Pematangsiantar
Encyclopedia
Pematangsiantar is an independent city in North Sumatera, Indonesia
, surrounded by, but not part of, the Simalungun Regency
. Pematangsiantar formerly had the status of a second level district (daerah tingkat dua) and has been elevated to Kota - its population was 219,319 in 1990 Census, 242,756 in 2000 Census, and 229,525 in the 2005 Intercensal count. making it the second largest city in the province after the provincial capital Medan
.
people. The last king of the dynasty was Tuan Sangnawaluh Damanik who eventually embraced Islam
. In 1907, the Dutch took control, turning Pematangsiantar into their colony. The city remained under Dutch control until 1942 when the Japanese invaded and ruled over Indonesia.
After Indonesia proclaimed its freedom in 1945, Pematangsiantar was granted the autonomous status. In 1974, Pematangsiantar became a second level district, and was appointed as the capital of Simalungun Regency
.
on the Trans-Sumatran Highway
. Lake Toba is one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world, and a major tourism destination. It is common to see some tourists stopping over in Pt. Siantar. Pematangsiantar can also be reached from Medan
by train.
people are very popular.
Chinese food restaurants can also be found across the city. One of the very popular local delicacies inherited from Chinese food is "Mie Pangsit" (Wonton Noodle).
Some food from West Sumatera is also quite popular, especially nasi padang (various dishes with rice), and sate padang (spicy satay, usually eaten with rice-cake).
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, surrounded by, but not part of, the Simalungun Regency
Simalungun Regency
Simalungun Regency is a regency in North Sumatra. Its seat is Raya. In 2000, the regency covered an area of 4369 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census it had a population of 855,591.The official Intercensal estimate for 2007 shows a population of 846,329...
. Pematangsiantar formerly had the status of a second level district (daerah tingkat dua) and has been elevated to Kota - its population was 219,319 in 1990 Census, 242,756 in 2000 Census, and 229,525 in the 2005 Intercensal count. making it the second largest city in the province after the provincial capital Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
.
History
Before 1907, Pematangsiantar was a Kingdom led by the Damanik. Damanik is one of the clans of the Simalungun ethnic group of the BatakBatak (Indonesia)
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing, each of which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and...
people. The last king of the dynasty was Tuan Sangnawaluh Damanik who eventually embraced Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. In 1907, the Dutch took control, turning Pematangsiantar into their colony. The city remained under Dutch control until 1942 when the Japanese invaded and ruled over Indonesia.
After Indonesia proclaimed its freedom in 1945, Pematangsiantar was granted the autonomous status. In 1974, Pematangsiantar became a second level district, and was appointed as the capital of Simalungun Regency
Simalungun Regency
Simalungun Regency is a regency in North Sumatra. Its seat is Raya. In 2000, the regency covered an area of 4369 square kilometres and according to the 2000 census it had a population of 855,591.The official Intercensal estimate for 2007 shows a population of 846,329...
.
Inhabitants
Pematangsiantar's native inhabitants are the Simalungun Batak people. Nowadays, Chinese and ethnic Malays (including Javanese) also inhabit some parts of the city, especially around the downtown area. The most developed part of the town is along the streets named Jalan Merdeka and Jalan Sutomo.Agriculture
Pematangsiantar has plantations for palm tree, tea, and rubber. The palm tree fruit is usually exported or made into palm oil.Transport
Pematangsiantar is an hour away from Lake TobaLake 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...
on the Trans-Sumatran Highway
Trans-Sumatran Highway
The Trans-Sumatran Highway is a primarily north-south road in the Indonesian island of Sumatra, 2,508.5 km long, and connecting the north of the island in Banda Aceh to Bandar Lampung in the south, running through many major cities, including Medan and Padang on the way.The road is a major...
. Lake Toba is one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world, and a major tourism destination. It is common to see some tourists stopping over in Pt. Siantar. Pematangsiantar can also be reached from Medan
Medan
- Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....
by train.
Culinary
Most of Pematangsiantar's food styles are inherited from Batak and Chinese traditional food. Foods such as saksang (pork cooked in its own blood), roasted pork, and tuak (an alcoholic beverage made from sugar palm and sometimes from coconut) from the BatakBatak (Indonesia)
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The term is used to include the Toba, Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Angkola and Mandailing, each of which are distinct but related groups with distinct, albeit related, languages and...
people are very popular.
Chinese food restaurants can also be found across the city. One of the very popular local delicacies inherited from Chinese food is "Mie Pangsit" (Wonton Noodle).
Some food from West Sumatera is also quite popular, especially nasi padang (various dishes with rice), and sate padang (spicy satay, usually eaten with rice-cake).