Padang


Padang is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. It had a population of 833,562 at the 2010 Census and 909,040 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as of mid 2023 was 942,938 — comprising 473,089 males and 469,849 females. It is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. The Padang metropolitan area is the third most populous metropolitan area in Sumatra with a population of over 1.7 million. Padang is widely known for its Minangkabau culture, cuisine, and sunset beaches.
The city had historically been a trading center since the pre-colonial era, in both pepper and gold. The Dutch made contact with the city in the mid 17th century, eventually constructing a fortress and taking over control of the city from the Pagaruyung Kingdom. Save for several interruptions of British rule, Padang remained part of the Dutch East Indies as one of its major cities until Indonesian independence. In 1906, Padang, along with Palembang, became the first populated places in Sumatra to achieve city status.

History

Padang has been a trade centre since the 16th century, having been controlled by the Pagaruyung Kingdom and the Aceh Sultanate. During the 16th and 17th centuries, pepper was cultivated and traded with India, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. In 1663, the city came under the authority of the Dutch and a trading post was built in 1680. The city came under the British Empire twice, firstly from 1781 to 1784 during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War and again from 1795 to 1819 during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1819 the city was transferred back to the Netherlands. Up to circa 1780 the most important trade product was gold originating from gold mines in the region. When the mines were exhausted, the focus turned to other products such as coffee, salts, and textiles.
In 1797 Padang was inundated by a tsunami with an estimated flow depth of 5–10 metres, following an earthquake, estimated to be 8.5–8.7 Mw, which occurred off the coast. The shaking caused considerable damage and the deaths of two people, while the tsunami resulted in several houses being washed away and several deaths at the village of Air Manis. Boats moored in the Arau river ended up on dry land, including a 200-ton sailing ship which was deposited about upstream. In 1833, another tsunami inundated Padang with an estimated flow depth of as a result of an earthquake, estimated to be 8.6–8.9 Mw, which occurred off Bengkulu. The shaking caused considerable damage in Padang, and due to the tsunami boats moored in the Arau river broke their anchors and were scattered.
In 1837, the Dutch East Indies government made Padang the seat of government of the West Coast of Sumatra which included present-day West Sumatra and Tapanuli. Subsequently the city became a gemeente area since 1 April 1906 after the issuance of an ordinance on 1 March 1906. Until World War II, Padang was one of the five largest port cities in Indonesia, apart from Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, and Makassar.
The population of Padang in 1920 was 28,754, making it the second largest city in Sumatra after Palembang. At the time of independence in the 1940s, the city had around 50,000 inhabitants. Coffee was still important, but copra was also a major item produced by farmers in its hinterland. Since then, the population growth has been partly a result of growth in the area of the city, but largely a result of the migration to major cities seen in so many developing nations. From 1950 the Ombilin coal field developed with Padang as its outlet port. This was seen by some observers as reflecting the economic and political colonisation of Indonesia.
Upon the entry of the Japanese army on 17 March 1942, Padang was abandoned by the Dutch due to their panic. At the same time, Sukarno was detained in the city because the Dutch at that time wanted to take him with them to escape to Australia. Then the commander of the Japanese Army for Sumatra met him to negotiate the fate of Indonesia. After the Japanese were able to control the situation, the city was then used as an administrative city for development and public works during their occupation of West Sumatra.
On 30 September 2009, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit about off the coast of Padang. There were more than 1,100 fatalities, 313 of which occurred within Padang.

Geography

The city of Padang is located on the west coast of the island of Sumatra, with a total area of, equivalent to 1.65% of the area of West Sumatra. More than 60% of the area of Padang is in the form of hills covered by protection forests. Only around of the territory is considered urban. The hills stretch in the east and south of the city. The notable hills in Padang include Lampu Hill, Mount Padang, Gado-Gado Hill, and Pegambiran Hill. The city of Padang has a coastline of on the mainland of Sumatra. In addition, there are also 19 small islands, including Sikuai Island with an area of in Bungus Teluk Kabung District, and Toran Island covering and Pisang Gadang Island in Padang Selatan District.

Climate

Padang features a tropical rainforest climate under Köppen's climate classification. Since this tropical rainforest climate is more subject to the Intertropical Convergence Zone than the trade winds and cyclones are very rare, it is equatorial. Padang is one of Indonesia's wettest cities, with frequent rainfall throughout the course of the year. The city averages roughly of rain per year. Padang's driest month is February, where of precipitation on average is observed. The city temperatures are relatively constant throughout the year, with an average of. Padang has 21 rivers, with the longest being Batang Kandis. In 1980 two-thirds of the city was flooded because the city's drainage which primarily empties to Batang Arau could not contain the water.

Governance

By 2007 the city government began a number of religiously motivated policies. One requires females of all religious backgrounds who are municipal employees and students in government schools to wear jilbab, and high school students now take classes on reading the Qur'an. Municipal employees are required to pay zakat.

Administrative districts

The city of Padang is divided into eleven districts, listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census together with the official estimates as of mid 2023. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative urban villages in each district, and its post codes.
Name of
District
Area
in
km2		Pop'n
2010
Census		Pop'n
2020
Census		Pop'n
mid 2023
estimate		Admin
centre		No.
of
villages		Post
codes
Bungus Teluk Kabung100.7822,89627,40828,788Pasar Laban625237
Lubuk Kilangan85.9948,85057,48960,614Bandar Buat725231 - 25237
Lubuk Begalung30.91106,432122,593128,453Lubuk Begalung1525221 - 25227
Padang Selatan10.0357,71860,99662,333Mata Air1225211 - 25217
Padang Timur8.1577,86877,75578,407Simpang Haru1025121 - 25129
Padang Barat7.0045,38042,95743,200Purus1025111 - 25119
Padang Utara8.0869,11955,17155,484Lolong Belanti725132 - 25139
Nanggalo8.0757,27558,53559,240Surau Gadang625142 - 25147
Kuranji57.41126,729146,111153,137Pasar Ambacang925151 - 25159
Pauh146.2959,21662,22863,489Pasar Baru925161 - 25168
Koto Tangah232.25162,079197,797209,793Lubuk Buaya1325171 - 25176
Totals694.96833,562909,040942,938104

Adipura award

As of 2017, Padang had received the "Adipura" award in the category of large city 18 times and the "Adipura Kencana" award three times.

Culture

Cuisine

The cuisine of the Minangkabau people is commonly called Padang cuisine. Padang restaurants are common throughout the country and are famous for their spicy food. Padang food is usually cooked once per day, and all customers choose from those dishes, which are left out on display until no food is left. It is served in small portions of various dishes, but constituting, with rice, a complete meal. Customers take – and pay for – only what they want from this array of dishes. The best known Padang dish is rendang, a spicy meat stew. Soto Padang is local residents' breakfast favourite, meanwhile sate is a treat in the evening.

Tourism

Padang is a common transit point for surfers travelling to Batu Islands and Mentawai Islands, and for tourists visiting the West Sumatran highlands. Padang Beach, stretching from Samudra Street until Puruih, is known for its sunsets and food stalls. The Kuranji River flows in Padang and on the northern area of the river at Batu Busuk, Lambung Bukit sub-district, white water activities are quite popular. Bungus Bay, to the south of Padang, is suitable for swimming and boating. There are some offshore islands near Bungus, such as Sikuai island and Pagang Island.
Currently, the Regional Development Planning Board of Padang has established development plans for "Padang Old City" in Kampung Pondok, South Padang district as a tourist area. The mayor of Padang has designated 73 historic buildings as cultural heritage sites of Padang.