Medan, the third largest city in Indonesia as well as the largest in Sumatra, is located on the northern part of Sumatra Island. As the capital city of North Sumatra, Medan is the third most populous city, with approximately 2.5 million people living there. It has a harbour called Belawan and an international airport called Polonia International Airport. The word ‘Medan’ means ‘place’ in the Indonesian and Malay languages, but it is believed to have been originated from the Karonese word ‘Madan’, which means to get better or healthier. Historically, one of the first inhabitants of Medan came from the Batak Karo community. Medan began enjoying vast development when the Dutch colonists began planting tobacco. It then quickly became the centre of government and commercial activity.
