Bukittinggi

BukittinggiThe clock tower and main square of Bukittinggi, Indon.

Bukittinggi, city, West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat) propinsi (or provinsi; province), central Sumatra, Indonesia. It lies at an elevation of 3,000 feet (900 metres) on the Agam Plateau, a ridge of high land parallel to the coast.

The city is in the Minangkabau country, one of the most scenic sections of Indonesia. Typical of the region are houses with saddle-shaped roofs, the ends pointing upward like buffalo horns. Bukittinggi is an important commercial centre and is connected by road with other Sumatran cities and by rail with Padang, Padangpanjang, and Sawahlunto. The city has a museum set amid botanical gardens, a Dutch fort (1825), and an airfield. Pop. (2010) 111,312.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.