Sabang (Kota Sabang)
According to local mythology, the island of Weh was once connected to the mainland Sumatra. The island of Weh has been described as far as Ptolemy in 301 BC and was mentioned as "Golden Island". During early 11th and 12th centuries, the island was often visited by Arab and Indian traders who called the island "Shabag", which arguably was the origin of the city name. The settlement on the island was called by Acehnese "Ulee Iheuh", which means "place for crossing". During the time of Aceh Sultanate, the island was used as a place for exiles by the sultanate.
Before the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, the Indonesian archipelago was reached via the Sunda Strait from Africa. From the Suez Canal, the route to Indonesia is shorter via the Malacca Strait. Due to its natural harbour with relatively deep and well sheltered water, the Dutch East Indies government decided to open Sabang as a quay. It changed hands to Dutch East Indies and later was operated as port and open for foreign ships in 1883 under management of "Asosiasi Atjeh" (Aceh Association). In 1883, Sabang quay was opened for ships to dock by the Atjeh Associate. At first, the harbour was intended as a coal station for the Dutch navy, but later also served merchant vessels and for the transfer of export goods from northern Sumatra. The port was expanded on 1887 and opened again as free port in 1895 under Sabang Maatschaappij. In 1899, Asosiasi Ajteh was incorporated and became N.V. Zeehaven en Kolenstation Sabang te Batavia. The Japanese occupied the island in 1942 and installed numerous bunkers, fortifications, and gun emplacements. Their remnants can still be seen, though most have been re-purposed or removed. On 19 April 1944, the Japanese facilities were attacked by a combined Allied naval force in Operation Cockpit.
Sabang again became a free port under Indonesia in 1963 and gained city status in 1965. In 2000, Sabang was declared a free trade zone and as a result saw a rapid growth in shipping and trade. However, this boom stopped in 2004 due to Aceh having been declared as a military operation area, and also due to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Unlike mainland Aceh where a mass exodus occurred, Sabang itself was much less affected by the military conflict and saw little tension between Acehnese and non-Acehnese.
Map - Sabang (Kota Sabang)
Map
Country - Indonesia
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As the world's third largest democracy, Indonesia is a presidential republic with an elected legislature. It has 38 provinces, of which nine have special status. The country's capital, Jakarta, is the world's second-most populous urban area. Indonesia shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern part of Malaysia, as well as maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and India. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support one of the world's highest level of biodiversity.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
IDR | Indonesian rupiah | Rp | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
NL | Dutch language |
EN | English language |
ID | Indonesian language |
JV | Javanese language |