Matang Teungoh – an Acehnese village in the Kecamatan Jeunieb district, Kabupaten Bireuen
Matang Teungoh is an Indonesian village (desa) located on the island of Sumatra in Kabupaten Bireuen, which forms part of Aceh Province. Administratively, it belongs to the Kecamatan Jeunieb district, and based on its coordinates, the village is situated near the northern coastal belt at approximately 5.17 degrees north latitude and 96.53 degrees east longitude. The seat of Kabupaten Bireuen, the city of Bireuen, is located approximately 105 miles (about 169 km) east of the provincial capital of Aceh Province, Banda Aceh. Kabupaten Bireuen was established on October 4, 1999, through the separation of the western districts of the former North Aceh Regency.
General overview
Matang Teungoh is a little-known rural settlement for which detailed independent source material is not publicly available. The Kecamatan Jeunieb district, as part of Kabupaten Bireuen, represents one of the characteristic rural areas of Aceh Province on Sumatra. According to available data, the kabupaten covers an area of 1,796.97 square kilometers. Its population has grown steadily over the decades: the 2000 census recorded 340,271 inhabitants, the 2010 survey recorded 389,288, and the 2020 census recorded 436,418 in Kabupaten Bireuen as a whole; the official mid-2025 estimate is 464,776 inhabitants (of which 230,093 are male and 234,683 are female). Specific population data for Matang Teungoh does not emerge from these regency-level sources, though it can be established that the kabupaten overall represents a dynamically growing region. The northeastern coast of the Strait of Malacca, which borders Kabupaten Bireuen, lies along a strategically significant maritime trade corridor that has shaped both the economic history and culture of the region. The area is predominantly Muslim and preserves Acehnese cultural traditions, with daily life strongly tied to local customs and religious frameworks. Matang Teungoh itself, like other small villages in the kabupaten, presumably has a livelihood structure based on agriculture, fishing, and small-scale commerce, though the available source material provides no concrete, verifiable data on this.
Real estate and investment
No independent, authenticated data source is available regarding the real estate market in Matang Teungoh. In the broader context of Kabupaten Bireuen and Aceh Province, it can be noted that the rural Acehnese real estate market is generally characterized by low land prices, modest infrastructure provision, and limited development activity, particularly in the case of smaller district villages such as Matang Teungoh likely is. Under the framework of general Indonesian property ownership regulations, foreign private individuals cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik) over real estate in Indonesia; the primary option available to them is the Hak Pakai (usage right) title, which can be acquired for a limited period under specified conditions. Aceh Province has special autonomy within Indonesia, and certain aspects of local regulations may differ from national norms; therefore, prior to making any concrete investment decisions, consultation with local authorities and experts is essential. Kabupaten Bireuen as a whole attracts relatively limited major capital investment compared to Bali or the urbanized regions of Java, which reflects its peripheral, rural character.
Safety and security
Specific public safety data for Matang Teungoh is not available in the reviewed sources. Considering the broader history of the kabupaten and the region, it is an important fact that Kabupaten Bireuen was one of the areas affected by the armed conflict between the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) and the Indonesian government in preceding decades. This period of conflict has ended; since the 2005 Helsinki peace agreement, Aceh Province has operated under more stable civilian administration. The December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami also seriously affected Kabupaten Bireuen, although its direct impact varied by area. Authenticated, current statistics on public safety are not available in the source material, but the province as a whole has entered a generally quieter period following the end of the earlier conflict, while Aceh maintains certain local application of Islamic law (Sharia), which influences social norms and compliance expectations in daily life.
Tourist attractions
No data on tourist attractions identified with Matang Teungoh is available in the provided materials. Kabupaten Bireuen generally does not rank among the most visited tourist destinations of Aceh Province; the latter are primarily concentrated around the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, and its immediate surroundings (where the 2004 tsunami museum and memorial sites are located), and around the underwater natural attractions of Sabang Island. The Kecamatan Jeunieb district and the coastal area of Kabupaten Bireuen along the Strait of Malacca offer a natural environment; however, specific, identifiable attractions, temples, protected areas, or cultural sites for this district are not mentioned in the reviewed material. This means that Matang Teungoh is primarily not a tourist destination, but rather a quiet rural Acehnese community.
Summary
Matang Teungoh is a small rural settlement in the Kecamatan Jeunieb district of Kabupaten Bireuen in Aceh Province on Sumatra. Data available at the kabupaten level depict a region with a growing population that has experienced historical hardships (armed conflict, 2004 tsunami) and has embarked on a path of peaceful consolidation over the past two decades. Matang Teungoh itself possesses no publicly documented tourist attractions or distinctive real estate market activity; based on the broader kabupaten context, it is a rural community with modest infrastructure that preserves Acehnese cultural traditions.
