Aceh

Aceh is a province of Indonesia. Aceh is located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra and is the most western province in Indonesia. The capital is Banda Aceh. The population of the province is about 4,500,000 inhabitants. It is close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India and is separated by the Andaman Sea. Aceh is bordered by the Bay of Bengal to the north, the Indian Ocean to the west, the Malacca Strait in the east, and North Sumatra in the southeast and south.Aceh is regarded as the starting place for the spread of Islam in Indonesia and plays an important role in the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia. At the beginning of the 17th century, the Sultanate of Aceh was the richest, strongest, and most prosperous state in the Strait of Malacca. Aceh's history is colored by political freedom and strong resistance to the control of foreigners, including former Dutch colonialists and the Indonesian government. Compared with other provinces, Aceh is a very conservative and controversial area (upholding religious values). The percentage of its Muslim population is the highest in Indonesia and they live according to Islamic law. Unlike most other provinces in Indonesia, Aceh has regulated autonomy alone for the historical reasons of Aceh. Aceh has abundant natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas and coal. Some analysts estimate Aceh's natural gas reserves are the largest in the world. Aceh is also famous for its forests located along the Bukit Barisan range from Kutacane in Southeast Aceh to Ulu Masen in Aceh Jaya. A national park called Gunung Leuser National Park (TNGL) was established in Southeast Aceh. Aceh is the land closest to the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. After the earthquake, tsunami waves hit most of the province's west coast. About 170,000 people died or disappeared from the disaster. This disaster also encouraged the creation of a peace agreement between the government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Some of the gold used in Monas (Jakarta) is from Aceh. Aceh is also known for its great empires such as Samudra Pasai, Aceh Darussalam and so on.