NORTH SUMATERA

North Sumatera (Sumatera Utara) is the second province that we would like to explain. Have you ever heard about this province before? If you want to know more about North Sumatera, just check this out.

North Sumatera is one of the provinces that exist on Sumatra Island, specifically in the western part of Indonesia. The capital of this province is Medan, one of the cities there.

Based on Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), the area of North Sumatera is 72,981,23 km2 and has 229 islands. And based on the last data that was updated in 2020 by BPS, the amount of total population in North Sumatera is approximately 14,798,400 people.

Based on the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), the population of North Sumatra by ethnic group consists of native people of North Sumatra, native immigrants, and foreigners. Included in the indigenous population are: Malay, Karo Batak, Simalungun, Fak-fak/Dairi, Toba Batak, Mandailing, Pesisir, and Nias. The group of native immigrants is ethnicity-based: Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, Ambonese, Minahasa, Banjar, Palembang, Riau, Minangkabau, and others, while foreign residents are Arabs, Indians, Chinese, and other nations. 

People in North Sumatera use different kinds of languages, with the majority using Batak as their local language. Batak itself consists of several dialects, namely the Toba dialect, the Mandailing dialect, the Simalungun dialect, the Pakpak (Dairi) dialect, and the Karo dialect. But every time they talk with others, especially from outside North Sumatera, they keep using Indonesian as the national language.

Characteristics of North Sumatra

This province has many of something unique that you could only find in North Sumatera, that is:

1. Has a typical animal

North Sumatera is a province that has many typical animals that could be found there, such as the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus), which is an endemic animal that is protected, and which could be found in Gunung Leuser National Park. 

There are also orangutans from Sumatra (Pongo abelii), which are protected because they are the rarest orangutan species.

The Sumatera Tiger, or Harimau Sumatra (Panthera tigris sumatrae), is the native animal species that could be found on Sumatera Island. Now, this animal is included in the classification of critically endangered species. 

Beo Nias (Gracula Religiosa Robusta), is an endemic animal that could be found on North Sumatera. This kind of parrot is larger than ordinary parrots, and a pair of yellow ear lobes in Beo Nias are fused, while those in ordinary parrots are separate (not fused). This animal is included in the animals that are protected in North Sumatera. 

Traditional House

North Sumatera also has various types of traditional houses; furthermore, it could be said that every ethnic group in North Sumatera has their own design and characteristics. It's not only in North Sumatera, but throughout Indonesia, there's a lot of traditional house design. Here are some examples of traditional houses in North Sumatera.

* Karo Traditional House

* Bolon traditional house

* Nias traditional house

* Pakpak traditional house

North Sumatera Traditional Food

When we go anywhere, we will feel unsatisfied if we don't try their local or traditional food. Here are some traditional foods that we must try, especially when visiting North Sumatera.

* Arsik

* Naniura

* Bihun Bebek

Tourism Place

North Sumatera is beautiful, but I think that Sumatera island in general is still strong in nature, so that's why the tourism in North Sumatera is mostly related to nature. Here are some of the tourism places that are recommended to visit in North Sumatera with their natural nuances. 

1. Danau Toba (Lake) 

Toba Lake is one of famous and most visiting place when going to North Sumatera. With a surface area of approximately 1,145 square kilometers and a depth of about 450 meters, the lake is considered the largest volcanic lake in Southeast Asia. The lake is located in the middle of the northern part of the island of Sumatra.

Another thing that is unique about Toba  Lake is the existence of Samosir Island. The land in the middle of this lake is one of the favorite destinations for tourists. There is also cultural tourism when visiting this place, which is Tomok Village. In Tomok Village, we could learn about the culture and ancestral heritage of the Toba Batak tribe, from traditional houses and tombs of ancient kings to objects of the megalithic era. Then there is also Lumban Suhi-Suhi Village, which is a producer of typical Batak cloth, Ulos. 

Besides something that I explained before, Toba Lake and Samosir Island have a legend that has become part of the folklore that spreads among Indonesians. It's telling about the legend of Toba Lake and the construction of Samosir Island. 

2. Gunung Leuser National Park

Mount Leuser National Park, or in Indonesia, it's called Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser (TNGL), is located around two provinces, namely Aceh and North Sumatera. The length of this place is around 1,094,692 hectares. Based on the Directorate General of Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems (Direktorat Jenderal Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam dan Ekosistem (KSDAE)), Gunung Leuser National Park is a conservation area that is also a tourism destination in North Sumatra. Bukit Lawang and Tangkahan are two places that are the prima donnas of regional tourism, designated by UNESCO as the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (TRHS). There, the attraction that makes tourists interested is the existence of the Sumatran elephant. The tourist can bathe the elephants and also ride around on an elephant along Tangkahan. Besides on they could see animals, the tourist there also could see and enjoy to the beautiful of forest which natural. 

3. Telaga Dwi Warna Sibolangit Waterfall

This waterfall is located in Sibolangit District, North Sumatra.

Something unique about this tourism place can be seen in the name "Dwi Warna," which means "Two Colors." Yes, this waterfall is beautiful because it has two colors: white to gray and light blue. The altitude of this waterfall is approximately 100 meters. 

4. Bukit Lawang

This place is located in Langkat, North Sumatera, which is approximately 80 km from Medan. This place is still included in the Gunung Leuser National Park Area. So it's included in the forest area that's protected, with green trees and fresh air and no pollution there. 

Okey, that's all of our review about one of the provinces in Indonesia, North Sumatera, which has many unique characteristics and, of course, many tourist attractions. 

I hope that all of you guys (and, of course, me too) could go there someday and explore this wonderful province. 

Thank you for reading this article and also for your support.

In the next chapter, we will review about West Sumatera, and we will research more about West Sumatera, especially about its characteristics—something that is unique and interesting. So you guys could know and have a view about the province. 

Just stay tuned:))