Meunuang Tanjong – small village in Kaway XVI District, Aceh Barat Regency
Meunuang Tanjong is a gampong (Acehnese rural administrative unit) in the western part of Indonesia's Aceh special province, located in the territory of Kabupaten Aceh Barat (West Aceh Regency) on Sumatra. The village belongs to Kaway XVI kecamatan, which forms part of Kabupaten Aceh Barat, Aceh province. Based on its coordinates (4.2863683° N, 96.2097253° E), it is situated in the inland, terrestrial areas of the region. Meunuang Tanjong is found within the Mukim Tanjong Meulaboh administrative subdivision, in the company of neighbouring villages such as Keude Tanjong, Tanjong Meulaboh, Pasi Ara and Teladan. The regency seat, the city of Meulaboh, is the most significant administrative and commercial centre of the broader area.
General overview
Meunuang Tanjong is a small agricultural village for which detailed settlement-level statistical data is not publicly available from recent years. According to 2016 data, the village population consisted of 218 men and 224 women, with a sex ratio of 97. The settlement operates within the framework of traditional Acehnese rural administration, the basic unit of which is the gampong, roughly equivalent to the concept of a village. Kaway XVI kecamatan is the district in Kabupaten Aceh Barat with the largest number of village communities, encompassing a total of 44 gampongs. The northern part of Kabupaten Aceh Barat's territory is dominated by highland areas, which form part of the Bukit Barisan mountain range and are also connected to the Leuser ecosystem. The regency as a whole is characterized by the fact that the vast majority of the population is of Acehnese ethnicity, and the village is home to the Al-Muttaqin mosque, which has a floor area of 210 square metres, a plot area of 1,400 square metres, and was established in 2011. This mosque is one of the defining institutions of the local community and religious life. Research has identified the presence of coal reserves in the territory of Kaway XVI kecamatan.
Real estate and investment
Settlement-level real estate market data for Meunuang Tanjong is not publicly available, and therefore the following presents the broader context of Kabupaten Aceh Barat regency. Kabupaten Aceh Barat is a palm oil-producing region, which determines demand for agricultural land and the structure of the local economy. On the regency's territory, agricultural real estate — particularly plantation land — forms the backbone of the local economy, though its transactions and valuations are primarily relevant to local stakeholders. Kabupaten Aceh Barat lies between two fault lines and is situated in the collision zone of the Eurasian and Australian tectonic plates, approximately 130 km from the western coastline, which carries tsunami risk for the entire region. This natural hazard is one of the determining factors in real estate investment decisions across the regency's territory. According to Indonesian law, foreign nationals cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik) to real estate in Indonesia; for them, long-term use rights (Hak Pakai) or lease arrangements provide the legal framework. This general regulation applies equally to Aceh province, and thus to Kabupaten Aceh Barat and the Meunuang Tanjong area.
Safety and security
No publicly available, verifiable settlement-level crime statistics are available for Meunuang Tanjong and Kaway XVI district. Regarding the general regional context, Aceh province possesses special autonomous status within Indonesia, and the province regulates certain areas under its own local regulations (qanun) and partly according to Islamic legal principles as well. In rural villages — such as the gampongs of Kaway XVI district — local community structures, gampong-level leadership and informal social norms have traditionally played a determining role in maintaining public order. Kabupaten Aceh Barat was among the areas most severely affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which determined the region's social and economic situation for many years, including infrastructure and public services. Travellers are advised to consult current Indonesian official briefings and to familiarize themselves with local conditions.
Tourist attractions
Meunuang Tanjong itself does not possess any identifiable named tourist attractions based on available sources. However, the broader Kabupaten Aceh Barat regency offers notable natural and historical environments from several perspectives. The northern part of the regency is defined by the Bukit Barisan mountain range and the Leuser ecosystem, which represents one of the best-preserved areas of Acehnese wilderness. Kabupaten Aceh Barat is located on the western coastal region of the province, bordered by the Bukit Barisan mountain range to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. The regency seat, Meulaboh, is a city rebuilt after the devastation of the 2004 tsunami, which carries within it both the memory of the natural catastrophe and the history of reconstruction. The regency borders Kabupaten Aceh Jaya to the west, Pidie to the north, Central Aceh to the northeast, and Nagan Raya to the southeast. From Meunuang Tanjong village, these broader natural and regional attractions are accessible by car, though no settlement-level public source is available regarding precise distances and road conditions.
Summary
Meunuang Tanjong is a small village (gampong) in Kaway XVI District, Kabupaten Aceh Barat, Aceh province, on the island of Sumatra. According to 2016 data, the village population consisted of a total of 442 inhabitants. The settlement belongs to the Mukim Tanjong Meulaboh subdivision and fits within the broader palm oil production and agricultural economic profile characteristic of the regency as a whole. From a tourism or real estate market perspective, it does not stand out independently among the surrounding villages; understanding the area requires the broader context of Kabupaten Aceh Barat regency and Kaway XVI district.
