AcehArticle Free Pass Aceh, also spelled Acheh, Achin, or Atjeh,
in full Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam or English State of Aceh, Abode
of Peace, autonomous daerah istimewa (special district) of
Indonesia, with the status of propinsi (or provinsi; province),
forming the northern extremity of the island of Sumatra. Aceh is
surrounded by water on three sides: the Indian Ocean to the west
and north and the Strait of Malacca to the east. Its boundary
with the province of North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) to the
southeast extends north-south from Salahaji, on the northeastern
coast just north of Aru Bay, to a point on the southwestern
coast about midway between Singkil and Barus. The capital is
Banda Aceh. Pole, a Buddhist state that flourished about 500 ce
in northern Sumatra, was visited by Arab, Indian, and Chinese
merchants and pilgrims. In the 13th century Aceh became the
first Muslim stronghold in the Indonesian archipelago. It was
later visited by English explorers (in 1591) and by the Dutch.
Its power reached its h