Cot Laot – village in Kecamatan Peudada, Kabupaten Bireuen, Aceh province
Cot Laot is an Indonesian village (desa) that belongs to the Kecamatan Peudada district within the Kabupaten Bireuen administrative unit in the northern part of Aceh province on the island of Sumatra. Based on its coordinates (5.1829386° N, 96.6197256° E), the settlement is situated to the east of Banda Aceh, within the territory of Kabupaten Bireuen. While general geographical and historical contexts related to the district and kabupaten are known, no independent, detailed source currently exists for Cot Laot village itself. Therefore, the following description relies on verified data from the broader administrative unit, Kabupaten Bireuen, and on generally known regional contexts, which the text indicates in all relevant places.
General overview
Cot Laot is one of the settlements in Kecamatan Peudada, which falls under the administrative territory of Kabupaten Bireuen. According to kabupaten-level data, Bireuen is a relatively young municipal unit: it became an independent kabupaten on October 12, 1999, when it was separated from Kabupaten Aceh Utara. The kabupaten is traversed by the Banda Aceh–Medan main highway and borders three adjacent kabupatens – Kabupaten Bener Meriah, Kabupaten Pidie Jaya, and Kabupaten Aceh Utara – which gives the region a transit function. Cot Laot, as one of the villages of Kecamatan Peudada, is situated in this transit-oriented region with an agricultural and small-trade background. The surrounding countryside is characterized by small-scale agriculture typical of Aceh province in general – primarily rice cultivation and plantation farming – as the primary means of livelihood. Kabupaten Bireuen itself became known as one of the former main bases of the Acehnese independence movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) and played a prominent role in the province's modern history. After the 2005 Helsinki Peace Accord, the region gradually stabilized. Bireuen also entered Indonesian history books because on June 18, 1948, during the second Dutch military aggression, it was briefly declared the second capital of the Indonesian Republic, as the Emergency Republican Government (PDRI) that had previously been based in Bukittinggi temporarily relocated there.
Real estate and investment
No independent real estate market data exists for Cot Laot village. At the broader Kabupaten Bireuen level, it can be noted that the region's real estate market shows moderate activity, similar to other rural areas of the province: in smaller villages, agricultural and residential properties dominated by local, Indonesian-owned entities are typical. According to the general framework of Indonesian real estate regulation, foreign individuals cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik) over property in Indonesia; available to them are primarily Hak Pakai (usage rights) or other indirect forms, which are limited in time and subject to specific conditions. In rural Aceh province, development activity is lower than in tourist centers or major cities, so the immediate vicinity of Cot Laot offers primarily long-term, locally-valued agricultural properties rather than investment-oriented development opportunities. Any concrete real estate transaction is preceded by on-site information gathering and legal consultation.
Safety and security
No specific, quantified data exists for public safety at the Cot Laot settlement level. Regarding the broader security situation of Kabupaten Bireuen and Aceh province, it should be noted that since the 2005 Helsinki Peace Accord, the province has been largely consolidated, and the previous armed conflict has ended. Aceh province is now considered a relatively stable region within Indonesia, though – as in many rural areas of the country – local transportation and infrastructure conditions, as well as preparedness for natural disasters, represent independent risk factors. It is worth noting for Aceh that the province has its own regional autonomy and local regulations based on Islamic law (syariah), which affects both daily life and local norms. In the absence of specific, village-level crime statistics, a generally reliable picture of the area can be obtained from the current travel information provided by Indonesian or Acehnese authorities and foreign ministries.
Tourist attractions
No source identifies any named tourist attractions associated with Cot Laot village. The broader Kecamatan Peudada district and Kabupaten Bireuen area are not among Aceh province's prominently visited tourist zones. Bireuen city, the kabupaten's capital, functions primarily as a transit point for travelers on the Banda Aceh–Medan route rather than as an independent tourist destination. The more widely known tourist areas of Aceh province – such as the coastal region around Banda Aceh, Pulau Weh island, and several entry points to Gunung Leuser National Park – are generally located tens or several hundreds of kilometers from Bireuen. The natural and cultural characteristics of Cot Laot's immediate area – which may be typical of the hilly-flatland Acehnese landscape, local agricultural culture, and small-community religious traditions – cannot be accurately described from sources without risking being misleading.
Summary
Cot Laot is a small, rural village in Aceh province's Kabupaten Bireuen region, in the Kecamatan Peudada district, situated along the Banda Aceh–Medan axis in a transit-oriented region. Kabupaten Bireuen is a noteworthy unit from the perspective of modern Indonesian history: in 1948 it was briefly considered the temporary capital of the Indonesian Republic, and before the 2005 peace settlement it was one of the affected areas of the Acehnese conflict. No independent, detailed data source is available for Cot Laot village itself, so the connections regarding real estate market, tourism, and public security can be soundly understood at the kabupaten and province level. The region is primarily relevant for those interested in the rural reality of Aceh, local community life, or agricultural characteristics.
