HISTORY OF SUMATRA ISLAND
By: Hamly Hadi
History Observer
The island of Sumatra has other well-known names: Andalas Island, Percha, or Suwarnadwipa (Sanskrit, meaning “golden island”).
The name Sumatra originates from the kingdom of Samudera (located on the east coast of Aceh). Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan adventurer, visited the country in 1345. He pronounced Samudera as Samatrah.
Over time, Samatrah became Sumatera and was included on 16th-century Portuguese maps. This map became a reference to the island of Sumatra, and its widespread use continues to this day.
In folklore sources, the original name for Sumatra was “Golden Island.” The term “Ameh” (in the Minangkabau language, meaning “golden island”) is used.
This folklore is included in the Minangkabau story of Cindua Mato. In Lampung folklore, the name “tanoh mas” (golden island) is used to refer to Sumatra.
I-tsing (634-713), a Chinese traveler who settled in Srivijaya in the 7th century, called Sumatra chin-chou, meaning “land of gold.”
Ethnic groups on the island of Sumatra:
1. Batak Tribe
The Batak are the third largest ethnic group in Indonesia, originating from North Sumatra.
In North Sumatra, the Batak live in several regencies: Karo, Simalungun, Dairi, North Tapanuli, and Asahan.
The Batak are divided into six categories or tribes: Toba Batak, Karo Batak, Pakpak Batak, Simalungun Batak, Angkola Batak, and Mandailing Batak.
The Karo Batak are the largest ethnic group in North Sumatra.
The Karo Batak live in the regencies of Karo, Deli Serdang, Langkat, Simalungun, Dairi, Southeast Aceh, and Medan City.
2. Malay Tribe
The Malay Tribe is an ethnic group from the Malacca Kingdom who inhabit the Malay Peninsula, the east coast of Sumatra Island (Bangka Belitung, Jambi, Riau, the Riau Islands, South Sumatra, and North Sumatra).
3. Minangkabau Tribe
The Minangkabau tribe originates from West Sumatra. The Minangkabau or Minang people often refer to themselves as Urang Awak.
Their daily language is Minang.
4. Aceh Tribe
The Acehnese people, often called Ureueng Aceh, are the indigenous people who inhabit the coastal and inland areas of Aceh Province.
Their language is Acehnese. This language is part of the West Malayo-Polynesian language family and is related to the Cham language of Vietnam and Cambodia.
5. Mentawai Tribe
The Mentawai Tribe are the original inhabitants of the Mentawai Islands. This tribe is part of the Austronesian people who inhabit the western part of the Indonesian archipelago.
The Mentawai Tribe’s tradition is the use of full-body tattoos.
Banjarmasin, January 22, 2026
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