Description
Sumatra (or Sumatera) is the sixth-largest island in the world (approximately 470,000 km²) and belongs to Indonesia. An old name for Sumatra was "Swarna Dwipa" (Sanskrit for "Island of Gold"), likely referring to the very early export of gold from the mines of the Sumatran highlands. Due to its location on the Indian-Chinese trade routes, several trading cities emerged, particularly on the east coast. This also brought influences from Indian religions to Sumatra. The most famous example is Srivijaya, a Buddhist monarchy centered in present-day Palembang. Through trade and conquest, this kingdom dominated the region in the 7th-9th centuries and promoted the spread of Malay culture in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and West Borneo (Kalimantan). However, the kingdom's influence did not extend much beyond the coastal areas. The influence of the Srivijayan kingdom declined in the 11th century. The island was repeatedly invaded from Java by Javanese kingdoms: first Singasari and later Majapahit. During this period, Islam also arrived, spread through contact with Arab and Indian traders.
