Medan | Indonesia | Britannica
Medan, kota (city), capital of North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) propinsi (or provinsi; province), Indonesia. It lies along the Deli River in northeastern Sumatra. Medan's harbour is Belawan, 12 miles (19 km) north, on the Strait of Malacca. At the turn of the 21st century, the largest portion of the city's population consisted of various Sumatran peoples, primarily Batak.