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Simeulue /sɪməˈluːeɪ/ is an island of Indonesia, 150 kilometres (93 mi) off the west coast of Sumatra. It covers an area of 1,754 square kilometres (677 square miles), including minor offshore islands. It had a population of 80,674 at the 2010 census[1] and 92,865 at the 2020 census.[2] The official estimate as at mid 2021 was 93,762.[3] Its capital is Sinabang.
 Topographic map of Simeulue | |
 | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | South East Asia |
| Coordinates | 02°37′48″N 96°05′24″E |
| Area | 1,754 km2 (677 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 567 m (1860 ft) |
| Highest point | unnamed |
| Administration | |
Indonesia | |
| Province | Aceh |
| Regency | Simeulue Regency |
| Largest settlement | Sinabang |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 93,762 (mid 2021 estimate) |
| Pop. density | 51.0/km2 (132.1/sq mi) |
Simeulue was once a part of West Aceh Regency but was split off in 1999 and became a separate Simeulue Regency.
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From the ethnic point of view the inhabitants of Simeulue are similar to the people of neighboring Nias Island. Two languages and a number of dialects are spoken on the island: Simeulue and Sigulai, which are different from the languages spoken in the north of Sumatra.[4] The majority of the island's population is Muslim.
Simeulue was historically known to European mariners as "Hog Island"[5] and served as a landfall for ships seeking ports on the west coast of Sumatra for the pepper trade. It was also known as "Pulo Oo", or "Coconut Island".[5] Some historians suggest the fictional islands of Lilliput and Blefuscu in Gulliver's Travels (1726) might be described as two of Simeulue's remote islands in the Indian Ocean: Devayan and Sigulai.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
Simeulue was close to the epicenter of the 9.3 magnitude 26 December 2004 earthquake.
On 28 March 2005, an 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck with its epicenter just off the south end of the island.[6] During the earthquake, Simeulue rose at least 2 metres (6 ft) on the western coast; this left the flat top of its coral reefs above high tide. On the east coast, the land was submerged, with seawater flooding fields and settlements.[7]
Although Simeulue Island was only 60 kilometers from the epicenter of the 2004 earthquake, whereas Banda Aceh – the city that was hit hardest by the tsunami – was about 250 kilometers away, only six residents on Simeulue died, while the remaining 70,000 survived. This was apparently thanks to local wisdom called 'smong', which dictates that after an earthquake, if the tide suddenly recedes, people should evacuate to higher ground as soon as possible, based on the experience of a major tsunami in 1907.[8][9][10][11]
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Over the past ten years Simeulue has become a popular surfing destination. The southwest-facing portion of the island is home to surf resorts.
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