Aceh (pronounced AH-chay) is one of the provinces of Indonesia and designated as a Special Territory of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Nanggröe Aceh Darussalam. Past spellings include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin.
Aceh is known for its political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders. There is a sociocultural divide as well; the Acehnese practice Islam, while the rest of the archipelago tends to blend Islam with animism. Since 1976, Aceh has been torn by a separatist conflict waged by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) against the Jakarta government over control of resources, and over cultural and religious issues. Aceh has substantial natural resources, including petroleum and LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas).
Aceh was the point of land closest to the epicenter of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which triggered a tsunami that devastated much of Aceh's western coast, including part of the capital city of Banda Aceh. The government of Indonesia's positive response to this disaster contributed to a peace agreement with GAM, signed on August 15, 2005.
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