Great Aceh Regency () is a regency of the Indonesian province of Aceh. It covers an area previously known as Lamuri. The regency covers an area of 2,903.49 square kilometres and had a population of 351,418 at the 2010 Census,Biro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. 391,870 at the 2015 census and 405,535 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2021. the official estimate as of mid 2025 was 453,070 (comprising 227,130 males and 225,940 females).Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2025, Kabupaten Aceh Besar Dalam Angka 2025 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1108) The Regency is located at the northwest tip of Sumatra island and surrounds the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, many suburbs of which lie within the Regency. It also includes a number of islands off the northern tip of Sumatra, which comprise Pulo Aceh District within the regency. The seat of the Regency government is the town of Jantho.
Economy Aceh Besar Regency produces cloves, nutmeg and palm oil and rice, and also small quantities of maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and beans.
Landmarks
Museums Aceh Besar Regency contains several museums. The Museum dan Rumoh Aceh is the State Museum, located in Banda Aceh. The museum's main building is built in the style of a traditional Acehnese house. It was installed by Dutch Governor Van Swart in 1915. Museum Ali Hasymi contains the personal collection of Ali Hasymi, a former governor of Aceh and artist and include books by the scholars of Acehnese past, ancient ceramics, the typical weapons of Aceh, souvenirs from all over the world, etc. Museum Cut Nyak Dhien was originally the home of the heroine Cut Nyak Dhien. The ancient Abee Tanoh Library, located at the foot of Mount Seulawa contains some important manuscripts.
Places of worship Indra Puri Old Mosque is located about 20 km south of Medan. Indra Puri was a Hindu kingdom and it was a place of worship before Islam arrived. Later, Sultan Iskandar Muda introduced Islam to the public. After the people embraced Islam, the previous temple was converted into a mosque. The mosque site covers an area of 33,875 m2, and is located approximately 150 metres from the edge of the Krueng Aceh River.
Fortress and tombs Indra Patra Fortress is situated 19 km from Banda Aceh at Krueng Raya. According to history it was built under the Indra Puri Hindu kingdom, although some say that the fort was built during the Sultanate of Aceh Darussalam in an effort to resist the Portuguese. The fort had a very important function at the time of Sultan Iskandar Muda.
The Tomb of Admiral Malahayati is located about 32 km from the city of Banda Aceh.
Administrative divisions The regency is divided administratively into twenty-three districts (Indonesian: kecamatan), which comprise 604 villages (Indonesian: gampong). The areas of the districts and their populations at the 2010 Census and the 2020 Census, together with the official estimates as of mid 2025,Badan Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 27 February 2026, Kabupaten Aceh Besar Dalam Angka 2026 (Katalog-BPS 1102001.1108) are listed below. These are grouped below into four geographical sections for convenience, which have no administrative significance. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages (gampong) in each district, and its post code. The gampong are grouped into 68 mukim.
KodeWilayah Name ofDistrict(kecamatan) Area in km2 Pop'nCensus2010 Pop'nCensus2020 Pop'nEstimatemid 2025 Pop'nDensitymid 2025 Admin centre No. of mukim No. of villagesPostcode 11.06.13 Pulo Aceh (a) 90.563,796 4,463 4,949 54.6 Lampuyang31723991 11.06.08 Peukan Bada (b) 36.2515,462 22,654 25,258 696.8 Peukan Bada42623351 11.06.02 Lhoknga 87.9514,874 16,927 18,441 209.7 Lhoknga42823355 11.06.22 Leupung 169.152,553 3,392 3,826 22.6 Leupung1623353 11.06.01 Lhoong 149.039,093 9,860 10,755 72.2 Lhoong42823354 Total Western section 532.9445,778 57,296 63,229 118.6 16105 11.06.16 Kuta Cot Glie 332.2512,388 14,075 15,686 47.2 Lampakuk23223364 11.06.04 Seulimeum 404.3521,519 23,652 25,377 62.8 Seulimeum54723951 11.06.15 Kota Jantho (Jantho town) 592.508,443 9,440 9,737 16.4 Kota Jantho11323918- 23919 11.06.14 Lembah Seulawah (Seulawah Valley)319.6010,753 11,927 13,824 43.3 Lamtamot21223952 Total Southern section (c)1,648.7053,103 59,094 64,624 39.2 10104 11.06.09 Mesjid Raya (d)129.9320,864 21,231 22,729 174.9 Krueng Raya21323381 11.06.12 Darussalam 38.4322,633 22,834 25,128 653.9 Lambaro Angan32923374 11.06.20 Baitussalam 20.8416,590 22,943 26,806 1,286.3 Lambada Lhok21323373 11.06.11 Kuta Baro 61.0723,541 25,959 29,740 487.0 Peukan Ateuk54723372 11.06.05 Montasik59.7317,732 20,261 21,965 367.7 Montasik33923362 11.06.23 Blang Bintang 41.7510,723 11,811 13,094 313.6 Cot Meuraja32623360 11.06.03 Indrapuri 197.0419,975 22,372 25,104 127.4 Indrapuri35223363 11.06.17 Kuta Malaka 22.825,891 6,896 7,580 332.2 Samahani11523365 11.06.06 Suka Makmur 43.4513,905 15,488 17,341 399.1 Sibreh43523361 11.06.18 Simpang Tiga 27.605,360 6,269 7,340 25.9 Krueng Mak21823375 11.06.19 Darul Kamal 23.056,766 8,472 9,598 416.4 Peukan Biluy11423350 Total Eastern section 665.71163,980 184,536 206,425 310.1 29301 11.06.07 Darul Imarah 24.3546,397 54,145 60,903 2,501.1 Lampeuneurut43223352 11.06.10 Ingin Jaya 24.3428,064 33,993 38,228 1,570.6 Lambaro65023371 11.06.21 Krueng Barona Jaya 6.9614,096 16,471 19,661 2,824.9 Cot Irie31223370 Total Southern Suburbs (e) 55.6588,557 104,609 118,792 2,134.6 1394
Notes: (a) comprises a group of islands off the north-western tip of Sumatra, of which the largest are Pulau Breuh, Pulau Nasi and Pulau Teunom. (b) includes some smaller islands off the north-western tip of Sumatra but closer to the mainland than Pulo Aceh District - Pulau Bunta and Pulau Batee. (c) includes the Jantho Nature Park, southeast of Kota Jantho. (d) includes Tanjung Dunung, the most northerly point on the Sumatran mainland. Four of the 13 villages comprising the district lie west of this cape (and thus can be considered as within the Krueng Aceh river valley and the orbit of Banda Aceh city), these are the gampong of Lamnga, Gampong Baro, Neuheun (with 9,152 inhabitants in 2024, the largest gampong in the district) and Durung; the other nine are situated to the east of the cape, with Keude and Leupung as their main centres.(e) comprises southern suburbs of Banda Aceh city, with 118,792 inhabitants in mid 2025.
Rusa Island Rusa Island in Lhoong district was shaped like Rusa (deer) before the tsunami struck the island on 26 December 2004, but now that much of it has been washed away, the form of the island has changed and become smaller like a lamb embryo. The island is very important for marking Indonesia's boundaries due to its location as the most westerly island in Indonesia with Titik Dasar TD175 and Titik Referensi TR175 (Base Point TD175 and Reference Point TR175).
Bunta Island Since the 2004 tsunami struck Bunta island, 45 minutes by traditional motorised boat from Ujong Pancu Village, Peukan Bada, there are no longer any inhabitants living there. Nowadays some people use the island as a coconut plantation, but they live in Banda Aceh. As the tsunami washed out all of the living creatures there, nowadays there are no squirrels, monkeys or snakes on the island. The island has been popularized by the documentary film Hikayat di Ujung Pesisir and is ideal for camping, but with no facilities at all, and modest snorkeling can be done there. Transport Banda Aceh on the north coast is connected through Aceh Besar Regency with the rest of Sumatra by three principal highways. The northern route runs eastwards along the north Sumatran coast via Keude, Laweueng, Sigli and Meureudu towards Bireun. The central route runs up the valley of the Krueng Aceh river via Kota Jantho, Tangse and Geumpang towards Blangkejeren. The western route runs down the west Sumatran coast via Lamno and Calang towards Meulaboh.
Ferries connect Banda Aceh with the regency's northern islands of Nasi and Breueh, as well as with Matara, Sri Lanka, with Balohan (on Weh Island, Sabang), and with Phuket (Thailand).
References