Aceh (/ˈɑː/) is a province of Indonesia at the northern end of Sumatra. Its capital and largest city is Banda Aceh. It is close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India across the Andaman Sea.

Quick Facts Regional transcription(s), • Jawoë ...
Aceh
Regional transcription(s)
  Jawoëاچيه دارالسلام
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From top left : Baiturrahman Grand Mosque, Lake Laut Tawar, Sabang, Gunung Leuser National Park, Seulawah Agam, Aceh Tsunami Museum
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Nickname(s): 
Serambi Mekkah
Porch of Mecca
Motto(s): 
"Pancacita"(Sanskrit)
"Five goals"
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Location of Aceh in Indonesia.
Coordinates: 5°33′N 95°19′E
Country Indonesia
EstablishedDecember 7, 1956
Capital
(and largest city)
Banda Aceh
Government
  GovernorIrwandi Marzuki (PNA)
  Vice GovernorNova Iriansyah
Area
  Total58,376.81 km2 (22,539.41 sq mi)
  Rank11th
Elevation
125 m (410 ft)
Highest elevation
3,466 m (11,371 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2017)[1]
  Total5,189,500
  Rank14th
  Density89/km2 (230/sq mi)
   Rank20th
DemonymsAcehnese
Warga Aceh (id)
Kawom Aceh (ace)
Demographics
  Ethnic groups70.65% Acehnese
8.94% Javanese
7.22% Gayo
3.29% Batak
2.13% Alas
1.49% Simeulue
1.40 Aneuk Jamee
1.11% Tamiang Malay
1.04% Singkil
0.74% Minangkabau[2]
  ReligionIslam 98.48%
Protestantism 1.02%
Buddhism 0.16%
Catholicism 0.07%
Hinduism 0.003% Confucianism 0.0008%
Others 0.006%
  LanguagesIndonesian (official)
Acehnese (regional)
Gayo, Simeulue, Tamiang Malay, Aneuk Jamee, Alas-Kluet, Singkil (minority)
Time zoneUTC+7 (Indonesia Western Time)
Postcodes
23xxx, 24xxx
Area codes(62)6xx
ISO 3166 codeID-AC
Vehicle signBL
GRP per capitaUS$2,239.49
GRP rank26th
HDI (2016)Increase 0.700 (High)
HDI rank12th (2014)
Websiteacehprov.go.id
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Aceh is a religiously conservative territory and the only Indonesian province practicing Sharia law officially. Islam first entered Indonesia here.

Aceh has large amounts of oil and natural gas. Some estimate that Aceh gas reserves are one of the largest in the world.[3]

Tsunami disaster

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Aftermath of the tsunami in Aceh

The west coast of Aceh, including the cities of Banda Aceh, Calang, and Meulaboh, were hit hard by the tsunami after the magnitude 9.2 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004.[4] More than 170,000 people were killed by tsunami in Aceh and about 500,000 were homeless.

Government

Aceh is governed not as an Indonesian province but as a special territory (daerah istimewa). This different title is to give the area more autonomy from the central government in Jakarta.

Internal divisions

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Regencies of Aceh

The province is has eighteen regencies (kabupaten) and five cities (kota). The capital and the largest city is Banda Aceh. It on the coast near the northern tip of Sumatra.

References

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