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Medan

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Medan

City

City of Medan
Kota Medan
From top, left to right: Medan Central Business District, Great Mosque of
Medan, Maimun Palace, Sun Plaza, Tjong A Fie Mansion, Medan Old City Hall
Building, Tirtanadi Water Tower, Sri Mariamman Temple and London Sumatra
building in Kesawan

Flag

Coat of arms

Nickname(s): 

Parijs van Sumatra (Dutch)[1][2]

Motto(s): 

Bekerja sama dan sama-sama bekerja


(Working together and everybody work)

Location within North Sumatra

Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Interactive map of Medan
Medan
Location in Sumatra and Indonesia
Show map of Sumatra Show map of Indonesia Show all
Coordinates:  03°35′22″N 98°40′26″ECoordinates:  03°35′22″N 98°
40′26″E

Country Indonesia
Province North Sumatra

Founded 1 July 1590

Government
 • Mayor Bobby Nasution
 • Vice Aulia Rachman [id]
Mayor
 • Chairman Hasyim Huang Kien-lim (PDI-P)
of City's
Council of
Representati
ves
 • Vice Ihwan Ritonga (Gerindra), Rajuddin Sagala
Chairmen of (Prosperous Justice Party) and HT Bahrumsyah
City's (National Mandate Party)
Council of
Representati
ves

Area
 • City 265.10 km2 (102.36 sq mi)
 • Urban 478 km2 (185 sq mi)
 • Metro 2,831.97 km2 (1,093.43 sq mi)

Elevation 2.5–37.5 m (8–123 ft)

Population
 (2020 Census)
 • City 2,435,252 (4th)
 • Density 9,186/km2 (23,790/sq mi)
 • Urban 3,632,000 (4th)
[3]

 • Urban den 7,598/km2 (19,680/sq mi)
sity
 • Metro 4,744,323 (5th)
[4]

 • Metro den 1,675/km2 (4,340/sq mi)
sity

Demonym(s) Medanese

Demographics[5]
 • Ethnic Batak, Javanese, Chinese, Malay, Indian, Minangkaba
groups u, Acehnese
 • Religion Islam 54,20%
Christianity 35,30%
Buddhism 9.52%
Hinduism 1.05%
Confucianism 0.41%
Others 0.03%

Time zone UTC+7 (IWST)

Area code (+62) 61


Vehicle BK
registration

Nominal GD 2019
P [5]

 - Total Rp 241.5 trillion (4th)


US$17.1 billion
US$56.1 billion (PPP)
 - Per capita Rp 105,908 thousand (13th)
US$7,490
US$24,620 (PPP)
 - Growth  6.0%

HDI (2019)  0.809 (21st) – very high[6]

Website pemkomedan.go.id

Medan (Indonesian pronunciation: [meˈdan] ( listen); English: /mədɑːn/) is the capital and largest


city of the Indonesian province of North Sumatra.[7] A regional hub and financial
centre of Sumatra, it is one of the four main central cities of Indonesia,
alongside Jakarta, Surabaya, and Makassar.[8][9] As of the 2020 Census, Medan has a
population of 2,435,252 within its city limits,[10][11] and over 3.4 million in its built-up urban
area, making it the fourth largest urban area in Indonesia.[12] The Medan metropolitan
area—which includes neighbouring Binjai, Deli Serdang Regency, and a part of Karo
Regency—is the largest metropolitan area outside of Java, with 4,744,323 residents
counted in the 2020 Census.[13] Medan is a multicultural metropolis and a busy trading
city bordered by the Strait of Malacca, making it as one of major economic cities in
Indonesia. A gateway to the western part of Indonesia, Medan is supported by the Port
of Belawan and Kualanamu International Airport, both of which are connected to the city
centre via toll roads and railways.
The city was founded by Guru Patimpus, a Karonese man who named the area of
swampy land in the confluence of Deli River and Babura river as Kampung Medan Putri.
It later became a part of the Deli Sultanate which was established in 1632. In late 19th
century, colonial Dutch seeking for new plantation area and chosen Medan and Deli as
newest plantation hub with Deli Company set up his tobacco plantation and it became
booming and transformed Medan into a trade hub within several years, the
nickname Het Land Dollar, meaning "the land of the money was very known as tobacco
was very important goods to be exported to the europe and the west, end up bring the
rapid development of the city with The Deli Railway was established for shipping
tobacco, rubber, tea, timber, palm oil, and sugar from the city to the Port of
Belawan and exported around the world. Medan was the capital of the State of East
Sumatra before it became the provincial capital of North Sumatra. Medan was
dubbed Parijs van Sumatra due to the city's resemblance to Paris.[citation needed].
Medan is financial, trading, and economic center not only for North Sumatra province,
but for the whole Sumatra Island that was very known since 19th century. For many
foreign investors, Medan is not only rich in culture in history, but also presents itself as a
dynamic economic hub of the world. As the robust capital of North Sumatra, Medan
offers a large pool of human capital and talent, lower operational costs as well as a
strategic location close to Singapore and Malaysia and diverse natural resources. The
city is known as a trading hub for palm oil export. In North Sumatra, there are
approximately 4 million acres of palm oil plantations. Medan is one of the progressive
markets in trading. About 60% of the economy in North Sumatra is backed by trading,
agriculture and processing industries.[14]

Contents

 1Etymology
 2History
o 2.1Aru Kingdom
o 2.2Founding of Medan
o 2.3Deli Sultanate
o 2.4Dutch East Indies era
 2.4.1Tobacco plantations
 2.4.2Growth of Medan-Deli
o 2.5Japanese occupation and post independence era
 3Geography
o 3.1Climate
 4Governance
o 4.1Mayor
o 4.2Administrative divisions
 5Demographics
o 5.1Ethnicities and languages
o 5.2Religion
 6Economy
 7Culture
o 7.1Museum
o 7.2Cuisine
 8Tourism
o 8.1Landmarks
o 8.2Shopping centre
o 8.3Theme parks
 9Transportation
o 9.1Airport
o 9.2Seaport
o 9.3Road and highway
o 9.4Railway
o 9.5Public transport
 10Media
o 10.1Television channels
o 10.2Radio
o 10.3Publications
 11Sport
 12Healthcare
 13Education
 14Twin towns – sister cities
 15References
 16External links

Etymology[edit]
According to the diary of a Portuguese merchant in the early 16th century, the name of
Medan was derived from Tamil word Maidhan, also known
as Maidhāṉam (Tamil: மைதானம்), that means Ground, adopted from Malay language.
One of the Karo-Indonesia dictionaries written by Darwin Prinst SH published in 2002
stated that Medan could also be defined as "recover" or "be better".

History[edit]
In ancient times, the city of Medan was known as Kampung Medan (Medan Village). It
was a piece of swampy land with an area of approximately 4000 ha. Some of the rivers
crossing the city of Medan drain into the Straits of Malacca. These rivers are Sei Deli,
Sei Babura, Sei Sikambing, Sei Denai, Sei Putih, Sei Percut and Muara Belawan.
Aru Kingdom[edit]
Main article: Aru Kingdom
The area in and around Medan city, Deli and Langkat Regency was the location of
ancient Kingdom of Aru (Haru). The kingdom was established by the Karo people and
flourished between 13th to 16th century.[15] Several archaeological sites around Medan
are connected to the Kingdom of Aru, including Kota Rentang in Hamparan Perak area,
Deli Serdang Regency,[16] the Kota Cina archaeological site in Medan Marelan,[17] and
Benteng Putri Hijau, a fort ruin in Deli Tua, Namorambe, Deli Serdang Regency. [18]
Founding of Medan[edit]

Guru Patimpus statue in Medan

Medan started as a village called Kampung Medan (Medan Village). Kampung Medan
was founded by Guru Patimpus Sembiring Pelawi, a Karonese man who came from
the Karo Land. Before he became a Muslim, he was a Pemena follower. Following the
history of trombo and Hamparan Perak (XII Kuta), Guru Patimpus studied Islam from
Datuk Kota Bangun. At the time, Guru Patimpus and his people wanted to meet Datuk.
Not only did they want to meet him, they also wanted to compete with him for "power."
Whenever Guru Patimpus went to Kota Bangun, he always passes Pulo Brayan. In Pulo
Brayan, Guru Patimpus fell in love with the Princess of Pulo Brayan. Eventually, he
married the princess and had two sons, Kolok and Kecik. The married couple then
turned the forest area in confluence between Deli River and Babura River into a small
village, naming it Kampung Medan (lit. Medan Village). The day has been marked as
the date of Medan's anniversary, 1 July 1590.[citation needed]
In his days, Guru Patimpus is known to be a forward-thinking person. This was proved
by sending their children to study and read the Qur'an to Datuk Kota Bangun and then
sent them to Aceh to deepen their knowledge on Islam.
In early days, the natives called the area as the Land of Deli (Indonesian: Tanah Deli),
it starts from Ular River to the Wampu River in Langkat while the Deli Sultanate in
power at the time of his territory does not cover the area between the two rivers.
Statement confirming that the Kampung Medan is a description H. Muhammad Said
quoting through the book Deli: In Woord en Beeld written by N. ten Cate. The statement
said that early Kampung Medan was a fortress which was composed of two layers of
roundabout-shaped walls at a confluence between two rivers namely Deli and Babura
rivers. The Administrateur house is located across the river from the Kampung Medan.
The location of Kampung Medan is in the modern-day location of the Wisma
Benteng building now and the Administrateur house is in present-day PTP IX Deli
Tobacco building.
Deli Sultanate[edit]
Main article: Deli Sultanate
In the 16th century there was a kingdom called Aru, with its center located where Deli
Tua is now (south of Medan). In 1612, the Acehnese Sultan Iskandar Muda defeated
Aru. The Acehnese appointed Hisyamsudin (later he changed his name to Tuanku
Gocah Pahlawan), titled as Laksamana Kuda Bintan as their representative in this
kingdom of East Sumatra. In 1632 Aceh established the Deli Sultanate (Jawi: ‫کسلطانن‬
‫ )دلي‬and Gocah Pahlawan became the first king. Gocah Pahlawan opens a new land in
Sungai Lalang and Percut. As the Mayor and Deputy of Sultan of Aceh as well as by
utilizing the large size of Aceh Empire, Gocah Pahlawan managed to expand his
territory, thereby covering Percut Sei Tuan and Medan Deli district now. He also
founded the villages of Gunung Barus, Sampali, Kota Bangun, Pulo Brayan, Kota Jawa,
Kota Rengas and Sigara-gara. He died in 1669 and was followed by his son Tuangku
Panglima Perunggit who moved the center of the kingdom to Labuhan Deli, which then
proclaimed the independence of Deli Sultanate from Aceh Sultanate in 1669, with its
capital in Medan Labuhan, approximately 15 km from the city center now.
During the reign of the third king, Tuanku Panglima Padrap (ruled 1698–1728), the
kingdom was moved to Pulo Brayan due to floods. The fourth king, "Tuanku Panglima
Pasutan" (ruled between 1728 and 1761) organized the kingdom in four tribes, each led
by a Datuk (a Malay title for high ranking persons). During the time of the fifth king,
"Tuanku Panglima Gandar Wahib" (ruled 1761–1805) the Datuks increased their power.

Sultan Amaluddin, the sixth sultan leaving the Great Mosque on his coronation day, in February 1925

Crowd in front of the Maimun Palace, the Sultan of Deli's palace, 1925


The sixth ruler was "Sultan Amaluddin Mengedar Alam" (ruled 1805–1850). During his
years the Siak Sultanate became a stronger influence in Deli than the Acehnese
Sultanate, and the ruler was given the title: Sultan. The seventh ruler was "Sultan
Osman Perkasa Alam" (ruled 1850 to 1858), during his leadership the Deli Sultanate
became autonomous.
The eighth ruler, "Sultan Mahmud Al Rasyid Perkasa Alam" (ruled 1858–1873) started
the relationship with the Dutch, a relationship that became rather intimate. The next
ruler was "Sultan Ma'mun Al Rashid Perkasa Alamyah", who ruled from 1873 to 1924
when the tobacco trade expanded. He moved the kingdom to Medan and finished the
construction of the Maimun Palace in 1888. He also built the grand mosque of Al
Ma'shun which is commonly known as Great Mosque of Medan now in 1907, he
became known as the builder of early Medan in cooperation with the Dutch and Tjong
Yong Hian and Tjong A Fie, two Chinese businessmen brothers and also Kapitans who
built a large plantation business in Deli. They all brought Medan-Deli as new
development area including business centers such as banks, offices, plantation areas,
housing, railroad and a port. The tenth "Sultan Amaluddin Al Sani Perkasa Alamsyah"
(ruled 1924–1945) expanded harbors, with commerce increased during his period. At
the declaration of Indonesian Independence, the Sultan recognized the sovereignty of
the republic and was in return given an important function as administrator of Deli-
Malay traditions and culture.
The Sultanate of Deli still exists until this day, even though the administrative powers
has been replaced with elected Mayors. The current sultan is Sultan Mahmud Lamanjiji
Perkasa Alam, the 14th sultan, (ruled since 2005). At age eight, he became the
youngest Sultan of Deli ever crowned.
Dutch East Indies era[edit]

Sultan Ma'mun, ninth Sultan of Deli Sultanate, during his reign, Medan was openly cooperated with colonial

Tjong A Fie, one of Kapitan in Medan, philanthropist and contributor to Medan early development
Jacob Nienhuys,
founder of tobacco producer, Deli Company, who bring major development of Medan

An aerial view of Port of Belawan, 1920s

The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 meant strongly intensified traffic between
Europe and the Far East. The Dutch started the shipping company Stoomvaart
Maatschappij Nederland that quickly expanded to 43 steamships in 1877. The English,
however, had already 3,000 ships in those days. A journey from Europe to Indonesia
took approximately 40 days. Genoa, Italy became the new transit harbor for passenger
ships after the opening of the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. The journey was reduced
to 23 days and 20 hours to Batavia (Jakarta). The ships also became bigger and more
comfortable.
This resulted in an increase in cruise ships carrying predominantly
white Europeans coming to Dutch East Indies as tourists for a tour of the region,
including Medan as the largest tobacco plantation in Dutch East Indies at that time. To
accommodate the tourists, it was deemed necessary to have European-class hotels.
Therefore, in 1898, a Dutch businessman named Aeint Herman de Boer built Hotel de
Boer in the northwest of the Esplanade (now Lapangan Merdeka Medan).

Kesawan Road, circa 1900


Exports were very dependent on British shipping in 1890 when Sabang became a
bunker harbor. Belawan got its harbor in 1923. The shipping company Koninklijke
Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM) was established for the purpose of shipping
valuable Deli Company tobacco, which was shipped to Batavia. This cargo was almost
as valuable and stringent rules regulated its handling. It was strictly forbidden to stow
anything on top of the tobacco and coolies were not even to walk on it when they
worked in the hatches.[citation needed]
Cleaning of roads in Medan was, until 1912, done by prisoners. After that
free coolies got the job. In 1917 the authorities started to use horse-drawn carts,
equipped with brooms for the cleaning. In 1928 the horse-drawn carts were replaced by
motorized vehicles. The first newspaper was the Deli Courant, established in 1885
although it was not a daily publication. In 1898, Joseph Hallermann, a German,
established the daily De Sumatra Post, which survived until 1939.
There were planters in Medan from many countries: England, the Netherlands, USA,
France, Germany, Poland, and Switzerland. Many of them became very rich and led
affluent lifestyles. Medan became known as the Paris of Sumatra (lit. Parijs van
Sumatra (Dutch)). Up until today, the area in downtown where the old airport is located
is called Polonia, a name given by a Polish aristocrat who once owned a plantation
here. One area of Medan is still called Helvetia (the old name of Switzerland). This
name was given by a plantation owner from Switzerland.
Tobacco plantations[edit]
Medan did not develop rapidly until the 1860s, when the Dutch authorities began to
release new land for tobacco plantations. Jacob Nienhuys, Van der Falk, and Elliot, who
were Dutch tobacco merchants, pioneered the opening of the tobacco plantation in Deli.
Nienhuys' previous tobacco business in Java moved to Deli after an invitation by an
Arab from Surabaya named Said Abdullah Bilsagih, brother in law of the Deli Sultan
Mahmud Perkasa Alam. Initially Nienhuys cultivated tobacco on 4,000 hectares of land
in Tanjong Spassi, near Labuhan, owned by the Sultan of Deli. In March 1864,
Nienhuys sent samples of his crop of tobacco to Rotterdam, Netherlands to test its
quality. Apparently, the tobacco leaves were considered high quality for cigar materials.
Hence Deli's name rose as a producer of the best cigar wrappers for Europeans.

Coat of arms of Medan during colonial era, adopted in 1886, showing tobacco plant as the charge
Coolies working in the seedbeds on a tobacco plantation in Medan, c. 1900s

The tobacco treaty was signed by the Sultan of Deli and the Dutch in 1865. After two
years, Nienhuys along with Jannsen, P.W. Clemen, and Cremer founded the
company De Deli Maatschappij abbreviated Deli Mij in Labuhan. In 1869, Nienhuys
moved the head office of Deli Mij to Kampung Medan. The new office was built on the
confluence of Deli and Babura river, precisely at the office of PTPN II (ex PTPN IX)
now. With the transfer of the office, Medan quickly became the center of government
activity and trade, as well as area with the most dominant development in western
Indonesia. The rapid development of the economy transformed Deli into a major trading
center nicknamed het land dollar aka the land of the money. Then, they opened up new
plantations in the Martubung and Sunggal areas in 1869, as well in Sungai Beras and
Klumpang in 1875, bringing the total to 22 plantation companies in the year 1874. Given
the activities of the tobacco trade was already very broad and growing, Kampung
Medan became increasingly crowded and then developed with a name that is known as
the Medan-Deli.
The development of Medan-Deli as a trading center was followed by it becoming a
center of government. In 1879, Capital Assistant of Deli Resident moved from Labuhan
to Medan. On 1 March 1887, the capital of the Resident of East Sumatra also moved
from Bengkalis to Medan Deli Sultanate Palace which was originally located in
Kampung Bahari (Labuhan) and Pulo Brayan also moved with the completion
of Maimoon Palace on 18 May 1891, and thus the Capital of Deli officially moved to
Medan.
Growth of Medan-Deli[edit]

Crossroad of Canton and Hakka street in Medan's Chinatown, 1930


An aerial view of Medan, 1920. Visible from the photo are the railway station, the Esplanade (now Merdeka
Walk), City Hall, the Javasche Bank (now Bank Indonesia), post office, Hotel de Boer and office of the Deli
Maatschappij

In 1915, the Residency of East Sumatra enhanced its status to Gubernermen. In 1918
the city of Medan officially became Gemeente (Municipal) with Mayor Baron Daniël
Mackay. Based on the "Acte van Schenking" (Grant Deed) No. 97 Notary J.M. de-Hondt
Junior, dated 30 November 1918, the Sultan of Deli handed over the land of Medan-Deli
to the Gemeente, thus officially becoming the region under the direct rule of the Dutch
East Indies. In the early days of this township, Medan still consisted of four villages,
namely Kampung Kesawan, Kampung Sungai Rengas, Kampung Petisah Hulu and
Kampung Petisah Hilir.
In 1918, there were 43,826 residents of Medan, made up of 409 Europeans, 35,009
Native Indonesians, 8,269 Chinese and 139 East foreigners such as Indians.
Since then, the Medan developed more rapidly. Various facilities were built. Some of
these include the Office of Experiment Stations named AVROS in Kampung Baru
(1919), now RISPA, the railway of Pangkalan Brandan – Besitang (1919), Tirtanadi
Water Tower (1908), American Consulate (1919), Teacher school on Jl. H.M. Yamin
now (1923), Mingguan Soematra (1924), Pool Association Medan (1924), Central
Market (Grote Markt), St. Elizabeth Hospital, Eye Hospital and Kebun Bunga Sports
field (1929).
Since the beginning, Medan has been positioned at the center of trade. Being chosen
as the capital of Deli, Medan also developed into a center of government. Until now,
excluding one of the areas of the city, also serves as the capital of North Sumatra
province.[clarification needed]
Japanese occupation and post independence era[edit]
British East Indian troops land in East Sumatra to help the Dutch end the Japanese occupation in Medan.

A biscuit factory in Medan in the late 1950s

In 1942, the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies, arriving in Sumatra by February.
Sumatra was placed under the command of the 25th Army, based in Singapore.[19] The
Japanese troops who landed in the Tanjung Tiram, Asahan and entered Medan by
bicycles that they bought from the people around them by bartering. They have the
motto that they help the Asians because they are the elder brothers of the Asians, so
they are very welcomed upon arrival.
The transfer of Dutch colonial to the Japanese was very chaotic, the natives took this
opportunity to take revenge against the Dutch. This situation was immediately brought
under control by the Japanese army by deploying its troops named Kempetai. With the
entry of Japan in Medan, the situation immediately changed, especially the civil
government which in the Dutch era was called gemeentebestuur, the Japanese
changed to Medan Sico (Municipal Government). The one who served in the civilian
government at the Medan municipal level at that time until the end of Japanese rule was
named Hoyasakhi. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, Sumatra came under the
authority of the South East Asia Command headed by British Admiral Lord Louis
Mountbatten. On 17 August, Sukarno proclaimed Indonesia independence in Jakarta,
and appointed Muhammad Hasan as governor of Sumatra. However, news of the
proclamation was only announced by Hasan in Medan on 30 September. After allied
troops landed in October, clashes with armed Republicans led to the Battle of Medan.[20]
[21]

In December 1947, the Dutch established the State of East Sumatra with Medan as its
capital in the area they controlled following the Operation Product against the
republicans. This became part of the United States of Indonesia, but was dissolved into
the unitary republic of Indonesia in 1950.[22]
The city development remained stagnant until the 1970s, when big developments,
especially palm oil and rubber plantation company headquarters, making Medan the
busiest city outside Java. The big migration program brought a lot of Javanese and the
Batak people began to settle in the city as many people from Java and rural part of the
province sought jobs.
In 1998, 4 to 8 May 1998 riots occurred in Medan due to 1997 Asian financial crisis.
They began when demonstrations around many campuses for nearly two months
between students clashing with security officials that resulted in the death of a student.
The next day, the mobs became bigger, targeting and attacking the business and
trading sector that lead into a racial riot, with many shops and vehicles burned and
looted at several roads around the city which is majority owned by Chinese residents.
As a result, a curfew was imposed for more than two weeks until peace returned. [citation needed]
On 5 September 2005, Mandala Airlines Flight 091 crashed right a minute
after takeoff from old Polonia International Airport from Medan to Jakarta. The aircraft
stalled and crashed into a heavily populated residential area along Djamin Ginting road
in Padang Bulan, of the 117 passengers and crews on board, only 17 survived, an
additional 49 civilians on the ground were killed. [23] This flight accident led to planning by
moving to newly built airport in Deli Serdang that completed in 2012, named
as Kualanamu International Airport. The moving to the new airport relaxed height
restriction laws in the city. Currently many under constructed apartment, condominium,
office building, and others which passed 100 meters and above, bring the sign of
current rapid development of Medan.

Geography[edit]
Medan is in the northeastern part of Sumatra island, in North Sumatra province. Medan
itself is a semi-enclave within Deli Serdang Regency, as Medan is bordered by Deli
Serdang in south, east, and west, while Medan borders with Strait of Malacca in the
north.
Medan lies on the banks of the Deli River and Babura River which feed into a naturally
sheltered harbor and then into the Straits of Malacca. It has helped the city grow in
significance as a trading port.[24] Its elevation varies between 2.5 and 37.5 m (8 ft 2 in
and 123 ft 0 in) above sea level. Medan is close to the Barisan Mountains which is
located in the southern part of the city and close to volcanoes such
as Sibayak Mountain and Sinabung Mountain (located as far as 50 to 70 km (31 to
43 mi) from the city).
Climate[edit]
Under the Köppen climate classification, Medan features a tropical rainforest
climate (Af) with no real dry season.[25] Medan does have noticeably wetter and drier
months, with its driest month (January) on average seeing about one third of the
precipitation of its wettest month (October). Temperatures in the city average
approximately 27 °C (81 °F) throughout the course of the year. Annual precipitation in
the Medan is around 2,200 mm (87 in).

hideClimate data for Medan (Polonia), elevation: 27 m or 89 ft, 1977-1994

Ma
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
y

36.1 36.1 37.2 36.1 37.2 37.2 37.2 36.1 34.4 37.2
Record high 35 35 35
(97. (97. (99. (97. (99. (99. (99. (97. (93. (99.0
°C (°F) (95) (95) (95)
0) 0) 0) 0) 0) 0) 0) 0) 9) )

31.6 32.7 32.9 33.4 33.3 32.9 33.3 31.9 31.7 30.9 32.3
Average high 32 31
(88. (90. (91. (92. (91. (91. (91. (89. (89. (87. (90.1
°C (°F) (90) (88)
9) 9) 2) 1) 9) 2) 9) 4) 1) 6) )

25.5 26.1 26.6 27.2 27.2 26.9 26.9 26.9 26.6 26.1 26.1 25.8 26.5
Daily mean
(77. (79. (79. (81. (81. (80. (80. (80. (79. (79. (79. (78. (79.7
°C (°F)
9) 0) 9) 0) 0) 4) 4) 4) 9) 0) 0) 4) )

22.2 22.6 23.2 23.5 23.3 23.6 23.5 22.8 22.2 22.6 22.5 22.9
Average low 23
(72. (72. (73. (74. (73. (74. (74. (73. (72. (72. (72. (73.2
°C (°F) (73)
0) 7) 8) 3) 9) 5) 3) 0) 0) 7) 5) )

18.3 18.3 18.3 19.4 18.3 17.2 16.1 18.3 18.8 17.7 15.5 18.3 15.5
Record low
(64. (64. (64. (66. (64. (63. (61. (64. (65. (63. (59. (64. (59.9
°C (°F)
9) 9) 9) 9) 9) 0) 0) 9) 8) 9) 9) 9) )

Average 263 387 253 2,263


92 115 97 157 178 141 167 185 228
rainfall mm (10. (15. (10. (89.2
(3.6) (4.5) (3.8) (6.2) (7.0) (5.6) (6.6) (7.3) (9.0)
(inches) 4) 2) 0) )

Average
14 19 13 18 22 15 13 17 24 22 20 19 216
rainy days
Mean
129. 141. 153. 131. 134. 157. 153. 143. 123. 116. 104. 1,587
monthly suns 98.1
6 0 1 2 8 9 9 9 1 3 8 .7
hine hours

Source 1: World Meteorological Organization[26] and Worldwide Bioclimatic Classification System (daily mean
and record temperature)[27]

Source 2: WeatherOnline (sun, 2010–2019)[28]

Located in the central part of Deli Serdang Regency, Medan is surrounded by satellite
cities and towns such as Binjai, Lubuk Pakam, Tanjung Morawa, Tembung, Percut Sei
Tuan, and Labuhan Deli which help the city become a new urban area in Indonesia
which known as 'Mebidang' (Medan, Binjai, Deli Serdang).

Governance[edit]

The old and former Medan City Hall building

Mayor[edit]
Medan was governed by Mayor Dr. H. Abdillah Ak, MBA in 2005–2010. However,
Abdillah and his vice mayor were caught by Indonesian Corruption Eradication
Commission officials in 2008. Syamsul Arifin, the Governor of North Sumatra Province,
then appointed Affifudin Lubis to become the acting mayor. In 2009, Affifudin Lubis
resigned from his position and the Governor then appointed Rahudman Harahap as a
replacement. Because Rahudman wanted to be a candidate in the 2010 mayor election,
he too resigned from the office. Left with no choice, Syamsul Arifin himself became the
acting mayor. In the 2010 mayor election, Rahudman Harahap won the election.
However, Rahudman was then arrested due to corruption which resulted in his
deputy Dzulmi Eldin officially becoming the acting mayor.[29] In February 2016, Dzulmi
won the election and became the mayor for five years (2016–2021). [30]
Administrative divisions[edit]
District divisions of Medan

Medan is divided into 21 districts (Indonesian: kecamatan), tabulated below with their


areas and populations at the 2010 Census,[31][32][33][34] and the 2020 Census.[11] The table
also includes the number of administrative villages (urban kelurahan) in each district,
and its postal codes.

Populatio
Population No.
Area n Postal
Name Census of
in km2 Census codes
2020[34] vill.
2010[34]

Medan Tuntungan 20.68 80,942 97,249 9 20134-20141

Medan Johor 14.58 123,851 151,756 6 20142-20146

20147-20149,
Medan Amplas 11.19 113,143 129,726 7
20219 & 20229

Medan Denai 9.05 141,395 169,643 6 20226-20228

Medan Area 5.52 96,544 117,029 12 20211-20217


Populatio
Population No.
Area n Postal
Name Census of
in km2 Census codes
2020[34] vill.
2010[34]

Medan Kota 5.27 72,580 84,666 12 20211-20219

Medan Maimun 2.98 39,581 49,231 6 20151-20159

Medan Polonia 9.01 52,794 59,915 5 20152-20157

Medan Baru 5.84 39,516 36,522 6 20153-20156

Medan Selayang 12.81 98,317 103,176 6 20131-20133

Medan Sunggal 15.44 112,744 129,063 6 20121-20128

Medan Helvetia 13.16 144,257 164,910 7 20123-20126

Medan Petisah 6.82 61,749 71,844 7 20112-20119

Medan Barat 5.33 70,771 88,602 6 20111-20117

Medan Timur 7.76 108,633 116,985 11 20231-20239

Medan Perjuangan 4.09 93,328 103,813 9 20232-20237

Medan Tembung 7.99 133,579 146,534 7 20221-20225


Populatio
Population No.
Area n Postal
Name Census of
in km2 Census codes
2020[34] vill.
2010[34]

Medan Deli 20.84 166,793 189,321 6 20241-20244

20251-20254,
Medan Labuhan 36.67 111,173 133,765 6
20524 & 20525

Medan Marelan 23.82 140,414 182,515 5 20250-20256

Medan Kota Belawan 26.25 95,506 108,987 6 20411-20415

Totals 265.10 2,097,610 2,435,252 151

The city is centralised around Medan Petisah, Medan Baru, Medan Polonia, Medan
Maimun, Medan Kota, and Medan Barat (West Medan) which act as the city centers.
Medan Labuhan is one of the largest districts by area (together with Medan Belawan
and Medan Marelan) and lies on the northern part of the city. Medan Tuntungan serves
as the gateway to Karo Regency, Medan Helvetia to Binjai City and Langkat, and
Medan Amplas to Tebing Tinggi and Pematang Siantar.
The 21 districts are sub-divided into 151 neighborhoods or urban villages (kelurahan).

Demographics[edit]
The city is Indonesia's fifth most populous
after Jakarta, Surabaya, Bekasi and Bandung, as well as Indonesia's largest city
outside Java island. The population within the city's borders has risen from 568,000 in
1968[35] fourfold to 2.1 million in 2010, and rose again to 2,435,252 at the 2020 Census.
Much more of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang
Regency. The official Metropolitan area (Wilayah Metropolitan Medan) was inhabited by
4,220,439 people in 2010, but had risen to 4,744,323 in 2020.

Populatio
Population Pop'n
Administrative Area n
Census density Ref
division in km2 Census
2010 (/km2)
2020
Medan (City) 265.10 2,097,610 2,435,252 9,186 [36]

Binjai (City) 90.23 246,154 279,302 3,095 [36]

Deli Serdang
2,241.68 1,790,431 1,931,441 862 [36]

Regency

Karo Regency (part) 234.96 86,244 98,328 418 [36]

Greater Medan 2,831.97 4,220,439 4,744,323 1,675 [36]

The four districts of Karo Regency within the metropolitan area are Merdaka, Berastagi,
Dolat Rayat and Barusjahe.
Ethnicities and languages[edit]
Batak (including Mandailing and Karo people) and Javanese are the major ethnic
groups in Medan, along with Chinese, Minangkabau and Malay populations and smaller
groups of Acehnese, Indians, Nias, and Sundanese people. Medan also has foreign
residents from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Middle East and
other Asian countries.[37]

Women from different parts of the colonial Indonesia are giving a floral tribute to the pilots of the first
commercial flight from Holland to Batavia in front of the townhall in Medan, 1924

Ethnicities of Medan – 2015 Census[37]


Ethnic group Percentage
Batak   34.59%
Javanese   32.03%
Chinese   12.65%
Minangkabau   7.40%
Malays   5.59%
Acehnese   2.58%
Indian   2.30%
Others   2.85%
An Indian, local Malay, and Batak seller in Kesawan Chinatown area, taken around the 1940s

The city has diverse communities, reflected by its history. The Bataks are one of the
major ethnic groups in Medan; with there being three Batak subethnicities residing in
the city including the Toba, Karo and Mandailing Bataks. The Karo people are the
natives in Medan. Meanwhile, the Toba people were employed by the Dutch as workers
in oil palm plantations. Lastly, the Mandailing people came in masses after the
independence era to find better jobs. The Bataks reside throughout the city, while the
Karo people reside around southern areas such as Padang Bulan, Medan Johor and
Tuntungan. Toba Batak people reside in Marindal and Amplas; a large number also live
in nearby city-centers such as the Medan Perjuangan district, while the Mandailing
people mostly reside in Medan Tembung. Bataknese language are very diversified,
main Batak language in Medan are Batak and Karo languages.
In addition, there is a large ethnic Javanese community, largely made up of the
descendants of people transported from Java in the last 19th century to be employed as
contract workers at various plantations in North Sumatra. They are usually known
as Pujakesuma (Indonesian: Putra Jawa Kelahiran Sumatera, English: Sumatra-born
Javanese). Their presence in Medan can be marked from various Javanese toponymies
in Medan, such as Tanjungsari, Sarirejo, Sidodadi, Sidorejo, etc. (mostly in East Medan
and Medan Tembung area), mostly of them are speaking Javanese with its local
variation. The Malays are also natives of Medan, already living in outskirt areas such as
Belawan and Labuhan since the Aru era as fishermen. They came to the city after Deli
Sultanate new palace was established in the 18th century. Over time, the Malays
spread throughout the city with the biggest concentration of people living in Medan
Maimun, Kota Matsum, Labuhan and Belawan, many of them are speaking Malay.
A highly visible component of city population is the large number of Chinese whom
migrated from southern China to Deli in the 16th century with mass migration occurring
in the last 19th and early 20th century for those seeking employment as planters and
coolies. Now, Medan is home of the largest Chinese community on Sumatra island; they
are active in business and trading activities which contribute greatly to the city economy.
Unlike the Java-born Chinese, most Chinese people in Medan speak fluent Hokkien, a
dialect originating from Fujian, a province in southern part of China. They also made its
own variation of Hokkien that are called as Medan Hokkien, with borrowed many local
words. Many also speak Mandarin, Teochew, and Cantonese, depending on the
language of their ancestors. The Chinese reside throughout the city, but the majority live
around the city centre. The city also hosts a sizable community of Indian Indonesian,
mostly are Tamil descendants, commonly known as Madrasis or Tamilan. A well-known
Tamil neighbourhood is Kampung Madras, which is located in the city center and is
heralded as one of the busiest parts of the city, other small Indian ethnics are also
presence such as Punjabi, Malayali and Telugu, the main language among Indians in
Medan are Tamil and English, beside Bahasa Indonesia, some of them are also fluent
in Punjabi, Malayalam and Telugu.
Minangkabaus is also known as the merchants, peddlers, and artisans, in addition to
white collar workers such as doctors, lawyers, and journalists. The Minang people came
to Medan in the mid-19th century. In 1960s to 1980s, the number of Minangkabau
people migrating to Medan surged, and formed 8.6% of the population in the city. The
Minangkabaus living around Medan Denai and Medan Maimun area, most of them are
speaking Minangkabau[38] Acehnese are other minority ethnicities in Medan. A significant
number of Aceh people mostly came after the conflict that happened in Aceh in the late
1970s when they sought sanctuary. Today, they are known working as merchants such
as grocery store operators and can be found in Mie Aceh restaurants around Setia Budi
and Ring Road/Sunggal areas, mostly Aceh people are
speaking Acehnese, Gayonese are also exist among them.
Even though many languages are exist in Medan, mostly of them are communicate
each other with own slang, called as Bahasa Medan or Dialek Medan (Medanese slang)
that made from Bahasa Indonesia with various words taken from its respective ethnics,
mainly from Malay language, the sounds of Medanese slang are quite loud and harsh
that sometimes offends their listeners.
Religion[edit]
Religion of Medan – 2019 Census[39]
Religion Percent
Islam   53.2%
Christianity   35.3%
Buddhism   9.52%
Hinduism   1.0%
Confucianism and Taoism   0.06%
Sikhs and others   0.08%

The majority of Medan's inhabitants are Muslim, comprising approximately 54 percent of


the total population. There is a large significant Christian population around 35 percent
including Catholic, with various denominations including the Batak Christian Protestant
Church, Methodist, Lutheran and others . Around 9 percent are followed Buddhists, and
there are smaller numbers of Hindus, Confucianism and Sikhism are also exist in the
city. Medan host diversified house of woships
includes mosque, church, cathedral, buddhist temple (vihara/wat), hindu
temple (koil/pura), taoist temple, and gurdwaras.
Islam are mostly followed by the Malay, Minangkabau, Javanese and Achehnese
people, while the Bataknese are majority following christianity, many of them are also
adherent of islam, there are also bataknese that are following hinduism, buddhism and
traditional religion such as pemena and parmalim. Buddhism are major religion for the
chinese, while small community of them are following taoism and christian, meanwhile
hinduism are mostly followed by the indians, the rest of them are following sikhism,
christianity, buddhism and jainism.

Al-Osmani Mosque, the oldest mosque in the city


 

Immanuel Church, one of oldest protestant church in the city


 

Maha Vihara Maitreya Buddhist temple, one of non-historical


largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia
 

Sri Mariamman Temple, main Hindu temple in Medan


 

Gunung Timur Temple, the oldest taoist temple in Sumatra island


 

Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni catholic church, designed


with dravidian architecture

Economy[edit]

The Bank Indonesia building in Medan. The tall building behind is the Grand Aston hotel.

Medan is one of the largest metropolitan cities in Indonesia and became the center of
growth in the province of North Sumatra. The city is an important commercial and
economic hub of Indonesia. Locals, as well as many foreigners have set up their
business to take advantage of its dynamism and boost its economy. Medan's economy
was mainly based on tobacco, rubber, tea, palm and coffee culture and production, but
growing manufacturing sector such as automotive, production of machinery, tiles, paper
and pulp, etc., also currently contribute to the city's economy.

bird view of Belawan Container Terminal

Medan is one of the most industrialized city in Sumatra, consisting of many small,
medium and large-scale enterprises. Because of its location and its proximity
to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, it functions strategically as the main gateway for
trading of goods and financial services on domestic, regional and international levels in
the western region of Indonesia. Many international companies maintain offices in the
city, namely Asian Agri, London Sumatra, Musim Mas, Philips Lighting, Toba Pulp
Lestari, Marriott, ABB Group and DBS Bank, etc.
Medan is one of Indonesia's most promising property markets outside Java, and several
high-value developments have transformed its property market – and skyline. Many of
the country's big property developers are building condominiums, hotels, office towers
and shopping malls in the city. Medan is also known as the "City of
Million Shophouses", as the majority of the population work in the trade sector, opening
shops nearing their houses. In recent years, the city has undergone rapid development,
which made the residential property prices in Medan trend upward.[40] Lamudi, a
worldwide real estate portal, recognized Medan as one among six cities in Asia to
feature and preserve several colonial architectural sites, while accompanying its growth
as a metropolitan city.[41]

Downtown Medan in January 2019

Culture[edit]
Medan is inhabited by many different ethnic groups. Malay people are the natives of the
Medan area, and have deep roots in Medan. They began ruling there during the Deli
Sultanate until now. The empire has many lands and property of heritage in Medan,
such a palace, a mosque, and park. The Dutch bringing a big contributor to the city
development, include during Dutch East Indies era, many historical buildings are made
by Dutch and Peranakan architecture along Jalan Kesawan and Pemuda. The arrival of
Minangkabaus, Bataks, Javanese, Chinese and Indian people bringing more colours to
the culture of Medan, especially cuisine.
Museum[edit]
The North Sumatra Museum

The North Sumatra Museum is located approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) to the south from
the center of the city, which is in Jalan HM. Joni 15 Medan. The Minister of Education
and Culture, Dr. Daoed Joesoef opened the museum in April 1982. It is mainly centered
around North Sumatran ethnic groups and artifacts.
The Bukit Barisan Museum is a military museum opened by Brigade General Leo
Lopulisa on 21 June 1971. The museum is located at 8 Jalan H. Zainul Arifin. It houses
several historic weapons include weapons that were used in the struggle for
independence and the revolt in North Sumatra during 1958. Motives/ painting of the
revolt against the Netherlands were presented. [42]
The Rahmat International Wildlife Museum & Gallery, or the Rahmat Gallery, opened in
1999 and is considered the city's preeminent taxidermy collection. It is located on Jalan
Letjen S. Parman No.309.[43]
Cuisine[edit]

Soto Medan

Several Bika Ambon
Food stall seller in Jalan Selatpanjang, Medan

Because of its multiculturality, Medan has a wide variety of cuisines ranging from local,
western, east and southern Asian, and middle eastern cuisine. The city also hosts a lot
of cafes, restaurants, food centers and street vendors with varying price points.
Nelayan is one of the most famous restaurant in Medan, serving halal-Chinese seafood
and dim sum. Garuda is the most popular Minangkabau and Malay restaurant in Medan
which serves nasi padang and gulai. Cahaya Baru is an Indian restaurant located
on Kampung Madras with chapati and tandoori as its most recommended food. The
most visited Batak restaurant are OnDo Batak grill and Tesalonika known best for
their babi panggang (grilled pork) and Saksang.
This city is known as "the culinary heaven of Indonesia," as Medan is prominent for its
street hawkers which offers a great variety of cheap local delicacies. Medan has several
well-known culinary spots such as Jalan Selat Panjang and Jalan Semarang
for Chinese food, Jalan Pagaruyung for Indian and Malay food and Jalan Padang Bulan
for Batak food.
Merdeka Walk is the first tensile structure (alfresco outdoor concept) in Indonesia, filled
with a variety of cafés and restaurants. Durian is a popular fruit in Indonesia and
nowhere more so than in Medan. This thorny fruit, with its distinctive taste and smell, is
available all over the city. Ucok Durian along Jalan Iskandar Muda is the most known
durian seller in the city.
Soto Medan is a savoury stew made with various meats (including innards) that are
fried beforehand, and coconut milk. It is usually served with rice and a piece of
potato croquette (perkedel).
Bika Ambon is a famous local dessert. Made from ingredients such as tapioca flour,
eggs, sugar, yeast and coconut milk, Bika Ambon are generally sold in pandan flavour,
although other flavors such as banana, durian, cheese, and chocolate are also
available.
Babi Panggang Karo, often abbreviated as BPK, is grilled pork with its blood curd being
used as a dipping sauces. It is usually served with plain rice and sambal andaliman, a
spicy condiment made from local Sichuan peppers. The Chinese equivalent of grilled
pork are called as Cha Sio (叉烧)
Tau Kua He Ci (豆干虾炸), also known as Lap Choi (腊菜), is local Chinese version
of Rojak (often pronounced ru-jak), but made with fried prawn, vegetables and tofu with
chilli sauce. Its other name also called as[clarification needed].
Teng-Teng (丁丁) is a candy made with peanuts.
Dried fruits and many unique cuisines can be found in Pasar Rame, which operates
every day from morning to the afternoon, located just beside Thamrin Plaza. [44]
Bolu Meranti is the most famous homemade Swiss roll in Medan, which are frequently
bought by local tourists as a souvenir. The Medanese dried anchovies also is one of a
"must" souvenirs from Medan, could be bought from Pusat Pasar (Central Market).

Tourism[edit]

Tirtanadi Water Tower, one of the main icon of Medan, built in 1908

Landmarks[edit]
Main article: List of colonial buildings in Medan
See also: List of tallest buildings in Medan

The peranakan Tjong A Fie Mansion


There are many old buildings in Medan that still retain their Dutch architecture. These
include the old City Hall, the Medan Post Office, Inna Dharma Deli Hotel, Titi
Gantung (a bridge over the railway), The London Sumatra building, the Tjong A Fie
Mansion, AVROS, Warenhuis, and The Tirtanadi Water Tower, mostly located around
the old town Kesawan.
There are several historic places such as Maimoon Palace built in years 1887–1891,
where the Sultan of Deli still lives (the Sultan no longer holds any official power),
The Great Mosque of Medan built in 1906 in the Moroccan style by the Dutch architect
A.J. Dingemans.[45] both location of Maimoon Palace and The Great Mosque are close.
The Mosque located on Jalan Sisingamangaraja and The Palace located on Jalan
Brigjen Katamso.
Gunung Timur Temple or locally known as Tông-Yuk-Kuàng in Hokkien, is a city's
oldest Taoism temple, located on Jalan Hang Tuah. Medan has a Buddhist
temple named as Maha Vihara Maitreya, and there is also a Buddhist centre nearby
named as Maha Karuna Buddhist Centre (MKBC) this temple complex known as one of
the biggest non-historical Buddhist temple in Indonesia, both situated around Cemara
Asri housing complex. Medan Cathedral is the oldest church in the city, was built by the
Dutch and Indian community nearby, and the church was named as Indische Kerk back
then, located on the old town along Jalan Pemuda. Sri Mariamman Temple is the first
Hindu temple in Medan built around 1881 by The Tamil peoples in the city, located on
Jalan Zainul Arifin, The city's Little India or more known as Kampung Madras, the
temple has unique south Indian architecture with hundred Hindu deity statues around
the building.
Since 2005, a Catholic church named Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni was built with an
Indo-Mogul style, devoted to Mary; the particular Saint knows its origin with an
apparition in the 17th century in Tamil Nadu, India. The temple has two stories and a
small tower of seven storeys, it is situated on Jalan Sakura III, besides outer ring road
on Jalan TB Simatupang.[citation needed]
Shopping centre[edit]

Sun Plaza front view


DeliPark Mall

Medan is one of the major shopping centres of Indonesia, along with


Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya.
Medan also has several modern shopping malls:

 Cambridge City Square


 Centre Point
 DeliPark Mall
 Focal Point
 Lippo Plaza Mall
 Manhattan Times Square
 Medan Mall
 Plaza Medan Fair
 Ringroad City Walks
 Sun Plaza
 Thamrin Plaza
Theme parks[edit]
There are some theme parks in the city or outside city, most of them are water parks.

 HillPark GreenHill City[46] – the latest theme park an


hour from Medan on the way to Berastagi.
 Pantai Cermin Themepark – the first and only water
theme park in North Sumatra, located in Cermin
Beach, Serdang Bedagai. The theme park is organized
by a Malaysian Investor and the Local Government.
 Wonder Water World – latest water park in Medan,
located on Central Business District Polonia.
 Hairos Water Park – another water park near the city,
located on Jalan Djamin Ginting Km.14, Deli Serdang.

Transportation[edit]
Medan is connected by road, air, rail and sea.
Airport[edit]
Main article: Kualanamu International Airport

Kualanamu International Airport

The new Kualanamu International Airport (KNO) was opened to the public on 25 July


2013. The new airport is the second largest airport after Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport with a 224,298 m2 (2,414,324 sq ft) passengers terminal and will eventually have
a capacity of 50 million passengers (2030). It is the first airport in Indonesia which has
direct rail links to the city. The airport is the hub for Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia
AirAsia, Lion Air, Susi Air and Wings Air.[47] The new airport is a replacement for
the Polonia Airport. Unlike the old Polonia Airport which was located in the heart of the
city, this new airport is approximately 39 km (24 mi) from downtown. The airport has
direct domestic flights to many major cities in Sumatra and Java. There are also
international flights to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, etc. An
airport train known as Kualanamu Airport Rail Link Services connects the airport to city
center. The train runs from Medan Main Station beside the Merdeka Square at Jalan
Balai Kota from 4:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m, and from the airport from 5:25 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
It is the fastest way to reach the airport from the city, taking 30 minutes. Alternate
modes of transport from the airport into the city may take longer (30 to 47 minutes).
Seaport[edit]
Main article: Belawan

The new Bandar Deli port in Belawan

The Port of Belawan (Pelabuhan Belawan) is the main seaport in Medan. Located in the


northeast coast of Sumatra, Belawan is situated 12 mi (19 km) north of Medan city and
serves as a port, which is the terminus of a railway that crosses the channel south of the
island by bridge.[48]
The port was initially built in 1890 to provide a location where tobacco could be
transferred directly between rail lines from the interior and deep-draft ships. The harbor
expanded in 1907 with the construction of a new section intended for Chinese and
indigenous traders, reserving the existing port for European shipping. In the early
twentieth century the port's business expanded, with the growth of major rubber and
palm oil plantations in northern Sumatra. In the 1920s several major berthing facilities
were built. In 1938, the port was the largest port in the Dutch East Indies, in terms of
cargo value. Cargo volumes dropped substantially after Indonesian independence, and
did not reach pre-independence levels again until the mid-1960s. A major restructuring
in 1985 saw the construction of a container terminal; it almost immediately captured
about one-fifth of Indonesia's containerized exports. Major products exported include
rubber, palm oil, tea, and coffee.[49]
There are two port terminals, one for passenger and ferry services to Penang
and Langkawi and some Indonesian cities such as Batam, Jakarta and Surabaya.
Another terminal known as Belawan International Container Terminal (BICT), used for
export and importing services. BICT is one of the largest shipping industry port in
Indonesia.
Road and highway[edit]

The Amplas toll plaza

Medan is connected by the Trans-Sumatran Highway, the main road across Sumatra,


and the Belawan-Medan-Tanjung Morawa Toll Road, also known as the Belmera Toll
Road, connecting Belawan, Medan and Tanjung Morawa. Currently toll roads have
been connected the city to the airport, Binjai, and Tebing Tinggi.
Railway[edit]
See also: Medan Station

Sri Lelawangsa commuter rail departing from Medan station


Railink Airport train in Medan station

Railway lines connect Medan to Binjai and Tanjungpura to the northwest, to port


of Belawan to the north, to Tebing Tinggi and Pematang Siantar to the southeast, and
also Rantau Prapat among other cities. The largest train station in Medan is Medan
Station. There are also smaller stations in Medan, such as Medan Pasar, Pulu
Brayan, Titi Papan, and Labuhan, and Belawan. Titi Papan and Pulu Brayan only serve
as the stop for freight trains carrying oil palm and petroleum. There are also have
express train connecting to another North Sumatra cities such as Tebing
Tinggi, Pematang Siantar, Tanjungbalai, and Rantau Prapat. An elevated railway is
already constructed and is now on operations over several rail lines around Medan to
avoid level crossings and reduce traffic congestion. [50]
Long-distance trains from the Medan Station are:

 Sri Bilah to Rantau Prapat


 Lancang Kuning to Tanjungbalai
 Putri Deli to Tanjungbalai
 Siantar Express to Pematang Siantar
 Sri Lelawangsa commuter rail connects Medan
Station to Binjai.
The Kualanamu Airport Railink Services train is an airport express train connecting from
Medan Station (City Railway Station – CRS) to Kualanamu International Airport
Station (Airport Railink Station – ARS), operated 18 hours (from 5 am to 11 pm) with 30-
minute distances. An elevated railway is already constructed and is now on operations
to make this airport rail service 15-minute distances. The CRS provides with a city
check-in services for selected airlines.
Public transport[edit]

A motorized rickshaw in Medan
One of the endangered features of Medan are the motorized rickshaws known as
a becak motor (bentor) or becak mesin, although bicycle rickshaws are also available.
Becaks are found almost everywhere. Unlike the Javanese rickshaws, the driver sits on
the right side of the vehicle, and can take its passenger anywhere in the city. The fare to
ride a becak is relatively cheap and is usually negotiated beforehand. Ride sharing
services Gojek and Grab are available and widely used for public transportation.
There are also more public transport like taxis, but minibuses known
as sudako or angkutan kota (angkot) are used more often by the locals. Angkots can be
found easily in medium-to-high congested roads. Angkots follow their own route
numbers, usually printed or painted on the vehicle itself. The routes are not explicitly
listed or written, but are usually spread in a word-of-mouth basis by the locals.
TransMebidang and Trans Metro Deli are two bus rapid transit system in Medan and
its nearby urban areas that has several active corridors:

The Trans Metro Deli Bus

 Trans Mebidang

Corridor Origin–Destination

1 Medan – Binjai

2 Medan – Lubuk Pakam

 Trans Metro Deli


Corrido
Origin–Destination
r

1 Pinang Baris - Lapangan Merdeka

2 Amplas - Lapangan Merdeka

3 Belawan - Lapangan Merdeka

4 Medan Tuntungan – Lapangan Merdeka

5 Tembung - Lapangan Merdeka

The Medan Light Rail Transit light metro system is planned to begin construction in


2020.

Media[edit]

Medan Post Office

Medan serves several radio and TV channels, and is also home to newspapers in local
and foreign languages such as Indonesian, English, Chinese, Batak, Malay and others.
Television channels[edit]
Medan has a bunch of television stations; there are public and private national networks
as well as local channels. Local stations including the public TVRI Sumatera Utara (a
regional station serving North Sumatra, which headquartered in the city) and; as well as
local variation of

 CNN Indonesia
 TVRI Medan
 Indosiar
 MNCTV
 Trans TV
 ANtv
 GTV
 RCTI
 SCTV
 tvOne
 Magna TV HD
 Metro TV
 Trans7
 NET. – 43 UHF
 iNews – 45 UHF
 DAAI TV – 49 UHF
 RTV 53 UHF
 MYTV – 55 UHF
 Kompas TV – 59 UHF
 CTV Network - 61 UHF
Radio[edit]
RRI Medan is the only public radio in Medan. Several local languages are also served
on the radio, such as Kardopa Radio (in Batak language), CityRadio FM and A-Radio
FM (in Chinese language) and Symphony FM (in Malay language). Medan also has
several popular radio networks and stations like Prambors FM, MNC Trijaya FM, I-
Radio, KISS FM, VISI FM, Delta FM and others.
Publications[edit]
Several national and local newspapers are available in the city, with Mimbar Umum as
the oldest one. Major newspapers based in Medan include Waspada, Analisa, Jurnal
Medan, Berita Sore, Harian Global, Harian Medan Bisnis, Posmetro Medan, Sinar
Indonesia Baru, and Tribun Medan. There are also some national Mandarin newspaper
such as Harian Indonesia (印尼星洲日报), Guo Ji Ri Bao (国际日报) and Shangbao (印
尼商报). English newspapers like The Jakarta Post are also distributed in the city.
Aplaus Magazine is one of the magazines from the city, published monthly and focuses
on food, travel, inspiration. The magazine is the pioneer of a local magazine that
specializes in the discussion of urban lifestyle. First published in 2005, Aplaus Magazine
is managed by Analisa daily.

Sport[edit]
Football is one of the most popular sports in Medan, with five local clubs: Persatuan
Sepakbola Medan dan Sekitarnya (known as PSMS Medan), Medan Jaya, Medan
Chiefs, Bintang PSMS and Medan United; and a basketball club named Angsapura
Sania. Another locally popular sport is wushu, with significant growth in recent years as
one of the favorite sports in Medan. It has its training center in Jalan Plaju in heart of
town. Medan has recently seen much success in Wushu nationally and internationally.
Medan has a multi-purpose stadium named Teladan Stadium. This stadium is used
mostly for football matches, and serves as a home stadium for PSMS Medan.

Healthcare[edit]

St. Elisabeth Hospital

Murni Teguh Hospital

Medan has more than 30 registered hospitals. Three of them are public and the rest are
private:

 Pirngadi General Hospital


 Adam Malik General Hospital
 Haji General Hospital
 St. Elisabeth Hospital
 Martha Friska Hospital
 Columbia Asia Hospital
 Permata Bunda Hospital
 Murni Teguh Hospital
 Advent Hospital
 Siloam-Dhirga Surya Hospital
 Imelda Hospital
 Vina Estetica Hospital
 Stella Maris Hospital
 Putri Hijau Military Hospital
 Mitra Sejati General Hospital
 Bunda Thamrin Hospital
 Royal Prima Hospital
 Methodist Hospital
 Sumatra Eye Center

Education[edit]

The State University of Medan, a postgraduate campus

As the largest city outside of Java island, Medan provides more than 827
registered elementary schools, 337 middle Schools and 288 high schools,
including state-owned, private, religious, and international schools. Medan also has 72
registered universities, academies, polytechnics, and colleges such as:

 University of North Sumatra


 Medan State Polytechnic
 State University of Medan
 Prima University
 HKBP Nommensen University
 Dharmawangsa University
 Universitas Methodist Indonesia
 STBA-PIA (亚洲-国际友好学院)
 Muhammadiyah University of North Sumatra
 Mikroskil University
 IT&B Campus
 STIE Eka Prasetya
 Medan Tourism Academy
 Technology Institute of Medan
 University of Pembangunan Panca Budi
 Pelita Harapan University and others.
Medan was previously the site of the Medan Japanese International School or Medan
Japanese School (メダン日本人学校, Indonesian: Sekolah Internasional Jepang,
Medan), an overseas school for Japanese children.[51] It was affiliated with the Japanese
Consulate General in Medan, and occupied a 481.88 m2 (5,186.9 sq ft) building on a
1,880 m2 (20,200 sq ft) property.[51] It originated as a supplementary school in the
consulate's library that opened in April 1972 (Showa 49). A committee to establish a
new day school was created in 1978 (Showa 54), and in January 1979 (Showa 55) the
school remodeled an existing building for this purpose. The school opened in April
1979.[52] It closed in March 1998.[53]

Twin towns – sister cities[edit]


See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Indonesia
Medan is twinned with:[54]

  Georgetown, Penang Island, Malaysia (1984)


  Ichikawa, Japan (1989)
  Gwangju, South Korea (1997)
  Chengdu, China (2002)
  Milwaukee, United States (2014)[55]

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External links[edit]
 Indonesia portal

  Media related to Medan at Wikimedia Commons


  Medan travel guide from Wikivoyage
  Medan at Wikinews
  The dictionary definition of Medan at Wiktionary
  Geographic data related
to Medan at OpenStreetMap
 Official Government website (in Indonesian)
 Medanesia – Medan Forum (in Indonesian)
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