One of the greatest kingdoms in Indonesia history, the Buddhist
Empire of Sriwijaya, prospered and grew along the bank of the Musi River in South Sumatra over a thousand years ago. Located in the southern-most rim of the Shout China Sea, close to one
of the world's busiest shipping lanes linking the Far
East with Europe, the region's historical
background is rich and colorful.
The Sriwijaya Kingdom practiced a bustling and lucrative
trade with ancient China its era of powerful dynasties and in 672, the Chinese scholar Tsing recorded that a thousand monks
and scholars could be seen translating and studying Sanskrit in what is now the regional capital of Palembang. However, few
relics of this memorable era remain.
Stretching from the foothills of the mighty Bukit Barisan
mountain range in the West Sumatra to the island of Bangka and Belitung
in the East, the province of Shout
Sumatra is relatively flat but very fertile,
with numerous rivers cutting across the landscape and meandering their way to the sea. Coffee and tea are grown in plantations
in various parts of the province but the area's enormous wealth comes from oil, natural gas, coal, tin and quartz.
Palembang is still the gateway to the province, and together with Pangkal Pinang on
the island of Bangka and Tanjung Pandan on Bilitung, provides the region with three major airports.
All three cities have direct connections with Medan, Batam, Padang and Jakarta and the future will see the introduction of flights to Singapore.
Air-conditioned buses from points north and west of Palembang are also regular available,
as well as from major cities in Java and Bali.
The province of Jambi located on the east coast of Central Sumatra faces the Straits of Malaka sharing borders with four other provinces in Sumatra and
has long been a melting pot for different ethnic groups. The earliest inhabitants were the Kubus, who were among the first
wave of Malays to migrate to Sumatra. The ancient kingdom of Melayu developed and grew in Jambi and maintained relations with the mighty kingdoms of Sriwijaya, Majapahit and Singasari,
but was eventually attacked and annexed by Sriwijaya in the middle of the 17th century. Encompassing an area of 53,435 sq.kms,
almost 60% of which is forest, the province is home to a large variety of fauna and flora and an exhilarating place for active
and adventurous visitors.
Besides, South Sumatra is sometimes called
the region of nine rivers, indicating nine big rivers: Musi, Ogan, Komering, Lematang, Lakitan, Kelingi, Rawas, Batanghari
Leko dan Lalan which can be sailed and navigated. This rivers flow through the region. Each of which has branches in ten.
The Eastern area of the mainland limited by costal line
consists of swamp and brackish land influenced by tidal rise and fall. The main vegetation is palm and like and mangroves
trees. The middle area Westward consists of lowland and wide valleys. Westward far ahead there is a hilly and mountainous
area as the chains of Bukit Barisan lengthening along Sumatra Island from Aceh
Among the peaks of Bukit Barisan in South
Sumatra are Mount Dempo (3159 meters), Mount Seminung (1945 meters), Mount Patah (2107 meters), and Mount Bungkuk (2125 meters). Beneath Mount Seminung lies Ranau Lake of 128 square kilometers which not only reflects the beautiful panorama of nature
but also is ideal for water sports. Such as skiing, diving, swimming, canoeing, etc.
Most of mountainous and hilly area
and the lowland are covered with dense forests and jungles. In general, the height of the area is 900 to 1200 meters above
the sea level. The high region provides water resources of some big rivers witch flow into Bangka strait.
mainland which consists of lowland and plateaus and mountains is a potential area for plantations, agriculture and horticulture
plants. In this area there are plantations of rubber, coffee, tea, cassia Vera, palm oil, rice, vegetables, and many kinds
In the Eastern part of the region are two big islands, Bangka and Belitung. Each Island is
surrounded by other small islands. There are islands of Lepar, Pongok, Nangka, etc at Bangka's offshore. And Seliu,
Mindanau, and other small islands at Belitung.
Both islands also have plateaus with the peaks of Mount
Maras (699m) and Mount Menumbing (455m) in and Mount Tajamlaki in Belitung.
Generally, the species of flora and fauna in South Sumatra
are the same as those of the other places, especially in Sumatra. Dense forests and the field of tall grass cover an area of 3000 meters above
the sea level. Several woods of good quality for building materials can be found in the forests besides rattan, many kinds
of orchids, rafflesia, etc.
The animals consist of elephant, tiger, deer, wild goat, tapir, crocodile, many kinds of primate
families such as monkey, ape, gibbon, etc. Some are protected rare animals, including hundred kinds of birds and water animals.
Province with its provincial capital Palembang is lead by a Governor as Head
of the Region Governmental administration and Development policy. The region is divided into 8 Regencies : Ogan Komering Ulu,
Ogan Komering Ilir, Musi Rawas, Musi Banyuasin, Muara Enim, Lahat, Bangka and Belitung, 2 Municipalities : Palembang and Pangkal
Pinang, and 4 Administrative Municipalities : Prabumulih (in Muara Enim), Baturaja (in Ogan Komering Ulu), Pagar Alam (in
Lahat and Lubuk Linggau (in Musi Rawas).
South Sumatra has been inhabited by humans since prehistoric times. The evidence of the ancient
times among others is megalithic sites in various forms and sizes which can be seen either in museums or in the open space.
Those megalithic cultural heritages in the forms of statues of humans, animals, menhir, dolmen (whetstone), punden berundak
(punden with steps), coffins, mortars, etc. made of stones were artistically carved by the ancestors. Each of them is of small
size up to giant size. The evidence of civilization of 2500 - 1000 BC eras will impress not only such domestic and foreign
tourists but also some experts who came searching for the sake of sciences.