Info On Sumatra

Sumatra or Sumatera  is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km² with a population of 50,365,538. Its biggest city is Medan with a population of 2,109,330.

Sumatra is rich with natural heritage. It supports a wide range of vegetation types which are home to a rich variety of species, including 17 endemic genera of plants. Unique species include the Sumatran Pine which dominates the Sumatran tropical pine forests of the higher mountainsides in the north of the island and rainforest plants such as Rafflesia arnoldii (the world's largest individual flower), and the titan arum (the world's largest unbranched inflorescence). Beautiful natural sceneries is another priceless assets Sumatra has to offer.

Sumatra is the largest producer of Indonesian coffee. Small-holders grow Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) in the highlands, while Robusta (Coffea canephora) is found in the low lands. Arabica coffee from the regions of Gayo, Lintong and Sidikilang is typically processed using the Giling Basah(wet hulling) technique, which gives it a heavy body and low acidity.

The people represent many different ethnic groups, speaking 52 different languages. Most of these groups share many similar traditions, and the different tongues are closely related. Ethnic Malay dominate most of the eastern coast, while people in the southern and central interior speak languages related to Malay, such as the Lampung and Minangkabau people. The highland of northern Sumatra is inhabited by the Bataks, while the northernmost coast is dominated by Acehs. Ethnic Chinese minorities are present in urban centres.

A majority of people in Sumatra are Muslims (87%), while 10% are Christians, 2% are Buddhist and 1% are Hindu. Most central Bataks are Protestant Christians, a religion introduced by the German Rhenish Missionary Society.

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Text adapted from Wikipedia