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Bookmark & shareHowever fevered your dreams of the jungle, Sumatra will surpass them.
Sumatra is as rugged as it gets. Thick rainforests cascade like water down towering peaks. Jungle treks are a struggle with gravity and mud. But rewards are plentiful: the world's largest flower, one of the last remaining enclaves of orang-utans, or the sulfur-spouting crater of a resting volcano.
Sumatra is rich in natural resources (timber, gas and oil), but very little of the profits are reinvested in the island's economy. The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and earthquake in 2005 levelled large parts of Aceh and Nias, respectively, and rebuilding infrastructure and livelihoods is slow going.
Travel Warning: Earthquake
An earthquake of around magnitude 8.0 struck 130km (80mi) off the west coast of Sumatra on 12 September 2007. Deaths and extensive damage were reported in the Mentawai Islands, Bengkulu and Padang areas. Recovery and rebuilding efforts are ongoing.
severity: Mid-level alert
Fast Facts
Population
40,000,000
Currency
Name: Rupiah
Code: IDR
Symbol: Rp
Electrical Plugs
127/230V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Indonesian
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +7
Country Dialing Code
+62
Weights & Measures
Metric
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