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'Padang' (means ''field'') is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located on the western coast of Sumatra at . It has an area of and a population of over 750,000 people, mostly speakers of the Minangkabau language.

Contents

History

Administration

Transport

Education

Culture

Cuisine

Sport

Tourism

External links

History

Since the 16th century Padang has been a trade centre. 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. The Dutch built a trading post here in 1680. The city came under British authority twice, the first time from 1781 to 1784 during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, and again from 1795 to 1819 during the Napoleonic Wars. Afterwards the city was transferred back to the Netherlands. Up to approximately 1780 the most important trade product was gold, originating from the gold mines in the region. When the mines where exhausted, the emphasis turned to other products such as coffee, salts and textiles.
At the time of independence the city had 50,000 or so inhabitants. Coffee was still inportant, but copra was also a major item produced by farmers in its hinterland. The population growth since then has been partly a result of growth in the area of the city, but largely is a result of the migration to major cities seen in so many developing nations.
In 1950 there had also been a development of the Ombilin coal field with Padang as its outlet. This is an indication of the colonization of Indonesia having been economic as well as political.
Besides locally grown coffee and copra, Padang was a key point in the trade of such items as rubber, tea, spices, cinchona bark, resin, tobacco and rattan.^[1]

Administration

Padang is divided in 11 subdistricts (''kecamatan''): Bungus Teluk Kabung, Koto Tangah, Kuranji, Lubuk Begalung, Lubuk Kilangan, Nanggalo, Padang Barat, Padang Selatan, Padang Timur, Padang Utara, Pauh

Transport

The city is served by the newly-opened Minangkabau International Airport in Ketaping, Padang Pariaman. Padang's Teluk Bayur harbor is the largest and busiest harbor on the west coast of Sumatra.

Education

Andalas University is the oldest university in Indonesia outside of Java. It is located in ''Limau Manis'', about from the center of Padang. The other universities in Padang are ''Universitas Negeri Padang'' in Air Tawar, ''Bung Hatta University'' in Ulak Karang, ''Baiturrahmah University'' in Air Pacah, ''Universitas Putra Indonesia YPTK'', ''Ekasakti University'', ''Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Barat'' and ''Tamansiswa University''.

Culture

Cuisine

The cuisine of the Minangkabau people is commonly called ''Padang'' cuisine, due to it being the capital and largest city of the region. Padang restaurants are common throughout the country and are famous for their spicy food and their unique way of serving it. Padang food is served in small portions of various dishes, in a way similar to tapas or mezedes, but constituting, with rice, a complete meal. In a Padang-style restaurant, the table will quickly be set with dozens of small dishes filled with highly-flavored foods such as curried fish, fried tempeh, stewed greens, chili eggplant, curried beef liver, fried chicken, and of course, sambals, the spicy sauces ubiquitous at Indonesian tables. 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'' (crispy beef in spicy soup) is local residents' breakfast favorite, meanwhile ''Sate'' (beef satay in curry sauce served with ketupat) is a treat in the evening.

Sport

Padang is the home town of the soccer team Semen Padang, with Haji Agus Salim Stadium being the home stadium of the club.

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 (known as Taplau or Tapi Lauik) which located from Samudra Street until Puruih, is well-known for its beautiful sunset and hundreds of food stalls. Bungus bay, to the south of Padang, is suitable for swimming and boating.
Adityawarman Museum specializes in the history and culture of the local Minangkabau ethic group, and the main exhibits are housed within a Rumah Gadang style building.

External links

★ Official website

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