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Medan ( , ) is the
capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...
and largest city of the
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
n
province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
North Sumatra North Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan on the east coast of the island. It borders Aceh to the northwest, Riau to the sou ...
. The nearby
Strait of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, long and from wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pa ...
, Port of Belawan, and
Kualanamu International Airport Kualanamu International Airport — often spelled as Kuala Namu and informally abbreviated KNIA — is an international airport serving Medan, Indonesia, and other parts of North Sumatra. It is located in the Deli Serdang Regency, east of do ...
make Medan a regional hub and multicultural metropolis, acting as a
financial centre A financial centre (financial center in American English) or financial hub is a location with a significant concentration of commerce in financial services. The commercial activity that takes place in a financial centre may include banking, ...
for
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
and a gateway to the western part of Indonesia. About 60% of the economy in North Sumatra is backed by trading, agriculture, and processing industries, including exports from its 4 million acres of palm oil plantations. The National Development Planning Agency listed Medan as one of the four main central cities in Indonesia, alongside
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
,
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
, and
Makassar Makassar ( ), formerly Ujung Pandang ( ), is the capital of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of South Sulawesi. It is the largest city in the region of Eastern Indonesia and the country's fifth-largest urban center after Jakarta, ...
. In terms of population, it is the most populous city in Indonesia outside of the island of Java. Its population as of 2023 is approximately equal to the country of
Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
. As of the 2020 Census, Medan had a population of 2,435,252 within its
city limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary (real estate), boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. ...
;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official population estimate as of mid 2023 was 2,474,166 - comprising 1,231,673 males and 1,242,493 females.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kota Medan Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1271) When the surrounding
urban area An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and an infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas originate through urbanization, and researchers categorize them as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbani ...
is included, the population is over 3.4 million, making it the fourth largest urban area in Indonesia. The Medan metropolitan area—which includes neighbouring
Binjai Binjai (English: or , Jawi script, Jawi: ), formally Kota Binjai (Binjai City), is an independent city in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia, bordered by Deli Serdang Regency to the east and Langkat Regency to the west. Binjai is connected ...
, Deli Serdang Regency, and a part of
Karo Regency Karo Regency is a landlocked regency of North Sumatra Province of Indonesia, situated in the Barisan Mountains. The regency, which was established on 7 November 1956, covers an area of and according to the 2010 census it had a population of 350 ...
—is the largest metropolitan area outside of
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
, with 4,744,323 residents counted in the 2020 Census. The city was founded at the confluence of the Deli River and the Babura river by a Karonese man named Guru Patimpus. Then called ''Kampung Medan Putri'', it became part of the Deli Sultanate, established in 1632. In the late 19th century, colonial Dutch seeking new plantation areas chose Medan and Deli as plantation hubs to found the Deli Company. Within a few years, the Dutch
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
trade transformed Medan into an economic hub, earning it the nickname ("the land of the money"). The Deli Railway, established to ship tobacco,
rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Types of polyisoprene ...
,
tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...
,
timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...
,
palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...
, and
sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose Glucose is a sugar with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecul ...
from Medan to the Port of Belawan for worldwide export, brought further rapid development to Medan. The city became first the capital of the State of East Sumatra, and then the provincial capital of North Sumatra.


Etymology

The term ''medan'' might be derived from the
Batak Karo The Karo (also known as Karo Batak) people are a people of the ''Tanah Karo'' (Karo lands) in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The Karo lands consist of Karo Regency, plus neighboring areas in East Aceh Regency, Langkat Regency, Dairi Regency, Simal ...
word (), which literally means 'healed', 'blessed', or 'recovered'. The term is associated with the historical Karo figure and founder of the city, traditional doctor . The oldest evidence of this term used to refer to the city dates back to 13th-15th century during the reign of Aru, the Karo monarch. Another popular theory suggests that ''medan'' is of Malay origin, literally meaning 'field'. The term ''medan'' () in Malay might be derived from the
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
word (, 'field'), which is cognate with the
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
word (, 'ground').


History

Medan is located in what was once the Kingdom of Aru, founded by the Karo people and flourishing between the 13th and 16th centuries. A number of archaeological sites survive near Medan, including Kota Rentang, a port settlement in the Hamparan Perak area; Kota Cina, an ancient trading site in Medan Marelan; and Benteng Putri Hijau, a fort ruin in Deli Tua. In the sixteenth century, Guru Patimpus Sembiring Pelawi, a Karonese man from the
Karo Regency Karo Regency is a landlocked regency of North Sumatra Province of Indonesia, situated in the Barisan Mountains. The regency, which was established on 7 November 1956, covers an area of and according to the 2010 census it had a population of 350 ...
, converted from Pemena to
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
. While traveling to study under Datuk Kota Bangun, Guru Patimpus met and married the Princess of . Accompanied by their two sons, Kolok and Kecik, the couple founded Medan village between the Deli and Babura Rivers. In 1632, the
Aceh Sultanate The Sultanate of Aceh, officially the Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam (; Jawoë: ), was a sultanate centered in the modern-day Indonesian province of Aceh. It was a major regional power in the 16th and 17th centuries, before experiencing a long pe ...
under Gocah Pahlawan expanded to include Medan. Perunggit succeeded his father in 1669, and declared the Deli Sultanate, including Medan, independent of the Aceh Sultanate. Starting in the 1860s, Dutch authorities began to release new land for tobacco plantations. Said Abdullah Bilsagih, brother-in-law of the Deli Sultan Mahmud Perkasa Alam, persuaded Dutch tobacco merchant Jacob Nienhuys to move his business from Java to Deli. Dutch merchants Van der Falk and Elliot, and Chinese brothers Tjong Yong Hian and Tjong A Fie, were also pioneers of Deli's tobacco industry. In 1867, Nienhuys, Jannsen, P.W. Clemen, and Cremer founded De Deli Maatschappij; in 1869, they moved its head office from Labuhan Deli to Medan. This made Medan a centre of the tobacco trade, which continued to grow with the 1869 opening of the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
. Sultan Ma'mun Al Rashid Perkasa Alamyah, who ruled from 1873 to 1924, moved the kingdom's capital to Medan. He became known as the builder of early Medan, finishing the construction of the Maimun Palace in 1888 and building the Great Mosque of Medan in 1907. In 1898, a Dutch businessman named Aeint Herman de Boer built Hotel de Boer to accommodate the cruise ships of European tourists which had begun to visit Medan. During the 1942
Dutch East Indies campaign The Dutch East Indies campaign of 1941–1942 was the conquest of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia) by forces of the Empire of Japan in the early days of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Allied forces attempted unsuccessfully t ...
, the Japanese entered Medan on bicycles and occupied the city. The handover of power was chaotic, but through the use of the Kempetai. Locals of Medan were subjected to enforced Japanese language and worship. The Japanese were able to hold the city until their surrender in 1945. Following that, Medan came under the authority of the
South East Asia Command South East Asia Command (SEAC) was the body set up to be in overall charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre during the Second World War. History Organisation The initial supreme commander of the theatre was General Sir ...
led by British
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
Lord Louis Mountbatten. With the
Proclamation of Indonesian Independence The Proclamation of Indonesian Independence (, or simply ''Proklamasi'') was read at 10:00 Tokyo Standard Time on Friday 17 August 1945 in Jakarta. The declaration marked the start of the diplomatic and armed resistance of the Indonesian Nati ...
on 17 August, Medan became part of the newly-independent Republic of Indonesia, news announced in Medan on 30 September. In October, Allied troops landed in Belawan and marched on Medan. The subsequent conflicts between the Allies and the
Indonesian Army The Indonesian Army ( (TNI-AD), ) is the army, land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,400 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the (TKR) "People's Se ...
became known as the
Battle of Medan The Battle of Medan, known locally as the Battle for the Medan Area () took place between Allied forces and the Indonesian Army in Medan, North Sumatra, and its surrounding area during the Indonesian National Revolution. Prelude As the Second ...
. The Allies regained control of Medan in April 1946, and in December 1947 the Dutch established the State of East Sumatra with Medan as its capital. This became part of the
United States of Indonesia The United States of Indonesia (, ; abbreviated as RIS or RUSI, also known as Federal Republic of Indonesia) was a short-lived federal state to which the Netherlands formally transferred sovereignty of the Dutch East Indies (except Netherlands N ...
in 1949, and was dissolved into the
Republic of Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
in 1950. Medan continued to grow as a centre of commerce during the reign of . Developments of the 1970s, especially
palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...
and
rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Types of polyisoprene ...
plantations, made Medan the busiest city outside Java, with the
transmigration program The transmigration program (, from Dutch language, Dutch, ''transmigratie'') was an initiative of the Netherlands, Dutch Dutch East Indies, colonial government and later continued by the government of Indonesia, Indonesian government to move lan ...
bringing many Javanese and
Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...
migrants. In May 1998, months of student demonstrations in Medan over the
1997 Asian financial crisis The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...
turned into
riots A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
when a student was killed in a clash with security forces. The next day, the mobs became bigger, and many shops and vehicles in the business district (mostly owned by Chinese residents) were burned and looted. As a result, a curfew was imposed for more than two weeks until peace returned. On 5 September 2005, Mandala Airlines Flight 091 stalled a minute after taking off from Medan's old Polonia International Airport for a flight to Jakarta. The aircraft crashed into a heavily populated residential area along Djamin Ginting road in ''Padang Bulan''. Of the 117 passengers and crews on board, only 17 survived, and an additional 49 civilians on the ground were killed. As a result,
Kualanamu International Airport Kualanamu International Airport — often spelled as Kuala Namu and informally abbreviated KNIA — is an international airport serving Medan, Indonesia, and other parts of North Sumatra. It is located in the Deli Serdang Regency, east of do ...
was built in Deli Serdang to replace the old airport, with construction finished in 2012. After the move to the new airport, height restriction laws in Medan were relaxed.


Geography

Medan is in the northeastern part of
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
island, in the province of
North Sumatra North Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan on the east coast of the island. It borders Aceh to the northwest, Riau to the sou ...
. The city is a
semi-enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is some ...
within Deli Serdang Regency, bordered by that regency on three sides and by the
Strait of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, long and from wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean) and the South China Sea (Pa ...
to the north. The natural harbor formed where the Deli and Babura rivers feed into the straits has contributed to Medan's growth as a trading port. Medan's elevation varies between above sea level, with the
Barisan Mountains The Bukit Barisan or the Barisan Mountains are a mountain range on the western side of Sumatra, Indonesia, covering nearly 1,700 km (1,050 mi) from the north to the south of the island. The Bukit Barisan range consists primarily of volca ...
to the south, and volcanoes such as Sibayak Mountain and Sinabung Mountain from the city.


Climate

Medan features a
tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate or equatorial climate is a tropical climate sub-type usually found within 10 to 15 degrees latitude of the equator. There are some other areas at higher latitudes, such as the coast of southeast Florida, United States ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Af'') with no real
dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The t ...
. Its driest month (January) on average sees about one-third the precipitation of its wettest month (October), with a total annual precipitation of about . Autumn (September - November) is the rainiest season, and the temperature is still coolest in winter (December and January). Temperatures in the city average approximately throughout the year.


Government

Medan was governed by Abdillah from 2000 until 2008, when he and his vice mayor were caught by the
Corruption Eradication Commission The Corruption Eradication Commission (), abbreviated as KPK, is an Indonesian government agency established to prevent and fight corruption in the country. History Background Anti-corruption efforts began in Indonesia in the 1950s. Followin ...
. Syamsul Arifin, the governor of North Sumatra Province, appointed as acting mayor, followed by Rahudman Harahap after Lubis's 2009 resignation. Harahap resigned in order to run for office in the 2010 mayoral election, leaving Arifin himself to become acting mayor. In 2013, Harahap was also arrested for corruption, and his deputy Dzulmi Eldin became acting mayor. Dzulmi Eldin was elected mayor in 2016, and served until his arrest for corruption in 2019. He was replaced by his vice mayor, Akhyar Nasution, who served until the end of his term in 2021. The current mayor of Medan is
Bobby Nasution Muhammad Bobby Afif Nasution (born 5 July 1991) is an Indonesian businessman and politician currently serving as the governor of North Sumatra. He was previously Medan's mayor between 2021 and 2025. He is the son-in-law of former President Joko Wi ...
, with vice mayor .


Administrative divisions

Medan is divided into 21
districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
(), tabulated below with their areas and populations at the 2010 Census,Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as of mid-2023.Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 28 February 2024, ''Kota Medan Dalam Angka 2024'' (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1271) The table also includes the number of urban villages/neighbourhoods () in each district, and their postal codes. The city centre consists of Medan Petisah, Medan Baru, Medan Polonia, Medan Maimun, Medan Kota, and Medan Barat (West Medan). Medan Labuhan is one of the largest districts by area (together with Medan Belawan and Medan Marelan) and lies in the northern part of the city. Medan Tuntungan serves as the gateway to
Karo Regency Karo Regency is a landlocked regency of North Sumatra Province of Indonesia, situated in the Barisan Mountains. The regency, which was established on 7 November 1956, covers an area of and according to the 2010 census it had a population of 350 ...
, Medan Helvetia to
Binjai Binjai (English: or , Jawi script, Jawi: ), formally Kota Binjai (Binjai City), is an independent city in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia, bordered by Deli Serdang Regency to the east and Langkat Regency to the west. Binjai is connected ...
City and Langkat, and Medan Amplas to Tebing Tinggi and Pematang Siantar.


Demographics

Medan is Indonesia's largest city outside
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
, and its fourth largest altogether (after
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
,
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
and Bandung). The population more than quadrupled in less than fifty years, growing from 568,000 in 1968 to 2.1 million in 2010. As of 2020, Medan had a population of 2,435,252 and the Medan metropolitan area, larger metropolitan area had a population of 4,756,863.


Ethnicities and languages

The dominant ethnic groups in Medan are Batak (Indonesia), Batak and Javanese, with smaller Malay (ethnic group), Malays, Acehnese people, Acehnese, Indian Indonesians, Indian, Nias people, Nias, and Sundanese people, Sundanese populations.Leo Suryadinata, Evi Nurvidya Arifin, Aris Ananta, Indonesia's Population: ethnicity and religion in a changing political landscape, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2003. The
Batak Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian peoples, Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia, who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo people ( ...
s in Medan are of three subethnicities. The native Batak Karo, Karo mostly live in the southern parts of Medan, including Padang Bulan, Medan Johor and Tuntungan. The Toba Batak people, Toba, whom the Dutch employed on their oil palm plantations, live in Marindal and Amplas, or in nearby city centres such as the Medan Perjuangan district. Finally, the Mandailing, who migrated to Medan after Indonesian independence in search of job opportunities, mainly live in Medan Tembung. The primary languages spoken by Bataks in Medan are Batak language, Batak and Karo language (Indonesia), Karo. The large Javanese community in Medan is primarily composed of the descendants of people transported from Java in the 19th century to be employed as contract workers at various plantations in
North Sumatra North Sumatra () is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia located in the northern part of the island of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Medan on the east coast of the island. It borders Aceh to the northwest, Riau to the sou ...
. For the most part, they speak the local dialect of Javanese language, Javanese. The Malay Indonesian, Malays are also natives of Medan, having lived as fishermen in the outskirts of the city since the Aru era. Starting in the 18th century, they began to spread throughout the city, with large numbers living in Medan Maimun, Kota Matsum, Labuhan and Belawan and speaking Malay. Immigration from southern China to Deli began in the 16th century, and accelerated in the 19th and early 20th centuries as immigrants sought employment as planters and coolies. Medan is home to the largest Chinese Indonesians, Chinese population in Sumatra, mostly concentrated around the city centre. Most Chinese people in Medan speak Medan Hokkien, a local dialect, but many also speak Mandarin Chinese, Mandarin, Teochew dialect, Teochew, or Cantonese. Minangkabau people, Minangkabau came to Medan since the late of the 19th century. Minangs migration surged from the 1960s to the 1980s, becoming 10.9% of the population and founding Padang cuisine, Padang restaurants throughout the city. Most Minangkabau people in Medan speak Minangkabau language, Minangkabau. They are mostly concentrated around the city centre, near Central Market (''Pajak Sentral''), Kota Matsum and Sukaramai. Many Acehnese people, Acehnese sought sanctuary in Medan after the insurgency in Aceh in the late 1970s. They now own a number of Mie aceh, Mie Aceh restaurants around the Setia Budi and Sunggal areas. Most speak Acehnese language, Acehnese, and Gayo language, Gayonese is also common. Medan also has a substantial Tamil Indonesian community. Kampung Madras, a busy area in the city centre, is well-known as a Tamil neighbourhood. The different linguistic communities in Medan communicate in a slang called ''Bahasa Medan'' or ''Dialek Medan'' (''Medanese slang''). This dialect of Indonesian includes loanwords from the various local languages, especially Malay.


Religion

Most of Medan's inhabitants are Islam, Muslim, accounting for approximately 65.78 percent of the population. The substantial Christianity, Christian demographic (about 25 percent of the total population) includes Catholics, Methodists, and Lutherans, such as the Batak Christian Protestant Church. Buddhists make up about 9 percent of the population, and there are smaller Hinduism, Hindu, Confucianism, Confucian, and Sikhism, Sikh communities. Some Bataknese follow traditional religions such as Pemena and Parmalim. Gunung Timur Temple, on Hang Tuah#In Malaysia, Jalan Hang Tuah, is Medan's oldest Taoist temple. Maha Vihara Maitreya, on Jalan Cemara Asri, is the largest Buddhist temple in southeast Asia. The city's oldest church, Medan Cathedral, on Jalan Pemuda, was originally built as by the Dutch and Indian community. Sri Mariamman Temple, Medan, Sri Mariamman Temple, on Jalan Zainul Arifin in Kampung Madras, is the city's oldest Hindu temple, built around 1881; it is surrounded by over a hundred statues of various deities. Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni, a Catholic church in an Indo-Mogul style, was built on Jalan Sakura III in 2005, dedicated to a Marian apparition in 17th century Tamil Nadu. At one point before and during the Japanese occupation of the city, Japanese migrants created a Shinto shrine, Hirohara Shrine, to accommodate the increasing worshipers of Japanese residents. It was later rebuilt during the Japanese occupation of the city in 1944 to accommodate the mandatory worship by locals. The former shrine still stands as the last Shinto shrine in Southeast Asia. File:Great mosque in Medan cropped.jpg, Grand Mosque of Medan (Muslim) File:GPIB Immanuel Kota Medan.jpg, :id:GPIB_Immanuel_Medan, GPIB Immanuel Medan (Protestant) File:Vihara Maitreya.jpg, Maha Vihara Maitreya (Buddhist) File:Perhimpunan Shri Mariamman (Mariamman Hindu Temple), Medan.jpg, Sri Mariamman Temple, Medan, Sri Mariamman Temple (Hindu) File:View Toward Main Hall, Vihara Gunung Timur, Medan, Sumatra.jpg, Gunung Timur Temple (Taoist) File:Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni Medan.jpg, Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni (Catholic) File:Hirohara Jinja's Haiden.jpg, Hirohara Shrine (formerly Shinto)


Economy

The Medan metropolitan area was recognized as an Indonesian National Strategic Region () by Government Regulation No 28/2008. As a major commercial and economic hub of Indonesia, Medan is a centre for the production and trade of commodities including cinnamon,
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
,
tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...
, coffee, rubber, and
palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...
. It also has a growing manufacturing sector, producing goods such as cars, machinery, tile, and Paper and pulp industry, paper and pulp. Medan's location makes it the main hub of international trade in western Indonesia, with exports going to Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Its trade and tourism businesses have also become essential to the Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle. Many multinational companies maintain offices in the city, such as Asian Agri, London Sumatra, Musim Mas, Philips, Philips Lighting, PT Inti Indorayon Utama, Toba Pulp Lestari, Marriott International, Marriott, Wilmar International, Wilmar, ABB Group and DBS Bank. Rapid development in Medan has resulted in an upward trend in residential property prices. Medan is one of the major shopping centres of Indonesia, along with Jakarta, Bandung and
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
. Shopping malls in Medan include:


Cuisine

Medan is known as "the culinary heaven of Indonesia" for its variety of ethnic cuisines and prominent street Hawker (trade), hawkers. Prominent restaurants in Medan include ''Nelayan'' (halal-Chinese seafood and dim sum), ''Garuda'' and ''Uda Sayang'' (Nasi Padang, nasi padang and gulai), ''Sate Afrizal Amir'' (sate padang), ''Cahaya Baru'' (chapati and tandoori), ''OnDo Batak grill'' and ''Tesalonika'' (babi panggang (grilled pork) and saksang), ''Jalan Selat Panjang'' and ''Jalan Semarang'' (Chinese Indonesian cuisine, Chinese food), ''Jalan Pagaruyung'' (Indian cuisine, Indian and Malay cuisine, Malay food), and ''Jalan Padan Bulan'' (Batak cuisine, Batak food). Other major culinary destinations in Medan include Merdeka Walk, an outdoor area with a number of restaurants, and Pasar Rame, a daily outdoor market. The local cuisine in Medan comes from a variety of culinary traditions. Soto (food), Soto Medan is a savoury stew of mixed meats and coconut milk, usually served with rice and perkedel. Bika ambon, a popular local cake, is traditionally flavoured with pandanus, but can also be found in banana, durian, cheese, and chocolate flavours. Babi panggang, Babi Panggang Karo, grilled pork dipped in Pig blood curd, blood curd, may be served with sambal andaliman made from local peppers. () is a local Chinese variant of rojak, made with fried prawn, vegetables, tofu, and chili sauce. Medanese swiss rolls (''Bolu Meranti'') and dried anchovies are popular souvenirs.


Tourism


Landmarks

Many examples of colonial Dutch architecture survive in Medan. Prominent instances include the old Medan City Hall, City Hall, the Medan Post Office, Hotel de Boer, Inna Dharma Deli Hotel, Titi Gantung bridge, the building, the Tjong A Fie Mansion, the A.V.R.O.S. building, the Warenhuis building, and the Tirtanadi Water Tower. The Sultan of Deli (whose position is now purely ceremonial) still lives in Maimoon Palace, built 1887-1891. The Great Mosque of Medan, built in 1906, was designed in a Moroccan style by the Dutch architect A.J. Dingemans.


Museums

The North Sumatra Museum, located south of the city's centre, was formally opened in April 1982 by , Ministry of Education and Culture (Indonesia), Minister of Education and Culture. The museum's collection centres around artefacts of North Sumatran ethnic groups. The Bukit Barisan Museum is a military museum opened by Brigade General on 21 June 1971. Located at 8 Jalan H. Zainul Arifin, the museum houses a number of historic weapons used in the Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia, 1958 revolt in North Sumatra, and displays paintings of the rebellion against the Netherlands. The Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery, which opened in 1999, is considered the city's outstanding taxidermy collection. It is located on Jalan Letjen S. Parman No.309.


Transportation


Airport

The
Kualanamu International Airport Kualanamu International Airport — often spelled as Kuala Namu and informally abbreviated KNIA — is an international airport serving Medan, Indonesia, and other parts of North Sumatra. It is located in the Deli Serdang Regency, east of do ...
(KNO) opened on 25 July 2013 as a replacement for the Soewondo Air Force Base, Polonia Airport. Located from downtown Medan, it is Indonesia's first airport with Kualanamu Airport Rail Link, a direct rail link to the city. The airport has a passenger terminal, and serves as a hub for Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia AirAsia, Lion Air, Susi Air and Wings Air, with direct domestic flights to many major cities in Sumatra, as well as Java-international flights to locations abroad including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka.


Seaport

The Belawan, Port of Belawan is on the northeast coast of Sumatra, north of Medan and accessible by a railway across the channel south of the island. Originally built in 1890 for European tobacco exports, the harbour was expanded in 1907 with a new section for Chinese and indigenous traders. The growth of northern Sumatra's rubber and palm oil plantations in the early twentieth century brought new developments to the port. Several major berthing facilities were built in the 1920s, and by 1938 the port handled the greatest cargo value of any in the Dutch East Indies. Trade volumes dropped substantially after Indonesian independence, but reached pre-independence levels again in the mid-1960s. A major restructuring in 1985 saw the construction of a container terminal; it almost immediately captured about one-fifth of Indonesia's containerized exports. Major products exported include rubber, palm oil, tea, and coffee. The current port has two terminals. The first, which handles passengers, offers ferry services to cities including Penang, Langkawi, Batam, Jakarta, and Surabaya. The second, Belawan International Container Terminal (BICT), is used for export and import services, and is one of the largest shipping industry ports in Indonesia.


Roads

Major roads through Medan include the Trans-Sumatran Highway and the Belmera Toll Road. Other toll roads link the city to the airport, Binjai, and Tebing Tinggi.


Railway

The largest train station in Medan is Medan Station. The city also has a number of smaller stations, including Medan Pasar, Pulu Brayan, Titi Papan, Labuhan, and Belawan. Of these, Titi Papan and Pulu Brayan serve exclusively freight trains, while the others also serve passenger trains. Express trains run between Medan and cities including Tebing Tinggi, Pematang Siantar, Tanjungbalai (city), Tanjungbalai, and Rantau Prapat, and the Kualanamu Airport Railink Services express train runs between Medan Station and Kualanamu International Airport railway station, Kualanamu International Airport Station. Other rail lines connect Medan to cities such as
Binjai Binjai (English: or , Jawi script, Jawi: ), formally Kota Binjai (Binjai City), is an independent city in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia, bordered by Deli Serdang Regency to the east and Langkat Regency to the west. Binjai is connected ...
and Belawan. An elevated railway over several rail lines around Medan avoids level crossings and reduces traffic congestion.


Public transport

Both auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are widely available in Medan, for a cheap pre-negotiated fare. Ride-sharing services Gojek and Grab (company), Grab are also in widespread use. While taxis exist, most locals use Share taxi#Indonesia, sudako, Medan's share taxi system. These minibuses follow routes indicated by numbers displayed on the vehicle; route maps are not published, instead typically being spread by word-of-mouth. Medan and its nearby urban areas have two bus rapid transit systems, Trans Mebidang and Medan Electric Bus, each with several active corridors.


Trans Mebidang


Medan Electric Bus


Media


Television

Medan's television stations include public and private national networks, as well as local channels. TVRI Sumatera Utara, a public station serving North Sumatra, is headquartered in the city. Channels currently available in Medan include:


Radio

Radio Republik Indonesia, RRI Medan is the only public radio in Medan. Several local languages are also served on the radio, such as Kardopa Radio (in the Batak language), CityRadio FM and A-Radio FM (in the Chinese language) and Symphony FM (in the Malay language). Other popular stations in Medan include Prambors FM, Sindo Trijaya FM, MNC Trijaya FM, I-Radio, KISS FM, VISI FM, and Delta FM.


Newspapers

''Mimbar Umum'' is Medan's oldest newspaper. Other major newspapers based in Medan include ''Waspada'', ''Analisa'', ''Jurnal Medan'', ''Berita Sore'', ''Harian Global'', ''Harian Medan Bisnis'', ''Sumut Pos'', ''Posmetro Medan'', ''Sinar Indonesia Baru'', and Tribun Network, ''Tribun Medan'', as well as national Mandarin language newspapers such as ''Harian Indonesia'' (), International Daily News, ''Guo Ji Ri Bao'' () and Indonesia Shang Bao, ''Shangbao'' () and English newspapers like ''The Jakarta Post''.


Literature

From the 1930s through the 1960s, Medan was the source of a major body of Indonesian literature, known as "Roman Medan". These books usually depicted local life in Medan and surrounding areas of Deli. Several romance novel writers grew up in Medan, including Hamka, , , , and .


Sport

Football (soccer), Football is one of the most popular sports in Medan, with five local clubs: PSMS Medan, Persatuan Sepakbola Medan dan Sekitarnya (known as PSMS Medan), Medan Jaya, Medan Chiefs, Bintang PSMS and Medan United. Teladan Stadium, Medan's multi-purpose stadium, is used primarily for football matches. Medan also has a Chinese martial arts, Wushu training centre, Jalan Plaju, and a basketball club, Angsapura Sania.


Healthcare

Medan has more than 30 registered hospitals, three public and the rest private.


Education


Elementary, middle, and high schools

Medan has more than 827 registered elementary schools, 337 middle schools and 288 high schools, including State ownership, state-owned, Private school, private, Religious school, religious, and international schools.


Universities and Colleges

Medan's 72 registered universities, academies, polytechnics, and colleges include:


International relations


Consulates

Medan hosts consulates from foreign countries, such as: * (Honorary Consulate) * (Consulate-General) * (Honorary Consulate) * (Honorary Consulate) * (Consulate-General) * (Consulate-General) * (Consulate-General) * (Honorary Consulate) * (Honorary Consulate) * (Honorary Consulate) * (Consulate-General) * (Honorary Consulate) * (Honorary Consulate) * (Consulate)


Twin towns – sister cities

Medan is Sister city, twinned with: * George Town, Penang, George Town, Penang Island City Council, Penang Island, Malaysia (10 October 1984) * Ichikawa, Chiba, Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan (4 November 1989) * Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, South Korea (24 September 1997) * Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China (17 December 2002) * Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States (30 October 2014)


Notable people


See also

* Medan metropolitan area


References


Further reading

*


External links

* * * * *
Official Government website

Medanesia – Medan Forum
{{Authority control Medan, Cities in North Sumatra Provincial capitals in Indonesia Populated places established in 1590 Deli basin