Aceh - WikiHQ

Aceh is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the west, Strait of Malacca to the northeast, as well bordering the province of North Sumatra to the east, its sole land border, and shares maritime borders with Malaysia and Thailand to the east, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India to the north. Granted special autonomous status, Aceh is a religiously conservative territory, with the majority of its population being Muslim; it is the only Indonesian province to officially integrate Islamic law (). There are ten indigenous ethnic groups in this region, the largest being the Acehnese people, accounting for approximately 70% of the region's population of about 5.55 million people in mid-2024. Its land area spans 56,839.09 km2.

Aceh is a provincial region that constitutes a unified legal community with a special status and is granted special authorities to regulate and manage its own governmental affairs and local interests in accordance with laws and regulations within the system and principles of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, based on the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and is led by a governor.

Aceh is where the spread of Islam in Indonesia began and was a key factor of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia more broadly. Islam reached Aceh (Kingdoms of Fansur and Lamuri) around 1250. In the early 17th century, the Aceh Sultanate was the wealthiest, most powerful, and most cultivated state in the Strait of Malacca. Aceh has a history of political independence and resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch East Indies and later the Indonesian governments.

Aceh has substantial natural resources of oil and natural gas. Aceh was the closest point of land to the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which devastated much of the western coast of the province. Approximately 170,000 Indonesians were killed or went missing in the disaster. The disaster helped precipitate the peace agreement between the government of Indonesia and the separatist group of Free Aceh Movement.

Name

Aceh was first known as Aceh Darussalam (1511–1945). Upon its formation in 1956 it bore the name Aceh before being renamed to the Daerah Istimewa Aceh (Aceh Special Region; 1959–2001), Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (2001–2009), and back to Aceh (2009–present). In the past it was also spelled as Acheh, Atjeh, and Achin.

History

Prehistory

thumb|Mollusca piles in [[Aceh Tamiang Regency]]

According to several archaeological findings, the first evidence of human habitation in Aceh is from a site near the Tamiang River, where shell middens are present. Stone tools and faunal remains were also found on the site. Archeologists believe the site was first occupied around 10,000 BCE.

Pre-Islamic Aceh

thumb|upright|right|Head of [[Avalokiteshvara from Aceh.]]

thumb |[[Neusu inscription stored in the Aceh Museum]]

The history of Aceh stretches back to the Lambri Kingdom. Several documented references indicate that Hindu-Buddhist culture existed in the area before its Islamization.

The people of Lambri were described by Marco Polo as "idolaters", who had a maharaja as their ruler (a king in the Hindu political structure), likely meaning they were Hindus, Buddhists, or a combination thereof.

The inscription at Tanjore of Rajendra I documents the conquest of a land called "llämuridesam", located at the northern tip of Sumatra. The Nagarakretagama documents the possessions of the Imperial Majapahit and states that it controls Barat (identified as the western coast of Aceh). Chinese records indicate that Aceh was under the control of the Sriwijaya.

Though many temples were left abandoned or converted into mosques, such as the Indrapuri Old Mosque, some evidence remains, such as the head of a stone sculpture of Avalokiteshvara Boddhisattva that was discovered in Aceh. Images of Amitabha Buddhas adorn his crown, facing forward and on each side. Srivijayan art estimated 9th-century CE collection of National Museum of Indonesia, Jakarta. One of the few remaining structures is the Indra Patra fort, which houses several Hindu shrines. Historic names such as Indrapurba, Indrapurwa, Indrapatra, and Indrapuri, which refer to the god Indra, also indicate that Hinduism had a lasting and significant presence in this land.

Beginnings of Islam in Southeast Asia

thumb|Map of [[Pasai, the first Islamic kingdom in Southeast Asia]]

Evidence concerning the arrival and subsequent establishment of Islam in Southeast Asia is thin and inconclusive. The historian Anthony Reid has argued that the region of the Cham people on the south-central coast of Vietnam was one of the earliest Islamic centers in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, as the Cham people fled the Vietnamese, one of the earliest locations where they established a relationship was with Aceh. It is thought that one of the earliest centers of Islam was in the Aceh region. When Venetian traveler Marco Polo passed by Sumatra on his way home from China in 1292, he found that Peureulak was a Muslim town while nearby "Basma(n)" and "Samara" were not. "Basma(n)" and "Samara" are often said to be Pasai and Samudra, but evidence is inconclusive. The gravestone of Sultan Malikussaleh, the first Muslim ruler of Samudra, has been found and is dated AH 696 (1297 CE). This is the earliest clear evidence of a Muslim dynasty in the Indonesia-Malay area, and more 13th-century gravestones show that this region continued under Muslim rule. Ibn Batutah, a Moroccan traveller, passing through on his way to China in 1345 and 1346, found that the ruler of Samudra was a follower of the Shafi'i school of Islam.

After Islam first appeared in Aceh, it spread into the coastal regions by the 15th century. Aceh soon became a cultural and scholastic Islamic center throughout Southeast Asia. It also became wealthy because it was a center of extensive trade.

The Portuguese apothecary Tome Pires reported in his early 16th-century book Suma Oriental that most of the kings of Sumatra, from Aceh to Palembang, were Muslim. At Pasai, in what is now the North Aceh Regency, there was a thriving international port. Pires attributed the establishment of Islam in Pasai to the 'cunning' of the Muslim merchants. The ruler of Pasai, however, had not been able to convert the people of the interior.

Sultanate of Aceh

The Sultanate of Aceh was established by Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah in 1511. In 1584–88, the bishop of Malacca, D. João Ribeiro Gaio, based on information provided by a former captive called Diogo Gil, wrote the "Roteiro das Cousas do Achem" (Lisboa 1997)—a description of the sultanate.

Later, during its golden era, in the 17th century, its territory and political influence expanded as far as Satun in southern Thailand, Johor in Malay Peninsula, and Siak in what is today the province of Riau. As was the case with most non-Javan pre-colonial states, Acehnese power expanded outward by sea rather than inland. As it expanded down the Sumatran coast, its main competitors were Johor and Portuguese Malacca on the other side of the Straits of Malacca. It was this seaborne trade focus that led Aceh to rely on rice imports from north Java rather than develop self-sufficiency in rice production.

thumb|Map of Aceh Sultanate and its vassals at its greatest extent during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda

After the Portuguese occupation of Malacca in 1511, many Islamic traders passing the Malacca Straits shifted their trade to Banda Aceh and increased the Acehnese rulers' wealth. During the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda in the 17th century, Aceh's influence extended to most of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Aceh allied itself with the Ottoman Empire and the Dutch East India Company in their struggle against the Portuguese and the Johor Sultanate. Acehnese military power waned gradually thereafter, and Aceh ceded its territory of Pariaman in Sumatra to the Dutch in the 18th century.thumb|Map of Iskandar Muda's expeditions|left

By the early 19th century, however, Aceh had become an increasingly influential power due to its strategic location for controlling regional trade. In the 1820s, it was the producer of over half the world's supply of black pepper. The pepper trade produced new wealth for the sultanate and for the rulers of many smaller nearby ports that had been under Aceh's control, but were now able to assert more independence. These changes initially threatened Aceh's integrity, but a new Sultan, Tuanku Ibrahim, who ruled from 1838 to 1870, reasserted control over nearby ports.

Under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the British ceded their colonial possessions on Sumatra to the Dutch. In the treaty, the British described Aceh as one of their possessions, although they had no actual control over the sultanate. Initially, under the agreement, the Dutch agreed to respect Aceh's independence. In 1871, however, the British dropped previous opposition to a Dutch invasion of Aceh, possibly to prevent France or the United States from gaining a foothold in the region. Although neither the Dutch nor the British knew the specifics, there had been rumors since the 1850s that Aceh had been in communication with the rulers of France and of the Ottoman Empire. The Dutch colonial government declared war on Aceh on 26 March 1873. Aceh sought American help, but Washington rejected the request. During the course of the war, the Dutch set up the Gouvernment of Atjeh and Dependencies under a governor, although it did not establish wider control of its territory until after 1908.

The Aceh army was rapidly modernized, and Aceh soldiers killed Köhler. Köhler made some grave tactical errors, and the reputation of the Dutch was severely harmed. In recent years, in line with expanding international attention to human rights issues and atrocities in war zones, there has been increasing discussion about some of the recorded acts of cruelty and slaughter committed by Dutch troops during the period of warfare in Aceh.

Hasan Mustafa (1852–1930) was a chief penghulu (judge) for the colonial government, stationed in Aceh. He had to balance traditional Muslim justice with Dutch law. To stop the Aceh rebellion, Hasan Mustafa issued a fatwa, telling the Muslim population there in 1894, "It is Incumbent upon the Indonesian Muslim to be loyal to the Dutch East Indies Government".

Japanese occupation

During World War II, Japanese troops occupied Aceh. The Acehnese ulama (Islamic clerics) fought against both the Dutch and the Japanese, revolting against the Dutch in February 1942 and against Japan in November 1942. The revolt was led by the All-Aceh Religious Scholars' Association (PUSA). The Japanese suffered 18 dead in the uprising while they slaughtered up to 100 or over 120 Acehnese. The revolt happened in Bayu and was centered around Tjot Plieng village's religious school. During the revolt, the Japanese troops armed with mortars and machine guns were charged by sword wielding Acehnese under Teungku Abduldjalil (Tengku Abdul Djalil) in Buloh Gampong Teungah and Tjot Plieng on 10 and 13 November. In May 1945 the Acehnese rebelled again. The religious ulama party gained ascendancy to replace district warlords (ulèebalang) party that formerly collaborated with the Dutch. Concrete bunkers still line the northernmost beaches.

Indonesian independence

thumb|upright|[[Daud Beureu'eh|Teungku Daud Beureu'eh, 3rd governor of Aceh and the regional leader of Darul Islam in Aceh]]

After World War II, civil war erupted in 1945 between the district warlords party, which supported the return of a Dutch government, and the Persatuan Ulama Seluruh Aceh (PUSA) party, which supported the newly proclaimed state of Indonesia. The ulama won, and the area remained free during the Indonesian War of Independence. The Dutch military itself never attempted to invade Aceh. The civil war raised the religious ulama party leader, Daud Bereu'eh, to the position of military governor of Aceh.

Acehnese rebellion

The Acehnese revolted soon after their inclusion into an independent Indonesia, a situation created by a complex mix of what the Acehnese regarded as transgressions against and betrayals of their rights.

Sukarno, the first president of Indonesia, had reneged on his promise made on 16 June 1948 that Aceh would be allowed to rule itself in accordance with Islamic Law. Aceh was politically dismantled and incorporated into the province of North Sumatra in 1950. This resulted in the Acehnese Rebellion of 1953–59, which was led by Daud Beureu'eh, who on 20 September 1953 declared a free, independent Aceh under the leadership of Sekarmadji Maridjan Kartosoewirjo. In 1959, the Indonesian government attempted to placate the Acehnese by offering broad freedom in matters of religion, education, and culture.

Free Aceh Movement

thumb|Women soldiers of the [[Free Aceh Movement with GAM commander Abdullah Syafei'i, 1999]]

During the 1970s, under an agreement with the Indonesian central government, American oil and gas companies began the exploitation of Aceh's natural resources. Alleged unequal distribution of profits between the central government and the native people of Aceh induced Dr. Hasan Muhammad di Tiro, former ambassador of Darul Islam,

Tsunami disaster

thumb|Aftermath of the tsunami in Aceh

thumb|[[Aceh Tsunami Museum was created and designed to raise awareness of the disaster]]

The western coastal areas of Aceh, including the cities of Banda Aceh, Calang, and Meulaboh, were among the areas hardest hit by the tsunami resulting from the magnitude 9.2 Indian Ocean earthquake on 26 December 2004. While estimates vary, over 170,000 people were killed by the tsunami in Aceh, and about 500,000 were left homeless. The tragedy of the tsunami was further compounded several months later, when the 2005 M8.6 Nias–Simeulue earthquake struck the seabed between the islands of Simeulue Island in Aceh and Nias in North Sumatra. This second quake killed a further 1346 people on Nias and Simeulue, displaced tens of thousands more, and caused the tsunami response to be expanded to include Nias. The World Health Organisation estimates a 100% increase in prevalence of mild and moderate mental disorders in Aceh's general population after the tsunami.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, misjudging the intensity of the Sumatra earthquake, issued a bulletin stating that no tsunami was expected following a magnitude 8.0 quake, based on historical data. Only when more accurate measurements of quakes of magnitude 9.0 or higher became available did scientists at the warning center realize they were dealing with a basin-wide tsunami across the Indian Ocean. When the tsunami hit, it was enormous, and the death toll in Aceh exceeded 100,000. There was no tsunami warning system in 2004. Tsunami warning systems have improved since the immense death toll drew international attention, but in rural areas where many lack internet access or cell phones, it remains a challenge to communicate warnings promptly. A warning system was put in place at the request of Aceh residents, but it was disabled in 2007 after technical issues and a false alarm that caused a panic.

The population of Aceh before the December 2004 tsunami was 4,271,000 (2004). The population as of 15 September 2005 was 4,031,589, and in January 2014 was 4,731,705. The 2020 census produced a total population of 5,274,871, comprising 2,647,563 males and 2,627,308 females.

As of February 2006, more than a year after the tsunami, a large number of people were still living in barrack-style temporary living centers (TLC) or tents. Reconstruction was visible everywhere, but due to the sheer scale of the disaster and logistic difficulties, progress was slow. A study in 2007 estimated that 83.6% of the population had a psychiatric illness, while 69.8% suffers from severe emotional distress.

The ramifications of the tsunami went beyond the immediate impact on the lives and infrastructure of the Acehnese living on the coast. Since the disaster, the Acehnese rebel movement GAM, which had been fighting for independence against the Indonesian authorities for 29 years, has signed a peace deal (15 August 2005). The perception that the tsunami was punishment for insufficient piety in this proudly Muslim province is partly behind the increased emphasis on the importance of religion post-tsunami. This has been most evident in the increased implementation of Sharia law, including the introduction of the controversial Wilayatul Hisbah (Syariah police). As homes are being built and people's basic needs are met, the people are also looking to improve the quality of education, increase tourism, and develop a responsible, sustainable industry. Well-qualified educators are in high demand in Aceh.

thumb|left|Boats washed ashore near local businesses in down town Aceh, Sumatra following a massive tsunami that struck the area on 26 December 2004

While parts of the capital Banda Aceh were unscathed, the areas closest to the water, especially the areas of Kampung Jawa and Meuraxa, were completely destroyed. Most of the rest of the western coast of Aceh was severely damaged. Many towns completely disappeared. Other towns on Aceh's west coast hit by the disaster included Lhoknga, Leupung, Lamno, Patek, Calang, Teunom, and the island of Simeulue. Affected or destroyed towns on the region's north and east coasts were Pidie Regency, Samalanga, and Lhokseumawe.

The area was slowly rebuilt after the disaster. The government initially proposed the creation of a two-kilometer buffer zone along low-lying coastal areas within which permanent construction was not permitted. This proposal was unpopular among some local residents and proved impractical in most situations, especially among fishing families that depend on living near the sea.

The Indonesian government established a special agency for Aceh reconstruction, the Badan Rehabilitasi dan Rekonstruksi (BRR), headed by Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, a former Indonesian government minister. This agency had ministry-level authority and incorporated officials, professionals, and community leaders from all backgrounds. Most of the reconstruction work was performed by local people using a mix of traditional methods and partially prefabricated structures, with funding from many international organizations, governments, and individuals, as well as the people themselves.

The Government of Indonesia estimated in their Preliminary Damage and Losses Assessment that damages amounted to US$4.5 billion (before inflation, and US$6.2 billion including inflation). Three years after the tsunami, reconstruction was still ongoing. The World Bank monitored funding for reconstruction in Aceh and reported that US$7.7 billion had been earmarked for the reconstruction, whilst in June 2007, US$5.8 billion had been allocated to specific reconstruction projects, of which US$3.4 billion had actually been spent (58%).

In 2009, the government opened a US$5.6 million museum to commemorate the tsunami with photographs, stories, and a simulation of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami.

Peace agreement and contemporary history

thumb|upright|[[Martti Ahtisaari, facilitator in Aceh-Indonesia peace agreement]]

The 2004 tsunami helped trigger a peace agreement between the GAM and the Indonesian government. The mood in post-Suharto Indonesia during the liberal-democratic reform period, along with changes in the Indonesian military, helped create an environment more favorable to peace talks. The roles of newly elected president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and vice president Jusuf Kalla were highly significant. At the same time, the GAM leadership was undergoing changes, and the Indonesian military had inflicted so much damage on the rebel movement that it had little choice but to negotiate with the central government. The peace talks were first initiated by Juha Christensen, a Finnish peace activist, and then formally facilitated by a Finland-based NGO, the Crisis Management Initiative led by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari. The resulting peace agreement, generally known as the Helsinki Agreement, was signed on 15 August 2005. Under the agreement, Aceh would receive special autonomy, and government troops would be withdrawn from the province in exchange for GAM's disarmament. As part of the agreement, the European Union dispatched Aceh Monitoring Mission. Their mission expired on 15 December 2006, following local elections.

Aceh has been granted greater autonomy through an Aceh government law that includes special rights agreed in 2006 as well as the right of Acehnese people to establish local political parties to represent their interests. Human rights advocates protest that previous human rights violations in the province have not been seriously addressed.

Biodiversity

[[Mount Leuser Forest|thumb|200px]]

Aceh has the largest range of biodiversity in the Asian Pacific region. including the Gunung Leuser National Park, 7,927 km2 national park that stretches across the border between Aceh and North Sumatra provinces The national park, located in the Barisan mountains, is close to Mount Leuser (3,119 m) and protects a variety of ecosystems, among the rarer large mammals are the Sumatran rhinoceros, Sumatran tiger, Orangutan and Sumatran elephant. The area has been suffering from deforestation since the 1970s.

thumb|right|upright=1.1|alt=Map of Aceh showing tree-cover loss years, with forest remaining since 2000 in green and loss years shaded yellow through purple.|Tree-cover loss year in Aceh, 2001-2024, from the [[Global Forest Change dataset.]]

The first wood pulp mill in Aceh was built in 1982. The government of Aceh intends a law by which 1.2 million hectares would be opened for commercial use. This proposal has caused many protests.

Government

Within the country, Aceh is governed not as a regular province but as a special autonomous province (), an administrative designation intended to give the area increased autonomy from the central government in Jakarta. This has resulted in canings for crimes deemed to have violated Sharia, such as gambling, drinking, skipping Friday prayers, and most notably homosexuality.

Regional elections have been held in Aceh in recent years for senior positions at the provincial, regency () and district () levels. In the 2006 elections, Irwandi Yusuf was elected as the provincial governor for 2007–2012; in the elections in April 2012, Zaini Abdullah was elected as governor for 2012–2017.

Law

thumb|Use of [[Sharia in Southeast Asia:

]]

Beginning with the promulgation of Law 44/1999, Aceh's governor began to issue limited Sharia-based regulations—for example, requiring female government employees to wear Islamic dress. These regulations were not enforced by the provincial government, but as early as April 1999, reports emerged that groups of men in Aceh were engaging in vigilante violence in an effort to impose Sharia—for example, by conducting "jilbab raids," subjecting women who were not wearing Islamic headscarves to verbal abuse, cutting their hair or clothes, and committing other acts of violence against them. The frequency of attacks on individuals considered to be violating shariatic principles appeared to increase following the enactment of Law 44/1999 and the governor's Sharia regulations.

Upon the enactment of the Special Autonomy Law in 2001, Aceh's provincial legislature enacted a series of qanuns (local laws) governing the implementation of Sharia. Five qanuns enacted between 2002 and 2004 contained criminal penalties for violations of Sharia: Qanun 11/2002 on "belief, ritual, and promoting Islam," which contains the Islamic attire requirement; Qanun 12/2003 prohibiting the consumption and sale of alcohol; Qanun 13/2003 prohibiting gambling; Qanun 14/2003 prohibiting "seclusion"; and Qanun 7/2004 on the payment of Islamic alms. With the exception of gambling, none of the practices are prohibited outside of Aceh. In April 2009, the Aceh Party won control of the local parliament in Aceh's first post-war legislative elections. In September 2009, one month before the new legislators were to take office, the outgoing parliament unanimously endorsed two new qanuns to expand the existing criminal Sharia framework in Aceh. One bill, the Qanun on Criminal Procedure (), was intended to create an entirely new procedural code for the enforcement of Sharia by police, prosecutors, and courts in Aceh. The law authorized punishments, including up to 60 lashes for "intimacy," up to 100 lashes for engaging in homosexual conduct, up to 100 lashes for adultery by unmarried persons, and death by stoning for adultery by a married person. In March 2013, the Aceh government removed the stoning provision from its own draft of a new criminal code.

Caning

In practice, since the introduction of the new laws, there has been a considerable increase in the use of the allowable penalties. As an example, in August 2015, six men in Bireuën Regency were arrested and caned for betting on the names of passing buses. On 18 September 2015, a total of 34 people were caned in Banda Aceh and in the nearby regency of Aceh Besar.

Two gay men are to be publicly lashed 85 times each under Sharia law after being filmed by vigilantes in Indonesia. An Islamic court in the province of Aceh passed down its first sentence for homosexuality on the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, 17 May 2017, in spite of international appeals to spare the couple.

Whipping is the common hudud punishment for gambling, adultery, drinking alcohol, and having gay or premarital sex. Typically, the whipping has been done by men. In 2020, with increased enforcement and more crimes being committed by women, Aceh authorities noted the government was trying to follow Islamic law, which calls for women to be whipped by female perpetrators.

Administrative divisions

thumb|Municipalities of Aceh

Administratively, the province is subdivided into eighteen regencies (; ) and five autonomous cities (; ). The capital and the largest city is Banda Aceh, located on the coast near the northern tip of Sumatra. When originally devised in 1956, the province comprised the city of Banda Aceh and six regencies: Great Aceh, Pidie, North Aceh, East Aceh, Central Aceh, and West Aceh. However, on 14 November 1956, a seventh regency (South Aceh) was created from the southeastern districts of West Aceh Regency. A second city (Sabang City) was separated from Aceh Besar on 10 June 1965 and Southeast Aceh Regency from part of Central Aceh on 4 June 1974; three additional regencies were formed in 1999—Aceh Singkil from part of South Aceh Regency on 20 April, and Bireuën (from part of North Aceh Regency) and Simeulue (from part of West Aceh Regency) on 4 October.

The towns of Lhokseumawe and Langsa were given separate city status (from parts of North Aceh Regency and of East Aceh Regency respectively) on 21 June 2001, and five additional regencies were created on 10 April 2002: Aceh Jaya and Nagan Raya (both from parts of West Aceh Regency), Aceh Tamiang (from part of East Aceh Regency), Gayo Lues (from part of Southeast Aceh Regency) and Southwest Aceh (from part of South Aceh Regency). Bener Meriah Regency was created on 19 December 2003 (from part of Central Aceh Regency), and Pidie Jaya Regency (from part of Pidie Regency) and Subulussalam City (from part of Aceh Singkil Regency) on 2 January 2007. Some other local areas are pushing to create new autonomous areas, usually with the stated goal of enhancing local control over politics and development.

The cities and regencies (subdivided into the 289 districts or kecamatan of Aceh), are listed below with their areas and their populations at the 2010 census and the 2020 census, 2021 estimates

| 11.72 || Sabang City|| || 1967 || UU 10/1965 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.761 ()

| 11.06 || Aceh Besar Regency || Jantho || 1956 || UU 24/1956 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.735 ()

| 11.71 || Banda Aceh City|| || 1956 || UU 24/1956 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.857 ()

| 11.14 || Aceh Jaya Regency || Calang || 2002 || UU 4/2002 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.698 ()

| 11.07 || Pidie Regency || Sigli || 1956 || UU 24/1956 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.707 ()

| 11.18 || Pidie Jaya Regency || Meureudu || 2007 || UU 7/2007 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.736 ()

| 11.11 || Bireuen Regency || Bireuen || 1999 || UU 48/1999 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.723 ()

| 11.08 || North Aceh Regency (Aceh Utara) || Lhoksukon || 1956 || UU 24/1956 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.694 ()

| 11.73 || Lhokseumawe City|| || 2001 || UU 2/2001 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.775 ()

| 11.03 || East Aceh Regency (Aceh Timur) || Idi Rayeuk || 1956 || UU 24/1956 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.678 ()

| 11.74 || Langsa City|| || 2001 || UU 3/2001 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.774 ()

| 11.16 || Aceh Tamiang Regency || Karang Baru || 2002 || UU 4/2002 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.694 ()

| 11.13 || Gayo Lues Regency || Blangkejeren || 2002 || UU 4/2002 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.675 ()

| 11.17 || Bener Meriah Regency || Simpang Tiga Redelong || 2003 || UU 41/2003 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.732 ()

| 11.04 || Central Aceh Regency (Aceh Tengah) || Takengon || 1956 || UU 24/1956 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.733 ()

| 11.05 || West Aceh Regency (Aceh Barat) || Meulaboh || 1956 || UU 24/1956 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.716 ()

| 11.15 || Nagan Raya Regency || Suka Makmue || 2002 || UU 4/2002 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.693 ()

| 11.12 || Southwest Aceh Regency (Aceh Barat Daya) || Blangpidie || 2002 || UU 4/2002 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.669 ()

| 11.01 || South Aceh Regency (Aceh Selatan) || Tapaktuan || 1956 || UU 24/1956 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.674 ()

| 11.02 || Southeast Aceh Regency (Aceh Tenggara) || Kutacane || 1974 || UU 7/1974 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.694 ()

| 11.75 || Subulussalam City|| || 2007 || UU 8/2007 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.652 ()

| 11.10 || Aceh Singkil Regency (including the Banyak Islands)|| Singkil || 1999 || UU 14/1999 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.692 ()

| 11.09 || Simeulue Regency || Sinabang || 1999 || UU 48/1999 ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| ||align="right"| || 0.664 ()

Note: UU is an abbreviation from Undang-Undang (the Indonesia statute of law).

Aceh is unique in Indonesia in grouping its villages into mukims. These are sometimes related to traditional indigenous communities. Beginning in September 2023, the Indonesian government provided legal recognition to the claims of some mukims over customary forests.

The province comprises two of Indonesia's 84 national electoral districts to elect members to the People's Representative Council.

The Aceh I Electoral District consists of 12 of the regencies in the province (Simeulue, Aceh Singkil, South Aceh, Southeast Aceh, West Aceh, Aceh Besar, Pidie, Southwest Aceh, Aceh Jaya, Gayo Lues, Nagan Raya and Pidie Jaya), together with the cities of Bandar Aceh, Sabang and Subulussalam, and elects 7 members to the People's Representative Council.
The Aceh II Electoral District consists of the remaining 6 regencies (East Aceh, Central Aceh, Bireuen, North Aceh, Aceh Tamiang and Bener Meriah), together with the cities of Langsa and Lhokseumawe, and elects 6 members to the People's Representative Council.

Economy

In 2006, the economy of Aceh grew by 7.7% after having minimal growth since the devastating tsunami. This growth was primarily driven by the reconstruction effort with massive growth in the building/construction sector.

The ending of the conflict, and the reconstruction program resulted in the structure of the economy changing significantly since 2003. Service sectors played a more dominant role whilst the share of the oil and gas sectors continued to decline.

{| class="wikitable"

! Sector (% share of Aceh GDP)

! 2003

! 2004

! 2005

! 2006

| Agriculture and fisheries

| 17

| 20

| 21

| Oil, gas and mining

| 36

| 30

| 26

| 25

| Manufacturing (incl. oil and gas manufacturing)

| 20

| 18

| 16

| 14

| Electricity and water supply

| ...

| Building / construction

| 3

| 4

| 5

| Trade, hotels and restaurants

| 11

| 12

| 14

| 15

| Transport & communication

| 3

| 4

| 5

| Banking & other financial

| 1

| Services

| 8

| 10

| 13

|Total

|100

Note: ... = less than 0.5%

After peaking at around 40% in December 2005, largely as a result of the Dutch disease impact of sudden aid flows into the province, inflation declined steadily and was 8.5% in June 2007, close to the national level in Indonesia of 5.7%. Persistent inflation means that Aceh's consumer price index (CPI) remains the highest in Indonesia. As a result, Aceh's cost competitiveness has declined as reflected in both inflation and wage data. Although inflation has slowed down, CPI has registered steady increases since the tsunami. Using 2002 as a base, Aceh's CPI increased to 185.6 (June 2007) while the national

CPI increased to 148.2. There have been relatively large nominal wage increases in particular sectors, such as construction where, on average, workers' nominal wages have risen to almost Rp.60,000 per day, from Rp.29,000 pre-tsunami. This is also reflected in Aceh's minimum regional wage (UMR, or Upah Minimum Regional), which increased by 55% from Rp.550,000 pre-tsunami to Rp.850,000 in 2007, compared with an increase of 42% in neighboring North Sumatra, from Rp.537,000 to Rp.761,000.

Poverty levels increased slightly in Aceh in 2005 after the tsunami, but by less than expected. The poverty level then fell in 2006 to below the pre-tsunami level, suggesting that the rise in tsunami-related poverty was short lived and reconstruction activities and the end of the conflict most probably facilitated this decline. However, poverty in Aceh remains significantly higher than in the rest of Indonesia. A large number of the Acehnese remain vulnerable to poverty, reinforcing the need for further sustained efforts at development in the post-tsunami construction period.