Sumatra
an island in the Indian arated from the peninsula of Malacca by the Straits of Malacca and from Java by the the Straits of Sunda; greatest length 1,000 miles; breadth, about 240 miles; area, 161,600 square miles; pop. about 4,500,000. Banca and other islands the coast. The W. side of the island is mountainous, with peaks ranging in height from 2,000 feet in the S. to 5,000 feet further N.; and culminating in Indrapura, a volcano 12,572 feet high.
The E. side spreads out into interminable plains. There are several volcanoes in found in abundance and deposits of coal the island. Copper, tin, and iron are exist. The chief rivers are the Rokan, Musi, Jambi, and Indragiri, which all form extensive deltas at their mouths. climate, but in many low-lying parts is Sumatra enjoys great equability of unhealthy; rain falls almost incessantly coast, and at higher elevations myrtles, in the S. Mangroves grow near the palms, figs, and oaks of various species are met with. The camphor tree prevails in the N., and among vegetable curiosities flesia. Pepper, rice, sugar, tobacco, inare the are the upas tree and the gigantic raftree and the gigantic giga rafdigo, cotton, coffee, are cultivated for gutta-percha and caoutchouc, teak, ebony, export, and camphor, benzoin, catechu, camph ber and oil have in recent years become and sandalwood are also exported. Ruband sandalwood are also exported. Rubvaluable products. valuable products. In 1919 340,000 fauna includes the elephant, the tapir, acres were planted with rubber. The the rhinoceros, the tiger, the ourangoutang and other apes, some species of and reptiles. Of the domestic animals deer and antelope, and numerous birds the chief is the pig, next to which rank the cow and the horse. the authority of the Dutch, and their The island is for the most part under possessions are divided into eight provinces. The governor resides at Padang.
Sumatra has a very mixed population consisting of Malays, Chinese, Arabs, and many native tribes. The Battas are a peculiar and interesting race approaching the Caucasian type. Writing has been known among them from a very early period and their ancient books are written in a brilliant ink on paper made of bark.
The native tribes of Sumatra have no temples and no priests, but a form of Mohammedanism prevails among the Malays on the coast. Chief towns, Palembang and Padang. Sumatra in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Dutch acquired their territories in The British formed a settlement at Benin 1685, and in 1811 seized the Dutch possessions on the island. These were restored in 1815, and by treaties in Cyc-Vo.. IX SUMATRA 1834 and 1871 the Dutch were allowed the right to enlarge their territories by treaty, or by conquest and annexation.
The tidal wave accompanying the volcanic eruption of Krakatoa in 1883 caused great destruction on the S. coast of Sumatra.