Matang Keupula Dua – small settlement in the eastern district of Aceh Timur, Sumatra
Matang Keupula Dua is a settlement (desa) in Kecamatan Madat district, which forms part of Kabupaten Aceh Timur – that is, East Aceh regency – in the Indonesian province of Aceh, in the northern part of Sumatra. Based on its coordinates (5.1239° north latitude, 97.5098° east longitude), the area is located in the internal, low-elevation zone of the eastern coast facing the Strait of Malacca. Settlement-level statistical data is currently not available, so the following description is based primarily on verified sources accessible at the Kabupaten Aceh Timur level, with this framework indicated throughout the text.
General overview
Matang Keupula Dua is one of the villages in the Kecamatan Madat administrative district. Kecamatan Madat itself is located in the eastern part of Kabupaten Aceh Timur, in an area characterized by extensive low plains, river valleys, and mangrove forests in places near the coast. The village itself is not widely recognized as a known tourist or economic destination, and its name cannot be linked to any distinctive, source-identified well-known event or institution. The landscape surrounding the village is generally characterized in this part of East Aceh by a mosaic of rice fields, oil palm plantations, and smaller waterways, though this generalization is not confirmed by verifiable local sources for this particular village. The total population of Kabupaten Aceh Timur according to data recorded at the end of 2023 was 449,796 people, which indicates that the regency as a whole is a medium-sized Indonesian kabupaten in terms of population. Population data at the kecamatan level or village level is not available in the sources used.
Real estate and investment
No detailed real estate market data at either the local or regional level is available from verifiable sources for Matang Keupula Dua. Considering the broader economic context of Kabupaten Aceh Timur, the regency is, according to sources, among the oil-rich Aceh kabupatens – along with Kabupaten Aceh Utara and Kabupaten Aceh Tamiang – which traditionally generates certain industrial and infrastructural activity in the region. This does not, however, automatically mean high real estate market activity in a smaller, inland village. Under the general framework of Indonesian land ownership regulations, foreign nationals cannot acquire direct land ownership in Indonesia (Hak Milik title), but may only hold limited titles (such as Hak Pakai, or usage rights), which is a universally applicable regulation across the entire country. From an investment perspective, rural, agriculture-dominated areas of Aceh Timur typically offer opportunities for the local small and medium enterprise sector, plantation agriculture, and handicrafts, rather than for tourist real estate development – though this observation is not supported by concrete sources about this particular village, and merely reflects a more general characteristic of the region.
Safety and security
Specific public safety data for Matang Keupula Dua does not appear in available sources. Regarding the historical background of the broader region, Kabupaten Aceh Timur, Wikipedia sources mention that the area – particularly around Peureulak – was one of the main sites of armed conflict of the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (Free Aceh Movement, GAM) before the military emergency declared in May 2003, and it was classified as a "black zone." Following the 2005 Helsinki peace agreement, however, the armed conflict ended, and Aceh province as a whole has since moved to a significantly more stable security situation. Today Aceh province is generally considered a safe area within Indonesia, though in rural, less developed districts – to which Kecamatan Madat may be counted – the availability of infrastructure and public services may be more limited, which can indirectly influence everyday sense of security. This article does not provide criminal statistics or data on current incidents, as such data is not available in verifiable form.
Tourist attractions
No named, source-verified tourist attractions can be identified in the settlement of Matang Keupula Dua. Considering Kabupaten Aceh Timur regency as a whole, the available Wikipedia sources do not list any specific tourist attractions, so a verified list of attractions cannot be provided at the regency level either. It can be said in general terms that the rural areas of East Aceh may be noteworthy for those interested in ecotourism due to their natural assets – riverbanks, palm forests, and proximity to the Strait of Malacca – however, this is not a claim regarding any specific named attraction, but rather a general observation reflecting the geographic character of the region. Considering the province as a whole, the most well-known tourist destinations – including the city of Banda Aceh with its Grand Mosque and 2004 tsunami memorial sites, as well as Weh Island – are substantially farther from Matang Keupula Dua and cannot be considered part of its immediate vicinity.
Summary
Matang Keupula Dua is a rural village in Kecamatan Madat district, in the eastern part of Kabupaten Aceh Timur, in Sumatra's Aceh province. Source-based, settlement-level data is available to a limited extent, so the above description relies largely on verified information available at the regency and provincial levels. The regency is known for its hydrocarbon extraction history and the difficult period before the end of the GAM conflict, but today as part of Aceh province it follows a more peaceful, more stable development trajectory. The settlement has no identifiable tourist infrastructure, and from a real estate market perspective is not distinguished from other similarly situated rural villages in East Aceh.
