Sibolga

Sibolga City, North Sumatra
City
Location of Sibolga in Indonesia
Sibolga City, North Sumatra Location of Sibolga in Indonesia
Coordinates:
Country	Indonesia
Province	North Sumatra
Area
• Total	10.77 km2 (4.16 sq mi)
Population (2010 Census)
• Total	84,444
• Density	7,800/km2 (20,000/sq mi)
Time zone	WIB (UTC+7)

Sibolga (formerly sometimes Siboga) is a city and a port located in the natural harbour of Sibolga Bay on the west coast of North Sumatra province, in Indonesia. It is located on the western side of North Sumatra, facing the Indian Ocean and is a transit harbour to the Nias island which was hard hit during the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The City has an area of 10.77 km² and had a population of 84,444 at the 2010 Census.

Administration

The city is divided into four districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their 2010 Census population:

Name	Population Census 2010
Sibolga Utara (North Sibolga)	19,970
Sibolga Kota (Sibolga Town)	14,304
Sibolga Selatan (South Sibolga)	30,082
Sibolga Sambas	20,125

History

Fort Tapanuli on Poncan Ketek Island in 1878

Poncan Ketek Island (Small Poncan Island) in Sibolga Bay was once the location of a fort. British, Dutch, French and American traders passed through here. It is thought Stamford Raffles passed through before he moved to Bengkulu in south Sumatra. From Bengkulu Raffles, after relinquishing the Port to the Dutch, established the trade port that became Singapore.

At some point between 1890-1920 there was a major fire in the city, which was presumably mostly built from wood from the surrounding mountains (shown partly denuded in the 1928 panorama).

Devastation after the fire (ca. 1890-1920)

Devastation after the fire (ca. 1890-1920)

Devastation after the fire (ca. 1890-1920)

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Panorama of Sibolga, 1928. Unknown (presumably Dutch) photographer. The major settlement of Tapanoeli, on the west coast of Sumatra. The road through the mountains turns left towards Tarodoeng. This road rises to 1100 meters and then drops to 926 meters at Tarodoeng. In the middle of the foreground is the barracks of the Armed Police, the Inspector's Office, the Water Office, and the Notary Office. In the background right are the European and native commercial districts. (The native commercial district notably included a Chinese quarter.)

Entrance gate to Sibolga's Chinese Quarter, 1920

A presumably makeshift prison described as a "civilian camp" was set up on Taroetoengweg, in the city center, from 16 March to 4 May 1942. It first housed 10 "European" men from in and around Sibolga, who were then joined on April 24 by another 10 men from the island of Nias. On May 4 they were taken to the Native Secondary School for Boys in Pearadja (Taroetoeng), which is located up in the mountains behind Sibolga. Further information.

Transport and tourism

Government bus descending Sibolga's mountain road, June 1919

Ferries from here service the outlying islands to the west, Simeulue and Nias, as well as the rest of Indonesia. Sibolga has attractions of its own in terms of its historical background, beaches and coral gardens in a sea dotted with islands. Sibolga is a step off point for trade and passenger boats to Nias Island.

Climate

This area has a tropical rainforest climate with no real dry season. Regions with this climate typically feature tropical rainforests, and are designated by the Köppen climate classification as "Af".

Climate data for Sibolga
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	31 (87)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (87)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (87)	30 (86)	29 (85)	30 (86)	30 (86)	31 (87)	30.6 (86.9)
Average low °C (°F)	23 (74)	23 (74)	23 (74)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (74)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (73)	23 (74)	23 (73)	23.2 (73.8)
Average precipitation cm (inches)	30 (12)	27.7 (10.9)	38.6 (15.2)	41.7 (16.4)	31.5 (12.4)	23.1 (9.1)	27.7 (10.9)	34.8 (13.7)	37.3 (14.7)	48.5 (19.1)	45.5 (17.9)	42.4 (16.7)	428.8 (169)
Source: Weatherbase