mobile View, to the German Version tap the flag

Aceh

• province and separatist region within Indonesia
• also: Atjeh, Atschin, Atjih, Acheen

Contents

• Flags

• Meaning/Origin of the Flag

• Map

• Numbers and Facts

• History

Flags

Official flag of the province,
Source: Wikipedia (EN), AlexR.L. / CC BY-SA





Flag of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM),
Source: Wikipedia (DE)





1496–1903,
Flag of the Sultanate of Aceh,
Source: Wikipedia (EN)

Meaning/Origin of the Flag

The Acehnese are indeed an Indonesian people, however there are clear linguistic and cultural differences to the neighbouring Malays. Aceh has a glorious history. It could not be totally subjected by the Netherlands until 1911. In the in the 50s of the 20th century the Acehnese tryed unsuccessfully to withdraw the annexation by Indonesia, and to establish their own Islamic state. This caused an armed resistance against the Indonesian central government until today. The today's flag of the movement for an independent Aceh (Free Aceh Movement, GAM) corresponds to the flag of the ancient Empire of Aceh. Red is in the region of the Indian Ocean a wide-spread flag colour of great tradition, from the coasts of Arabia, to Zanzibar and the Maldives.

Source: Volker Preuß, teilweise/partial: Die Völker der Erde, Die Welt der Flaggen

Map

Source: Freeware, University of Texas Libraries, modyfied by: Volker Preuß

Numbers and Facts

This country is a theoretical construct that a separatist movement is striving for as a goal for an independent state. The parameters that roughly describe this goal are listed here. This has nothing to do with an actual – neither partial nor complete – existence of this area, country or state.

Area: 22.377 square miles

Inhabitants: 5.247.250 (2019), thereof ca. 4.000.000 Acehnese (Achinese)

Density of Population: 234 inh./sq.mi.

Capital: Banda Aceh, 260.000 inh.

Languages: Acehnese, Bahasa Indonesia

Currency: Indonesian Currency

Time Zone: GMT + 7 h

Source: Die Völker der Erde, Wikipedia (DE)

History

about 1500 · Sultanate of Aceh

1873–1911 · conquest by the Netherlands

1942–1945 · Japanese occupation

1947 · occupation by Indonesia, onset of the armed resistance

December 2004 · Tsunami catastrophe in Hinter India, already in Aceh die ca. 130.000 people

17th of June 2005 · agreement of armistice between Aceh and Indonesia

15th of July 2005 · peace-agreement between Aceh and Indonesia

Source: Die Völker der Erde, Wikipedia (D), Volker Preuß