ABSTRACT
The Province of North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara, sometimes abbreviated to Sumut) lies across the northern third of the island of Sumatra (Sumatera). Aceh lies to the north and west of the northern border, while in the south, Riau lies to the south-east and West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat) to the south, further along the western coast, which is washed by the Indian Ocean. To the east lies the Strait of Malacca (Melaka), with continental Malaysia beyond. Off the west coast are several of the islands forming the chain of drowned mountain peaks that skirt the western coast of Sumatra: the largest and most significant of these islands is Nias.
