Lampung

Lampung, officially the Province of Lampung (Indonesian: Provinsi Lampung), is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the southern tip of the island of Sumatra. It has a short border with the province of Bengkulu to the northwest, and a longer border with the province of South Sumatra to the north, as well as a maritime border with the provinces of Banten and Jakarta to the east. It is the home of the Lampung people, who speak their own language and possess their own written script. Its capital city is Bandar Lampung.
The province covers a land area of 33,575.41 km and had a population of 7,608,405 at the 2010 census, 9,007,848 at the 2020 census, and 9,313,990 (comprising 4,760,260 males and 4,553,720 females) according to the official estimates for mid-2023, with three-quarters of that being descendants of Javanese, Madurese and Balinese migrants. These migrants came from more densely populated islands in search of available land, as well as being part of the national government's Indonesian transmigration program, of which Lampung was one of the earliest and most significant transmigration destinations.
In 1883, the volcano of Krakatoa, located on an island in the Sunda Strait, erupted into becoming one of the most violent volcanic eruptions in recorded history, with disastrous consequences for the area and elsewhere, including estimates of human fatalities in the tens of thousands and worldwide temperature and other weather effects for years.
The etymology of Lampung is unknown. But, in Batak, Lappung, meaning 'big', has been suspected to be related to the eruption of Mount Merapi, later becoming the name Lampung. However, the name of this province could come from the word Lampohwang.
Lampung was part of the Srivijaya empire, with its regional capital in Jambi, which controlled most of Southeast Asia until the 11th century era.
The entry of the Banten Sultanate in Lampung in the 16th century marked the beginning of the spread of Islam in the region. Lampung is known for pepper, which at that time was in high demand. At that time, the Dutch began pressing for control of the region. In the 1930s, Lampung still accounted for 30% of the world's pepper production.
In 1610, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post in Banten and, later in the 17th century, began the forceful pepper cultivation in Lampung. The Dutch began to control the Lampung spice trade under Sultan Haji. The area was part of the Banten Sultanate until it was annexed by the Dutch in 1752, when it became known as the Residentie Lampoengse Districten. It became part of the Dutch East Indies.
Under Dutch rule, transmigration programs were implemented. This program involved the migration of people from Java to Lampung. Many residents of Java moved to the transmigration sites located in the eastern region of Lampung. The program was expanded after Indonesian independence in the 1960s. The Javanese brought cultural devices to Lampung, such as the gamelan and wayang.
Provinsi Lampung was created on 18 March 1964 with the implementation of the Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 3/1964, later becoming Undang-undang Nomor 14 Tahun 1964. The province broke away from Sumatera Selatan, along with Jambi, Bengkulu, and Bangka Belitung Islands.
Lampung Province has an area of 35,288.35 km (13,624.91 sq mi), about the same size as Moldova. The province borders the Sunda Strait to the southeast and the Java Sea to the east. There are a number of offshore islands within Lampung Province, such as Legundi, Krakatoa, and Tabuan. These islands are located mostly in the Bay of Lampung. Pisang Island lies at the entrance to the Regency of West Lampung. There are 172 islands considered to be part of the province that have names.
The highest mountain in Lampung is Mount Pesagi, standing at 2,262 m (7,421 ft) above sea level in West Lampung. The river Way Sekampung is the longest river in the province, at 265 km (165 mi) with a catchment area of 4,795.52 km (1,851.56 sq mi). Mount Krakatau is a volcanic caldera located in the Sunda Strait, close to the Lampung province. The Krakatoa erupted from 20 May until 21 October 1883, which caused landslides, producing high waves in the coastal area of Lampung.
Between 1969 and 1970, the total area of forest land in Lampung that had been used was 249,200 hectares. In 2000, there were 48 permits issued; in 1980, the number reached 76 permits. The topography of the region in the western part is mostly hilly, while the eastern part is mostly a lowland area that is agricultural and swampy. In 1950, nine specimens per 100 square kilometres in Lampung were collected as part of botanical research.
Lampung Province, which was formed from the southern portion of South Sumatra Province in 1964, was initially composed of just three regencies (kabupaten): Lampung Selatan, Lampung Tengah and Lampung Utara (and one autonomous city, Bandar Lampung). A fourth regency (Lampung Barat) was created on 16 August 1991 from part of Lampung Utara, and on 3 January 1997, two further regencies were created: Tanggamus from part of Lampung Selatan and Tulang Bawang from part of Lampung Utara.
On 20 April 1999, two additional regencies were formed: Lampung Timur from part of Lampung Tengah and Way Kanan from part of Lampung Utara, as well as a second autonomous city, Metro, from another part of Lampung Tengah. A ninth regency (Pesawaran) was created on 17 July 2007 from a part of Lampung Selatan.
On 29 October 2008, three more regencies were formed: Mesugi and Tulang Bawang Barat from parts of Tulang Bawang Regency, and Pringsewu from part of Tanggamus Regency. A thirteenth regency (Pesisir Barat) was formed on 25 October 2012 from the west coast part of Lampung Barat Regency. These are all listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010, 2020 and at the mid-2023 official estimates.
The province comprises two of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to the People's Representative Council. The Lampung I Electoral District consists of 6 of the regencies in the province (Tanggamus, South Lampung, Pesawaran, Pringsewu, West Lampung and Pesisir Barat), together with the cities of Bandar Lampung and Metro, and elects 10 members to the People's Representative Council. The Lampung II Electoral District consists of the remaining 7 regencies (East Lampung, Central Lampung, North Lampung, Way Kanan, Tulang Bawang, Mesuji and West Tulang Bawang) and likewise elects 10 members to the People's Representative Council.
In 2024, the General Elections Commission (KPU) determined 85 legislative candidates for the Lampung Province DPRD for the 2024–2029 period. The political party Gerindra Party has the most seats, winning 16 seats.
Major crops in the region include robusta coffee beans, cocoa beans, coconuts and cloves. This agriculture has included illegal growing in Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. In addition, nata de coco is also manufactured in the region by domestic companies. Rubber and palm oil are also harvested.
According to Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan, in 2023, shrimp production in Lampung reached 59,613 tons. Indonesia has black pepper and white pepper. Lampung declined its pepper export rate in 2021 to minus 37.5 percent in a year. As of 2023, Lampung accounted for 42 percent of Indonesia's overall pepper exports.
Lampung Province has 438 cultural heritage objects. There is an ancient site of the Islamic era in the form of an ancient cemetery in Bantengsari, East Lampung. Historical sites include the Tomb of National Hero Raden Intan II in South Lampung. The province has a Lampung Province Regional Regulation Number 2 of 2008. An example of traditional houses in Lampung includes Nuwou Sesat; the shape of the house was built to avoid potential animal attacks.
Lampung traditional clothing is divided into two customs: Lampung Saibatin and Lampung Pepadun. In general, Lampung women wear a set of traditional clothing consisting of kebaya, a belt and slippers. A set of jewelry is also worn. The men's clothing consists of a sleeved shirt, a headband and sandals. Tapis is a woven cloth often worn by women as part of traditional clothing.
Siger is a traditional golden crown worn by Lampung women during traditional events. Siger typically has either seven or nine curves at the top. Similarly, kopiah emas is a metallic cap with sharp edges at the top that is worn mostly by men. The cap is decorated with a flower garland. Keris, Indonesia's traditional weapon, is sometimes included as part of a decorative item in Lampung's traditional clothing sets. Sometimes, the clothing is also used in regional Lampung dance performances such as the Bedana Dance and the Sembah Dance. Melinting is another traditional Lampungese dance.
Lampung had a weaving tradition. Lampung weaving used a supplementary weft technique that enabled colored silk or cotton threads to be superimposed on a plainer cotton background. The most prominent Lampung textile was the Palepai, ownership of which was restricted to the Lampung aristocracy of the Kalianda Bay area.
There were two types of smaller clothes, known as tatibin and tampan. Lampung textiles like Palepai, tatebin and tampan were called 'ship cloths' because ships are a common motif. The ship motif represents the transition from one realm of life to the next, for instance, from boyhood to manhood or from being single to married, and also represents the final transition to the afterlife.
Although tourism is not Lampung Province's main source of income, the administration has attempted to boost tourism from beaches, such as Flamboyant Tanjung Setia. There is also Pahawang Island and Sari Ringgung Beach. In 2010, 400,000 tourists visited Lampung Province, including ten thousand foreign tourists mainly from Australia and New Zealand.
Lampung also has a national park, the Way Kambas National Park; it is an elephant sanctuary in the district of Labuhan Ratu, East Lampung. The number of Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) living in the region has decreased. Way Kambas National Park was established in 1985.
The 15,000-capacity Pahoman Stadium is the main stadium in Lampung. The association football stadium opened in 1977.
Lampung's three major ethnic groups are the Lampungese, Javanese and Sundanese. The Lampungese are the native ethnic group of the province. Languages used in the province include Indonesian (official), Javanese, Sundanese, Balinese, Minangkabau and Lampung. According to the Indonesian census from 2010, the province of Lampung is 64.17 percent Javanese, 13.56 percent Lampungese, 5.64 percent Malay and 0.53 percent Chinese.
The 2022 data of Ministry of Religious Affairs found 96.09% of the population as adherents to Islam and 2,22% as Christian. The remainder includes Hindus (1.4%), Buddhists (0.27%), and "other", including traditional beliefs (0.02%).
In the province of Lampung, the Bakauheni–Terbanggi Besar Toll Road spans from Bakauheni in South Lampung to Terbanggi Besar in Central Lampung along 140.9 kilometres (87.6 miles) and was completed in March 2019. Terbanggi Besar–Pematang Panggang Toll Road was constructed as part of the Trans-Sumatra toll road. Most of the roads in Lampung Province are made of asphalt.
Lampung has a bus terminal at Terminal Rajabasa, as well as the Talbot terminal in Bandar Lampung. Lampung Province has a railway line between Bandar Lampung–Palembang, which is part of a railway network in South Sumatra operated by Kereta Api Indonesia.
In the province, there are several ports. The Port of Panjang is an import-export harbor. About 92 kilometres (57 mi) south of Bandar Lampung, lies the port city of Bakauheni at the southern tip of Sumatra. Located at the southern end of the Trans-Sumatra Highway, the Bakauheni port connects Sumatra to the Port of Merak in Java via sea transportation.
Radin Inten II International Airport is the only airport in the province.
Schools in Lampung consist of kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools/vocational schools, as well as universities, both state and private. Established in 1965, Lampung University is based in Bandar Lampung.
The coat of arms of Lampung is based on the 1971 Regional Regulation No. 1. The coat of arms consists of a visual depiction of rice and pepper, which are symbols of crops that are cultivated in Lampung. Laduk and payan in the form of machetes and spears are traditional weapons of the Lampung people. Gong symbolises the majesty of indigenous cultural arts. On top of the gong is a visual depiction of an umbrella that has 17 umbrella spokes, 8 edge segments, 19 segment boundaries and 45 umbrella tassels, symbolising the proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia on 17 August 1945. There are also 17 pepper leaves, 8 pepper fruits and 45 rice fruits. There are 64 pepper seeds, indicating the formation of Daerah Tingkat I Lampung in 1964.
There is a writing in the Lampung script below the gong that reads "Lampung". The siger's number of notches of nine at the top of the traditional crown symbolises the nine rivers that flow in the Lampung area. On the emblem, there is an inscription that reads "Sang Bumi Ruwai Jurai", which means 'One Land, Two Indigenous Peoples'. It is meant to symbolize the indigenous people of Lampung that has two traditions on adat, namely Saibatin and Pepadun cultural traditions.