Pematang Siantar 6.64

Pematangsiantar, is an independent city in North Sumatra, Indonesia, surrounded by, but not part of, the Simalungun Regency. Pematangsiantar formerly had the status of a second level district and has recently been elevated to Kota - its population was 219,319 in the 1990 Census, 242,756 in the 2000 Census, and 240,787 in the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the province after the provincial capital Medan.Administrative divisionsThe city is divided administratively into eight districts (kecamatan), tabulated below with their 2010 Census population:HistoryBefore 1907, Pematangsiantar was a Kingdom led by the Damanik. Damanik is one of the clans of the Simalungun ethnic group of the Batak people. The last king of the dynasty was Tuan Sangnawaluh Damanik. In 1907, the Dutch took control, turning Pematangsiantar into their colony. The city remained under Dutch control until 1942 when the Japanese invaded and ruled over Indonesia.After Indonesia proclaimed its freedom in 1945, Pematangsiantar was granted autonomous status. In 1974, Pematangsiantar became a second level district, and was appointed as the capital of Simalungun Regency.InhabitantsPematangsiantar's native inhabitants are the Simalungun Batak people, also the majority of the city. Today, Chinese are the largest minority along with ethnic Malays, and Javanese also inhabit some parts of the city, especially around the downtown area. The most developed part of the town is along the streets named Jalan Merdeka and Jalan Sutomo.