(about Banda Aceh, Indonesia, last edited on Feb 02, 2004)
Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city of Aceh, Indonesia, located on the island of Sumatra, with an elevation of 21 m. The population was approximately 260,000 in 2006.
The first part of its name comes from the Persian bandar (بندر) and means 'port' or 'haven'. It is also proudly referred to as the 'port to Meccah', as Islam first arrived in Aceh and spread throughout Southeast Asia.
On December 26, 2004, the Indian Ocean earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake's epicenter.
Wikipedia information about Banda Aceh
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Banda Aceh".
