Sibolga
Sibolga is a city and a port located in the natural harbour of Sibolga Bay on the west coast of North Sumatra province, in Indonesia.
The city is located on the western side of North Sumatra facing the Indian Ocean, is a transit harbour to Nias Island, and was hard hit during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Sibolga is also a semi-enclave within Central Tapanuli Regency, as Sibolga borders Central Tapanuli Regency in the north, east, and south, while it borders the Mentawai Strait in the west.
The city has an area of — the smallest city by land area in Indonesia. It had a population of 84,444 at the 2010 census and 89,584 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 91,265 - comprising 45,839 males and 45,426 females.
History
in Sibolga Bay was once the location of a fort, with British, Dutch, French, and American traders passing through. It is thought Stamford Raffles passed through before he moved to Bengkulu in southern Sumatra. From Bengkulu Raffles, after relinquishing the port to the Dutch, established the trade port that became Singapore.At some point between 1890 and 1920, there was a major fire in the city, which was presumably mostly built from wood from the surrounding mountains.
After the Japanese invasion of Sumatra in 1942, a makeshift prison described as a "civilian camp" was set up at Taroetoengweg, in the city center, from 16 March to 4 May 1942. It first housed 10 "European" men from in and around Sibolga, who were then joined on April 24 by another 10 men from the island of Nias. On May 4 they were taken to the Native Secondary School for Boys in Pearadja, located in the mountains behind Sibolga.
Administrative districts
The city is divided into four districts, tabulated 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 number of administrative villages or subdistricts in each district and its postcodes.| Kode Wilayah | Name of District | Area in km2 | Pop'n census 2010 | Pop'n census 2020 | Pop'n estimate mid 2023 | No. of subdistricts | Post codes |
| 12.73.01 | Sibolga Utara | 3.33 | 19,970 | 21,383 | 21,831 | 5 | 22511 -22514 |
| 12.73.02 | Sibolga Kota | 2.73 | 14,304 | 15,172 | 15,448 | 4 | 22521 -22524 |
| 12.73.03 | Sibolga Selatan | 3.14 | 30,082 | 33,346 | 34,177 | 4 | 22533 -22538 |
| 12.73.04 | Sibolga Sambas | 1.57 | 20,125 | 19,683 | 19,809 | 4 | 22531 -22535 |
| Totals | 10.77 | 84,441 | 89,584 | 91,265 | 17 |