The island of Sumatra is located in the western islands of the archipelago. In the north bordering the Bay of Bengal on the east by the Strait of Malacca, south of the Sunda Strait, and on the west by the Indian Ocean.
Sumatra or the island of Sumatra is the sixth largest in the world located in Indonesia, with an area of 443,065.8 km2. Residents of this island of about 42,409,510 inhabitants. The island is also known by another name that is Island-percha, Andalas, or Suwarnadwipa (in Sanskrit, meaning "island of gold"). Sumatra's name originated from the existence of the Indian Empire (located on the east coast of Aceh). Beginning with the visit of Ibn Battuta, an adventurer from Morocco in 1345, he pronounced the word became Samatrah Ocean, and later became Sumatra or Sumatra, then the name is listed in the maps of the 16th century to refer to this island, so it became known extends till now.
Sumatra or the island of Sumatra is the sixth largest in the world located in Indonesia, with an area of 443,065.8 km2. Residents of this island of about 42,409,510 inhabitants. The island is also known by another name that is Island-percha, Andalas, or Suwarnadwipa (in Sanskrit, meaning "island of gold"). Sumatra's name originated from the existence of the Indian Empire (located on the east coast of Aceh). Beginning with the visit of Ibn Battuta, an adventurer from Morocco in 1345, he pronounced the word became Samatrah Ocean, and later became Sumatra or Sumatra, then the name is listed in the maps of the 16th century to refer to this island, so it became known extends till now.
Among the ancient Greeks, Sumatra has been known by the name Taprobana. Insula Taprobana name has been used by Klaudios Ptolemaios, the Greek geographer in the second century AD, wrote that the island Ptolemaios Taprobana there Barousai country. Maybe the country is meant Barus located on the west coast of Sumatra, which is famous since ancient times as a producer of mothballs.
In ancient Greek texts, PeriplousTes Erythras Thalasses, revealed that Taprobana also dubbed as chryse nesos, which means 'island of gold'. Since ancient times, traders from the Mediterranean area has come to the archipelago, especially Sumatra. In addition to searching for gold, they are also looking for incense (Styrax sumatrana) and camphor (Dryobalanops aromatica) which at that time only in Sumatra. Conversely, traders from Sumatra also selling their commodities to the West Asia and East Africa, as stated in the text Historia Naturalis in the first century AD.
In the book of the Jewish people, Melakim (Kings), chapter 9, explained that the Prophet Sulayman king of Israel received 420 talents of gold from Hiram, king of Tyre who became his subordinate. The gold was obtained from the land of Ophir. Many historians argue that the country Ophir was located in Sumatra. It should be noted, the city of Tyre is the central marketing of goods from the Far East. Ptolemaios also write Geographike Hyphegesis based on information from a merchant named Marinus of Tyre. And many European adventurers in the 15th century and the 16th in search of gold to Sumatra with the assumption that Sumatra is the land of Ophir.
In general, the island of Sumatra inhabited by the Malay race, which is divided into several tribes. The biggest tribes are Acehnese, Batak, Malay, Minangkabau, Besemah, Ogan, Komering, and Lampung. In the eastern coastal regions of Sumatra and in some large cities such as Medan, Palembang, and Pekanbaru, many ethnic Chinese live. Residents of the island of Sumatra was highly concentrated in East Sumatra region and the Minangkabau highlands. Livelihoods of Sumatra mostly as farmers, fishermen and traders.