Berastagi
Encyclopedia
Berastagi is a town and subdistrict
of Karo Regency
situated on crossroads on the main route linking the Karo highlands of Northern Sumatra
to the coastal city of Medan. The village rose to significance when Dutch
settlers in Sumatra opened a boarding school there in the 1920s.
The main economic activities in Berastagi, centre on the colourful fruit and vegetable market and on tourism
.
Berastagi is famous for its passion fruit.
The main attractions of the town are the two active volcanoes; Gunung Sibayak
, with its hot springs, and Gunung Sinabung
.
The town is also a stop on the way to Lake Toba
. The dominant ethnic and linguisitic group is Karo Batak.
Berastagi is 11 km from the Regency government in Kabanjahe
.
.
It borders Barusjahe
and Tigapanah to the east, Simpang Empat
, to the west, Deli Serdang Regency to the north, Kabanjahe
to the soutth.
There are 9 desa in Berastagi subdistrict. It is the smallest (30.5 square kilometres), and most densely populated (1,530 persons/square kilometre) subdistrict of Karo Regency. Elevation is 1400 metres.
Desa with population (2007):
Berastagi subdistrict is significantly more Islamic than most parts of Karo Regency, with 17,801 Muslims, 5,042 Catholics, 19,195 Protestants, 1,245 Hindus or Buddhists, and 54 others. Sempajaya is the most Muslim desa, being 67% Muslim. There are 11 mosques, 18 musholla
s, 29 churches, and 2 vihara
in the subdistrict.
97% of primary-age children are in school, but only 77% of high-school-age children. There are 26 junior schools, 8 middle schools, and 9 high schools within the district.
Agriculture is much less important in Berasatgi (and Kabanjahe) than the rest of Karo Regency. Crops include spring onion, Common bean
, pea
s, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, radish
, chinese cabbage
, tomatoes, carrots, and chayote
. Rice is not a significant crop. Fruit grown include oranges, passionfruit, Japanese Persimmon
and avocadoes. There is significantly more industry in Berastagi subdistrict than the rest of Karo Regency, aided by the fact of Berastagi's 100% paved roads.
Subdistricts of Indonesia
In Indonesia, a kecamatan or district is a subdivision of a regency or of a city . A district is itself divided into kelurahan or administrative villages....
of Karo Regency
Karo Regency
Karo Regency is a regency of North Sumatra, Indonesia. It is situated in the Bukit Barisan mountains. In 2000, the regency covered an area of 2,127.25 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census it had a population of 279,470. 60.99% of the regency is forested. Its regency seat is...
situated on crossroads on the main route linking the Karo highlands of Northern Sumatra
North Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...
to the coastal city of Medan. The village rose to significance when Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
settlers in Sumatra opened a boarding school there in the 1920s.
The main economic activities in Berastagi, centre on the colourful fruit and vegetable market and on tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
Berastagi is famous for its passion fruit.
The main attractions of the town are the two active volcanoes; Gunung Sibayak
Sibayak
Mt. Sibayak is a small stratovolcano overlooking the town of Berastagi in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Although its last eruption was more than a century ago, geothermal activity in the form of steam vents and hot springs remains high on and around the volcano. The vents produce crystalline...
, with its hot springs, and Gunung Sinabung
Sinabung
Mount Sinabung is a Pleistocene-to-Holocene stratovolcano of andesite and dacite in the Karo plateau of Karo Regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia, 25 miles from Lake Toba supervolcano. Many old lava flows are on its flanks and the last known eruption, before recent times, occurred in the year 1600...
.
The town is also a stop on the way to Lake Toba
Lake Toba
Lake Toba is a lake and supervolcano. The lake is 100 kilometres long and 30 kilometres wide, and 505 metres at its deepest point. Located in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about , the lake stretches from to...
. The dominant ethnic and linguisitic group is Karo Batak.
Berastagi is 11 km from the Regency government in Kabanjahe
Kabanjahe
Kabanjahe is a town approximately 2 hours from Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Kabanjahe is to the south of Berastagi. Kabanjahe is the capital of Karo Regency. Frequent buses connect the two towns and a journey takes about 30 minutes....
.
Berastagi subdistrict
The population of Berastagi subdistrict is 46,686, as of 2009. It is the second-most populous subdistrict in Karo Regency, after KabanjaheKabanjahe
Kabanjahe is a town approximately 2 hours from Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Kabanjahe is to the south of Berastagi. Kabanjahe is the capital of Karo Regency. Frequent buses connect the two towns and a journey takes about 30 minutes....
.
It borders Barusjahe
Barusjahe
Barusjahe is a subdistrict and village of Karo Regency.It is a major production centre for growing oranges, and for cut flowers.It is located in the east of Karo regency, bordering Merek subdistrict to the south, Simalungun Regency to the southeast, and Deli Serdang Regency to the north east. To...
and Tigapanah to the east, Simpang Empat
Simpang Empat, Karo Regency
Simpang Empat is a subdistrict of Karo Regency in North Sumatra.It borders Kabanjahe and Berastagi subdistricts to the east, Payung to the west, Naman Teran and Merdeka to the north and Kabanjahe subdistrict to the south....
, to the west, Deli Serdang Regency to the north, Kabanjahe
Kabanjahe
Kabanjahe is a town approximately 2 hours from Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia. Kabanjahe is to the south of Berastagi. Kabanjahe is the capital of Karo Regency. Frequent buses connect the two towns and a journey takes about 30 minutes....
to the soutth.
There are 9 desa in Berastagi subdistrict. It is the smallest (30.5 square kilometres), and most densely populated (1,530 persons/square kilometre) subdistrict of Karo Regency. Elevation is 1400 metres.
Desa with population (2007):
- Gurusinga, 3,900
- Raya, 4,358
- Rumah Berastagi, 6,611
- Tambak Lau Mulgap I, 2,677
- Tambak Lau Mulgap II, 3,147
- Gundaling I, 8,388
- Gundaling II, 5130
- Sempajaya, 7,115
- Doulu, 2,011
Berastagi subdistrict is significantly more Islamic than most parts of Karo Regency, with 17,801 Muslims, 5,042 Catholics, 19,195 Protestants, 1,245 Hindus or Buddhists, and 54 others. Sempajaya is the most Muslim desa, being 67% Muslim. There are 11 mosques, 18 musholla
Musholla
In Indonesia, a musala is an Islamic prayer room found in shopping malls, airports, offices and other sites, as well as standalone buildings....
s, 29 churches, and 2 vihara
Vihara
Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
in the subdistrict.
97% of primary-age children are in school, but only 77% of high-school-age children. There are 26 junior schools, 8 middle schools, and 9 high schools within the district.
Agriculture is much less important in Berasatgi (and Kabanjahe) than the rest of Karo Regency. Crops include spring onion, Common bean
Common bean
Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is an herbaceous annual plant domesticated independently in ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes, and now grown worldwide for its edible bean, popular both dry and as a green bean. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder...
, pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
s, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, radish
Radish
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
, chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage
Chinese cabbage can refer to two distinct varieties of Chinese leaf vegetables used often in Chinese cuisine. These vegetables are both related to the Western cabbage, and are of the same species as the common turnip...
, tomatoes, carrots, and chayote
Chayote
The chayote , also known as christophene, vegetable pear, mirliton, pear squash, christophine , chouchoute , choko , starprecianté, citrayota, citrayote , chuchu , chow chow , cho cho , sayote ,...
. Rice is not a significant crop. Fruit grown include oranges, passionfruit, Japanese Persimmon
Japanese persimmon
Diospyros kaki, better known as the Japanese Persimmon, Kaki Persimmon or Asian Persimmon in North America, is the most widely cultivated species of the Diospyros genus...
and avocadoes. There is significantly more industry in Berastagi subdistrict than the rest of Karo Regency, aided by the fact of Berastagi's 100% paved roads.