 feet ). Near the centre of the plateau, at an elevation of 2,985 feet (910 m), is Lake Toba, with its Samosir Island. Samosir Island, 27 miles (44 km) long and 12 miles (19 km) wide, is linked with the western shore of the lake by a narrow man-made isthmus. The plateau is flanked on the southwestern side by coastal lowlands with swamps to the north and south. Flat lowlands extend northeastward from the plateau's northeastern side, and a wide belt of swampland covers the southeastern part of the province. The coastal regions, deeply indented by estuaries, are where most of the lowland settlements are situated. The Asahan River drains Lake Toba from its southeastern shore, and the Barumun, Bila, and Kuala rivers also descend from the eastern slopes of the plateau and flow into the Strait of Malacca. The Gadis River drains the western slopes into the Indian Ocean. The plateau is covered by tropical rain forests of teak, ironwood, and banyan and by mixed subtropical forests including oak, maple, walnut, and laurel. Bamboo is common in the uplands. The coastal regions are covered with tidal and freshwater swamp forests, including a mangrove belt several miles wide. Agriculture, based on shifting cultivation, dominates the economy and produces rice, cassava, tobacco, rubber, palm oil, sisal, tea, coffee, pepper, and fruits and vegetables. Industries process foods and tobacco and produce beverages, textiles, carved wood, leather and rubber goods, chemicals, metal goods, machinery, and transport equipment. Roads and the railway run parallel to the northeastern coast. Medan (the provincial capital), Tanjungbalai, Tebingtinggi, Binjai, Pematangsiantar, and Sibolga are the chief towns. The population is mainly Achinese, Batak, and coastal Malay. There are also Chinese and Indians. Pop. (1988 est.) 10,132,300.