Aceh, officially known as Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, is a territory that stretches over 55,390 square kilometers (34,341 square miles) on the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

The provincial capital of Banda Aceh and the west coast of the region were devastated by the December 26, 2004 tsunami, which took the lives of over 175,000 people and left another 500,000 homeless. 

This contributed to a peace agreement being signed in August, 2005 that ended 30 years of armed conflict between a local insurgency and the Indonesian security forces.  

With a current population of over 4 million, Aceh accounts for almost two percent of Indonesia’s population.  The province is subdivided into 17 regencies and 4 municipalities that range from coastal areas on the Indian Ocean to mountainous tropical highlands in its interior.

Like the rest of Indonesia, Aceh is diverse with several ethnic and language groups. While the majority of Acehnese are Malay Muslims (97.6 percent), Aceh has over the centuries been influenced by its experience with the Dutch, Arabs, Indians, Chinese and Portuguese.

Although the region is rich in natural resources including petroleum and natural gas deposits as well as rubber, palm oil, and timber, 30 years of conflict left Aceh significantly behind in its development potential. Even prior to the tsunami, Aceh suffered from a lack of infrastructure.  However, the region's underdevelopment was significantly intensified with the December 2004 tsunami.  

Aceh is currently in a state of change.  While many challenges exist, all indicators suggest that Aceh, like all of Indonesia, is moving in a positive direction.  Since the signing of a Peace Agreement in August, 2005, real steps have been made towards building a lasting peace. In December 2006, Aceh held free elections for several levels of government. Parties formed by former members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) made a strong show and claimed several important seats, including the governorship of the province. Former combatants from both sides are now sitting down together every day to search for ways to take Aceh forward.

The Aceh Road/Bridge Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Project is working together with the Government of Indonesia, the provincial Government of Aceh, and the people of the region to address one of the largest challenges that Aceh faces: rebuilding and recovering from one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history.