Medan, Indonesia

Medan Medan-Deli
City
Other transcription(s)
• Jawi	ميدن
• Chinese	棉蘭
• Tamil	மேடான்
From top left to right: Medan city centre, Medan Great Mosque, Old City Hall area, Maimoon Palace and various old buildings around Jalan Kesawan.
Seal
Nickname(s): Parijs Van Sumatra (Dutch)
Motto: Bekerja sama dan sama-sama bekerja (Working together and everybody work)
Location of Medan
Medan Location of Medan
Coordinates: 3°35′N 98°40′E / 3.583°N 98.667°E / 3.583; 98.667Coordinates: 3°35′N 98°40′E / 3.583°N 98.667°E / 3.583; 98.667
Country	Indonesia
Province	North Sumatra
Founded	1 July 1590
Government
• Mayor	Dzulmin Eldin
• Vice Mayor	Akhyar Nasution
Area
• City	265.10 km2 (102.36 sq mi)
• Metro	1,991.1 km2 (768.8 sq mi)
Elevation	2.5–37.5 m (8–123 ft)
Population (2010 census)
• City	2,097,610
• Density	7,900/km2 (20,000/sq mi)
• Urban	2,046,973
• Metro	4,103,696
• Metro density	2,100/km2 (5,300/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Medanese
Time zone	WIB (UTC+7)
Area code(s)	+62 61
Vehicle registration	BK
Website	Official Government Website

Medan (Indonesian pronunciation: [meˈdan]; Indonesian: Kota Medan) is the capital of North Sumatra province in Indonesia. Located on the northern coast, and with 2,097,610 inhabitants at the 2010 census. Medan is the fifth largest city in Indonesia by population after Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung and Bekasi, also the third largest city by land area (behind Jakarta and Surabaya), and the largest Indonesian city outside Java. Its built-up (or metro) area made of 18 municipalities or districts was home to 4,103,696 inhabitants at the 2010 census. The city is bordered by the Deli Serdang Regency to the east, south and west, and the Strait of Malacca to the north, make the city located very strategically for economy as the Strait of Malacca is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

Medan is the gateway to the western part of Indonesia where Belawan Port and Kuala Namu International Airport which is the second largest airport in Indonesia are exist. Access to the port of Belawan from Medan city center down south to industrial district of Tanjung Morawa is equipped by Belmera Toll Road, the first toll road outside of Java Island.

The city was founded by the Guru Patimpus, the karonese man which named a swampy land in confluence of Deli River and Babura river as Kampung Medan as the first settlement around and then in 163 The Deli Sultanate was established by Tuanku Gocah Pahlawan the 1st King or Sultan. In the 18th century, the 8th Sultan Sultan Mahmud Al Rasyid Perkasa Alam opening a relationship with the Dutch, and Jacob Nienhuys a Dutch tobacco merchants pioneered the opening of the tobacco plantation in Deli Land that make the name changed to Medan-Deli when it was established by Dutch tobacco commerce after the formation of the Deli Company. With the help from the 9th Sultanate Sultan Ma'mun Al Rasyid Perkasa Alam also by the most known Chinese businessman duo at that time Tjong Yong Hian and Tjong A Fie, the rapid development of the economy transform Medan-Deli into a big trading center with the nickname as het land dollar aka the land of the money. The Deli Railway was established for shipping rubber, tea, timber, palm oil, and sugar industries from the city to Belawan, a port town up to north area. After Independence, Medan also was a capital of East Sumatra, a state of United States of Indonesia during 1449 to 1950 and then finally changed to capital of North Sumatra in mid 1950.