What is in your mind if I mention "Aceh"?

Answer 1

1) The earthquake devastation on Boxing Day, 2004
2) The rebellion that preceded it -- Aceh is the most Islamist region of Indonesia and one of the regions least pro-Pancasila and the present govt/regime.
3) The provincial capital is Bandar Aceh.
4) Aceh is the northernmost part of Sumatra
5) Historically, Aceh was part of the great empire of Sri Vijaya.
6) relative poverty -- no oil, not much tourism, not much 'modern' industry.

Answer 2

Bandar Aceh: the place in Indonesia that was hardest hit by the tsunami of December 2004

Answer 3

Aceh,
also spelled Acheh, Achin, or Atjeh , in full Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam or English State of Aceh, Abode of Peace semiautonomous province of Indonesia, forming the northern extremity of the island of Sumatra. Aceh is surrounded by water on three sides: the Indian Ocean to the west and north and the Strait of Malacca to the east. Its boundary with Sumatera Utara (North Sumatra) province to the southeast extends north-south from Salahaji on the northeastern coast just north of Aru Bay to a point on the southwestern coast about midway between Singkilbaru and Barus. The capital is Banda Aceh.

Answer 4

Tsunami in Inodonesia, December 2004

Answer 5

"Tsunami" Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Answer 6

Aceh is the special region of Indonesia, located on the northwestern tip of the island of Sumatra. It is bordered by North Sumatra Province.

LAND AND RESOURCES

Located immediately north of the equator, Aceh occupies 55,392 sq km (21,387 sq mi), or about 3 percent of Indonesia’s total area. Most of the region is located on Sumatra, but it includes some offshore islands as well. A mountainous region, Aceh is dominated by the Pusat Gayo range; the highest peak is Mount Leuser (3,404 m/ 11,168 ft). Broad coastal plains extend along the northeast coast but narrow considerably in the far north. Plains also fringe the southwest coast. In the central section of the region the mountains almost meet the sea. Aceh’s chief river is the Alas, which originates from the Pusat Gayo range and empties into the Indian Ocean at the southern end of Aceh. The only lake of significant size is Lake Tawar, located in central Aceh, 1,120 m (3,670 ft) above sea level.

Virgin rain forest covers much of Aceh. In the south is Gunung Leuser National Park, which includes two research centers that serve as orangutan rehabilitation centers. The park and surrounding areas are important habitats for birds, orangutans, gibbons, monkeys, elephants, tigers, and Sumatran rhinoceroses. Many of these animals are endangered. Singkil Barat Reserve protects wetland habitats on the river flats of southern Aceh. On the island of Simeulue, off the southwestern coast, another nature reserve contains offshore coral gardens inhabited by dugongs and many species of fish and turtles.

Aceh has a tropical climate, with a dry season lasting from March to August. Temperature averages range from 23° to 32° C (73° to 90° F) on the coast and from 13° to 22° C (55° to 72° F) in the mountains. Humidity is high in coastal areas. Rainfall ranges from 1,000 to 3,000 mm (40 to 100 in) annually.

POPULATION AND CULTURE

Aceh has a total population of 3,855,200 (2003 estimate), with most people living in rural areas. The capital is Banda Aceh, located at the northwestern tip of the island. Lhokseumawe, on the northeast coast, is the major industrial center and port. Since 1969 the Indonesian government has sponsored a transmigration program to bring people to Aceh from other parts of Indonesia. New residents, many of them from Java, have included military personnel and civil servants.

Most of the people of Aceh belong to the Acehnese ethnic group. Gayo and Alas people live mainly in the highland areas. The region has a strong Islamic tradition, and about 96 percent of the population is Muslim. Bahasa Indonesia is the official language, but many other languages are also used.

Aceh is home to a number of significant cultural sites and institutions, many in Banda Aceh. The Grand Baiturrachman Mosque, in Banda Aceh, was constructed on the site of an older mosque that was destroyed by the Dutch in the 19th century. The Aceh Museum, also in the capital, includes a traditional Acehnese house built without nails. A cemetery known as the Kerkhoff contains the graves of more than 2,000 Dutch soldiers killed during the Acehnese war (1873-1908). Taman Sari, a park in Banda Aceh, contains the Gunongan, a fanciful resort building constructed in the shape of a snow-covered mountain range by Sultan Iskandar Muda in the 1600s. The 17th-century grave of Sultan Iskandar Thani is also in the park. The region has four significant universities.

Answer 7

Tsunami and the huge contribution made by Singapore to get the crisis hit area back into form.

Answer 8

Sneeze

Answer 9

Indonesian province

Answer 10

Headless corpses, maniacs with machetes, tribal warfare amongst their hooligans, hatred amongst their own people in Indonesia...a country with a tradition of violence since the Dutch ruled them!!