Gunungsitoli
Gunungsitoli is a city located in North Sumatra province, Indonesia, on the Indian Ocean island of Nias, west of Sumatra. Gunungsitoli is the island's only city and is the main hub for the island and surrounding smaller islands. Located on the north-eastern side of Nias island, the city was historically a series of fortifications made by the Dutch colonial administration in the 1600s to defend against frequent raids from Nias tribes, especially those from southern parts of the island. Until 1914, it was the only part of the island that was effectively controlled by the Dutch.
Gunungsitoli had a population of 126,202 at the 2010 Census and 136,017 at the 2020 Census; in mid 2024, Gunungsitoli had a population of 145,233 ; it was officially projected to rise to 147,516 by mid 2025, and reach 150,000 in mid 2026. which makes it the seventh-most-populous city in North Sumatra. It had a population density of 309 people per square kilometre in 2024, making it the most-densely populated place on Nias island. Being the only city in the island, Gunungsitoli is the economic hub of the island and the surrounding Nias archipelago, as well as the only place with significant, non-agriculture industries, on the island. The city was previously part of the larger Nias Regency but was separated on 29 October 2008.
History
Precolonial
Nias island, together with groups of other islands off the western coast of Sumatra, was mentioned by Ptolemy in 150 CE as "Barus islands". Nias had well-established trade contacts with Arab and Chinese traders since around the seventh century. In 1154, the island was mentioned by Muhammad al-Idrisi as "Niyan" and described as "densely populated, with one big town, and inhabited by many tribes".Archeological evidence shows humans have inhabited the island for 12,000 years. Remains of tools were found in Tögi Ndrawa cave by Indonesian archeologists from Medan in August 1999. The excavation shows sign of Mesolithic culture and that the cave was still inhabited until around 700 years ago. According to folk stories of the Nias people, the island was settled by six ancestor tribes but the current Nias people or Ono Niha—which means "human" in the Nias language—arose more recently, according to records compiled by German missionary Wilhelm Heinrich Sundermann. Migration of Ono Niha people from mainland Sumatra occurred in around 1350; they brought with them knowledge of metallurgy, agriculture, husbandry, and woven clothing. It is unknown whether previous inhabitants of the island were assimilated or out-competed with the arrival of the Ono Niha.
In 1416, Ming treasure voyages led by Zheng He occupied a portion of mainland Sumatra that directly faces Nias island and constructed a port town named Singkuang. The occupation led to a significant presence of Chinese communities on the island. Around the 1500s, the island was subject to frequent slave raids by ships from Aceh Sultanate, which at the time was under Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah, who sought to conquer the western coast of Sumatra. In 1642, seven ships from Aceh Sultanate were stranded on the eastern coast of the island, resulting in a significant presence of Acehnese communities, which are known locally as Polem people.
Contact with Europeans
First contact between Nias people and Europeans came on 2 July 1664 when Dutch traders and the king of Luaha Laraga made a trade agreement and tariffs for Dutch ships that were using the port in modern-day Idanoi district. In 1668, the Dutch East India Company made agreements with village chiefs around the location of modern-day Gunungsitoli city and the Hinako islands. The company settled the region and built several warehouses but the Dutch traders left the region and abandoned the settlement in 1740 due to decreasing Dutch influence over the region.Colonial era
In 1776, British traders tried to settled the region but soon also abandoned it because the region was not profitable. For several decades, there was no significant European presence on the island. The British again tried to settle the region in 1821 but the settlement was taken over by the Dutch in 1825. In 1840, the Dutch tried to gain control of the entire island following the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 but were unable to establish a military presence on the island outside of a small area of Gunungsitoli, which was then known as Rapatgebied. Frequent raids by Nias tribes against Dutch fortifications concentrated the settlement in the area that would become the city.The Dutch were only able to start a significant military campaign against Nias tribes in 1900 and subjugated the entire island by 1914. Nias was one of the last regions of the Indonesian archipelago by to be conquered by the Dutch East Indies. Missionary activities on the island grew after the Dutch established control over the island. In 1916, a mass conversion to Christianity known as Fangesa Sebua occurred on the island. The event started in Gunungsitoli from Idanoi and later spread throughout the island.
Mid-to-late 20th century
Gunungsitoli was one of two locations on Nias where Dutch authorities held German prisoners during World War II. The prisoners were formerly part of a larger German prisoner group aboard the SS Van Imhoff, which was sunk by Japanese bombers off the west coast of Sumatra. Upon hearing news about Japanese attacks on Sumatra, the German prisoners planned a coup against the Dutch colonial authority in the city. The prisoners tried to persuade native police, known as Veldpolities, to revolt. At the time, the city was home to around 60 German prisoners. On 29 March 1942, the native police revolted by shooting Dutch residents and imprisoning Dutch officials, and the city was quickly occupied. Once occupied German prisoners established the unrecognized state of the Free Republic of Nias. On 17 April 1942, the Japanese military landed in the city and was welcomed by the German prisoners, who took over the city. By 24 April 1942, all German prisoners had left the island and the administration was handed over to the Japanese until the end of World War II.During the Indonesian National Revolution, Gunungsitoli and Nias came under blockade from the Dutch Navy to cut off the island from the western coast of Sumatra. Due to the blockade, the city printed its own banknotes because Republican banknotes from Bukittinggi could not be transported. The banknotes were known as ORIPDA-Nias. The Dutch military landed in the city in November 1945. The relationship between the newly arrived troops and the city's residents was tense, especially because of constant patrols of Republican youths armed with bambu runcing. Small armed clashes occurred around the city when Dutch military tried to take back control of governmental buildings that were taken over by Indonesian nationalists following the end of the war.
The republican government of Nias was evacuated from Gunungsitoli in the aftermath. In November 1946, the Indonesian National Committee or led by Roos Telaumbanua attempted to establish armed elements of Republicans such as a branch of the People's Security Agency and the Indonesian National Police around the island. The committee also established a Fonds Kemerdekaan to give economic support to the Indonesian republic in Tapanuli, mainland Sumatra, and Kongsi Pelajaran. The economic support was in form of the sale of copra to Singapore and donating pigs and oil to Tapanuli. Gunungsitoli was one of the main centers of Republican support on the island. Due to Operation Kraai, communication between Nias and Tapanuli was cut off so the island tried to establish communication with Kutaraja, Aceh. On 19 November 1949, officials from North Sumatra visited Gunungsitoli to establish a local government council on Nias, which was realized in 1950.
In 1975, Nias experienced a tourist boom, especially with Australian tourists, and became destination for surfers. The tourist boom was followed by general improvements to infrastructure in Gunungsitoli and the building of markets and roads. Despite these improvements the boom was short-lived.
21st century
Nias, including Gunungsitoli, was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami and the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake. Much of the infrastructure was destroyed, and between 2005 and 2010, the residents became reliant on aid from nonprofit organizations to recover.On 29 October 2008, Gunungsitoli was separated from Nias Regency and became an independent city based on Law Number 47. Following decentralization and becoming an independent city, Gunungsitoli has seen the highest average economic growth in North Sumatra with 6% in 2018 and 6.05% in 2019. The city's infrastructure has been improved and development of the tourist industry has been a particular focus of both local and central government. In 2019, Gunungsitoli, together with other regencies on Nias, hosted Sail Nias, which is an annual yacht tournament and part of the Sail Indonesia event.
Gunungsitoli has been proposed as the capital of the newly proposed Nias Islands Province, which is projected to be separated from North Sumatra. As of 2023, however, the creation of the new province and other proposed new provinces and regencies has been halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic which put strain on government budgets, as well as by a government moratorium since 2013 on the creation of new provinces and regencies.
Geography
Gunungsitoli borders North Nias Regency in the north, Nias Regency in the south and west, and the Indian Ocean in the east. The city has many hills with heights of up to above sea level. The city's soil is mostly unstable, and often causes landslides and damage to roads. Soil composition varies from alluvium and limestone to corals and is generally prone to compaction. Limestone often makes underground water undrinkable.The slope in the city interior varies from 8% to 25%. Coastal areas are mostly flatter with a slope of less than 8%. Gunungsitoli is located between the subduction zone of the Eurasian Plate and Indo-Australian Plate, making it extremely prone to earthquakes. The city was devastated by the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake. According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency, on average, Gunungsitoli experiences more than 300 earthquakes per month. Due to its coastal location, the city is also prone to tsunamis.