Sabang, Indonesia
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Sabang ( Jawoë: سابڠ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
Aceh Aceh ( , ; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ; Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Atjeh'') is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capit ...
province,
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, ...
consisting entirely of Weh Island and several smaller islands off the northern tip 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. ...
. The administrative centre of the city is located north of
Banda Aceh Banda Aceh (; , Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of 35 metres. The city covers an area of and had a population of 223,446 peopl ...
. The city covers an area of and had a population of 43,391 in the 2020 censusBadan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. although that total was subsequently adjusted to 41,197; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 43,527. Sabang is known as the northernmost and westernmost city of Indonesia. It also has by far the smallest population of any city in Indonesia.


History

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 Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...
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 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 ...
, the island was used as a place for exiles by the sultanate. Before 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 ...
was opened in 1869, the Indonesian archipelago was reached via the
Sunda Strait The Sunda Strait () is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. Etymology The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the western portion of Ja ...
from
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
. 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 The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
government decided to open Sabang as a quay. It changed hands to
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
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 Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
station for the
Dutch navy The Royal Netherlands Navy (, ) is the Navy, maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It traces its history to 8 January 1488, making it the List of navies, third-oldest navy in the world. During the 17th and early 18th centurie ...
, but later also served
merchant vessel A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which a ...
s 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 Maatschappij''. 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
bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...
s,
fortification A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
s, 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 On 26 December 2004, at 07:58:53 local time ( UTC+7), a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2–9.3 struck with an epicentre off the west coast of Aceh in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. The undersea megathrust earthquake, known in the sci ...
. 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.


Geography

Sabang is the Indonesia's northernmost administrative region, and directly borders with neighboring countries like
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, and
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. It is surrounded by the
Malacca Strait 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 its north and east and the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
to its south and west. Sabang city area covers five islands. The principal one is Weh Island (121 km2), where the city center is located. Other islands are
Rondo Island Rondo Island (; ) is Indonesia's northernmost territory,2007Atoll Research Bulletin Issue 544, Page 48] located in the Andaman Sea, with a 0.650 km2 area 35m above sea level. The island is one of the outlying islands of Indonesia in the Ace ...
(or Tempurung - the northernmost island in Indonesia, with 0.65 km2 area), Rubiah Island (0.355 km2 area), Klah Island (0.186 km2 area) and Seulake Island (0.055 km2 area). There is a freshwater lake in Weh Island called Aneuk Laot Lake.


Climate

Sabang has 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 ...
(Af) with moderate rainfall from February to August and heavy rainfall from September to January.


Governance


Administrative districts

As at 2020, the city was divided into two
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 ...
(''kecamatan''), but in February 2021 a third district (Sukamakmue) was created from the more rural parts of the other two by taking in three villages (''gampong'') from each existing district. These are all listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and the 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of villages (''gampong'') in each district, and its postal codes. Note: (a) the 2010 and 2020 Census populations of the new Sukamakmue District are included in the equivalent figures for the other two districts.


Villages (''gampong'')


Local government

As with all Indonesian cities, the local government is a second-level administrative division run by a mayor and vice mayor, together with the city parliament, and it is equivalent to a regency. Executive power lies in the mayor and vice mayor, while legislation duties are carried out by the local parliament. Mayor, vice mayor, and parliament members are democratically elected by the people of the city. Meanwhile, head of districts are appointed directly by the city mayor on the recommendation of the city secretary.


Economy

Economic activities in the city are diverse. As of 2021, the largest economic sector in the city was construction with contribution to city's gross regional product of 33.78%, followed by administration or social security services with 15.33%, and trade and retail sector with 14.67%. The city's gross regional product in 2021 was valued at 1.12 trillion rupiah with an annual economic growth of 5.82% on 2019 before the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The economy of the city shrank 1.29% in 2020 due to the pandemic before it bounced back again in 2021 with growth of 2.67. The fastest growing sectors in the city in 2021 include the healthcare sector with an annual growth of 9.25% and the transportation sector with an annual growth of 8.13%. In terms of size, the city has the smallest economy in Aceh when compared to other cities and regencies in the province.


Infrastructure


Transport

Sabang is served by Maimun Saleh Airport. The airport is located southeast of the central city on Weh Island and is capable of handling
ATR 72 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR. The number "72" in its name is derived from the aircraft's typical standard seating capacity of 72 pa ...
aircraft. The airport is a military base for the
Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...
with no scheduled commercial flights. Sabang has a deep sea port which is important to the trade in the region. India and Indonesia are jointly developing the Sabang deep sea port which also lies close to India's southernmost territory of
Andaman and Nicobar Islands The Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a union territory of India comprising 572 islands, of which only 38 are inhabited. The islands are grouped into two main clusters: the northern Andaman Islands and the southern Nicobar Islands, separated by a ...
. In 2002,
Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
and
Indonesian Navy The Indonesian Navy (, TNI-AL) is the Navy, naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol Indonesia's lengthy coastline, to enforce and patrol the territorial waters and Exclus ...
signed an ''"Ind-Indo Corpat"'' agreement. Indian naval ships have been regularly visiting Sabang port following the signing of this agreement. Indonesia's minister for maritime affairs, Luhut Pandjaitan, stated that Indonesia has given economic and military access by India to the strategic Sabang port; India will invest in the port and economic zone of Sabang city.
Pelni Pelni (abbreviation of , ) is the national cargo and passenger shipping company of Indonesia. Its services network spans across the Indonesian archipelago. Mainly serving as connector between bigger cities and to remote islands, Pelni plays an i ...
, state-owned shipping company, is serving the city through Sea Toll Program which is highly subsidized to nearby cities such as
Lhokseumawe Lhokseumawe (; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ), is the second largest city (by population, after Bandar Aceh, Banda Aceh) in Aceh province, Indonesia, having recently overtaken Langsa. The city covers an area of 181.06 square kilometres, and had a popu ...
,
Banda Aceh Banda Aceh (; , Jawi script, Jawi: ) is the capital and largest city in the province of Aceh, Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra and has an elevation of 35 metres. The city covers an area of and had a population of 223,446 peopl ...
, and Medan. The city has a total of 144.75 kilometers of road, all of which have been paved with asphalt as of 2022. The city, unlike most of places in Indonesia, does not have any presence of angkot, and the presence of public transportation inside the city is minimal. Online ride-hailing service such as those by
Gojek PT Gojek Indonesia (stylized in all lower case and stylized ''j'' as goȷek, formerly styled as GO-JEK) is an Indonesian on-demand multi-service platform and digital payment technology group based in Jakarta. Gojek was first established in Ind ...
are present in the city.


Education

The city in 2022 has a total of 20 kindergartens, 30 elementary schools, 11 junior high schools, and 4 senior high schools, in addition of one vocational high school. There are also two higher education institutions in the city, Al-Aziziyah Sabang Sharia College and Ibnu Sina Nursery Academy. Both of these institutions are private. The literacy rate in the city is relatively high at 99.76% in 2020.


References


External links

*
Official Sabang City
{{Authority control Cities in Aceh