Aceh is a province on Sumatra Island, Indonesia. The capital of this province is located in Banda Aceh City. This province is situated at the northern tip of Sumatra Island, and it is also close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India and is separated by the Andaman Sea. Aceh Province shares borders with the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea to the north, the Indian Ocean to the west, the Malacca Strait to the east, and North Sumatra to the southeast and south.

Aceh Province is one of the special regions and is granted special autonomy regulated separately due to historical reasons.[8]

The history of Aceh Province is marked by political freedom and a strong rejection of foreign control, including the former colonizer Netherlands and the former Indonesian government. Compared to other provinces, Aceh Province is a region that is very conservative (upholding religious values).[9] The percentage of its population that is Muslim is the highest in Indonesia and they live according to Sharia Islam (Islamic law).[10] According to the 2021 census by the Central Statistics Agency, the population of this province is around 5,333,733 people, and by the end of 2024 it is expected to be 5,623,454 people.[3][2]

Aceh Province has abundant natural resources, including oil and natural gas. Some analysts estimate that Aceh's natural gas reserves are the largest in the world.[9] Aceh is also known for its forests that stretch along the Barisan Mountains from Kutacane in Southeast Aceh Regency to Ulu Masen in Aceh Jaya Regency. A national park named Leuser Ecosystem National Park (TNGL) was established in Southeast Aceh Regency.

Aceh Province is the land closest to the epicenter of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. After the earthquake, a tsunami struck much of the western coastline of this province. About 170,000 people were killed or missing as a result of the disaster.[11] This disaster also led to the creation of a peace agreement between the government of the Republic of Indonesia and the separatist group, Free Aceh Movement (GAM).