Padang, Administrative capital in West Sumatra, Indonesia
Padang is the capital of West Sumatra province on the western coast of the island, located where several rivers meet the sea. The city extends along the shoreline and spreads inland toward the hills.
Dutch merchants established a trading post with warehouses and a fortification at the harbor in 1667. Over the centuries the settlement grew into an important hub for exporting regional products.
The name of the city comes from large grassy plains that once stretched between the mountains and the sea. Today these open spaces are mostly built up, but the old name still recalls the original landscape.
The international airport connects the city with other Indonesian regions and also offers flights to Malaysia and Singapore. The port serves cargo ships that carry regional products such as spices and palm oil.
Two severe tidal waves struck the coast at the end of the 18th and in the early 19th century and led to changes in how settlements near the sea were built. These events shaped regulations for coastal development that remain in place today.
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