Sumatra

American  

[soo-mah-truh] / sʊˈmɑ trə /

noun

1. a large island in the W part of Indonesia. 164,147 sq. mi. (425,141 sq. km).

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Sumatra British  

/ sʊˈmɑːtrə /

noun

1. Indonesian spellling: Sumatera.  a mountainous island in W Indonesia, in the Greater Sunda Islands, separated from the Malay Peninsula by the Strait of Malacca: Dutch control began in the 16th century; joined Indonesia in 1945. Northern coastal areas, esp Aceh province, suffered devastation as a result of the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Pop: 42 409 510 (2000). Area: 473 606 sq km (182 821 sq miles)

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Sumatra Cultural  

1. Island in Indonesia in the Indian Ocean northwest of Java and west of Malaysia.

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Discover More

Though much of the island is covered by swampland and impenetrable rain forest, Sumatra's industries — including oil, coal, gold, silver, rubber, timber, and tobacco — produce over half of Indonesia's income.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Sumatran
  adjective

Example Sentences

The only documented example occurred in Sumatra, where two large earthquakes struck three months apart in 2004 and 2005.

From Science Daily • May 2, 2026

Triggered by a rare cyclone in November, the deluge killed more than 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands across the island of Sumatra.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

At a church in Sumatra, dozens of worshippers sang hymns at a Christmas mass, gathered together for their first service since deadly floods swept the Indonesian island.

From Barron's • Dec. 25, 2025

And in 2019, at least 35 people were killed when a bus plunged into a ravine on the western island of Sumatra.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

“Would you like to go to Sumatra again?”

From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham